At the height of his career, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a sci-fi action movie called The Running Man, which was based on a story by Richard Bachman, who turned out to be Stephen King. It was a pale imitation of the original story, and so King decided to withhold his name from the material. Now, British director Edgar Wright has returned to the original source material and delivered a much more faithful film version of this dystopian game show, in which contestants must stay alive while being hunted. Think the TV series Hunted, but with death instead of capture. The result is a fun, action-packed treat.

Ben Richards is a hard-working man with anger management issues who cannot hold down a job. In a time when medicine is expensive and the divide between the rich and poor is enormous, Richards turns to a game show to keep his family comfortable. However, The Running Man is a game of life and death. If he can escape capture, he will win a billion dollars, but everyone is after him.

Written when King was struggling himself back in 1972, the first thing you notice about this version, set in 2025 when the original story was set, is how much it screams that King is a prophet. This is a film that is more than just another action film; it speaks volumes about what is happening in America today, from issues with Medicare to fake news and manipulation via AI. It also says something about how corporations control power, and that the humble man or woman controls nothing.

Director Wright, who keeps delivering the good from his Cornetti trilogy to the likes of Baby Driver and Last Night in Soho, has shaken off the tricks he is famous for and delivered a handsome-looking, fast-paced action film. Gone are the swishes and complex edits he has put his stamp on, and in their place is a flowing camerawork that follows the action so we can see every punch, kick, shot, and explosion. This is a full-on action film where we become a contestant just like Richards.

The set pieces are spectacular and relentless. As soon as Richards is in the game, it’s full speed ahead as he escapes the hunters tracking him down. Buildings explode, and houses are brimming with booby traps more complex than those Kevin McAllester used in Home Alone. Even the finale is breathtaking, and you grip the seat arms as you take in how polished the whole production is. One of Wright’s trademarks is the needledrops, and he doesn’t disappoint.

Managing to mix the action genre with commentary on how a TV company, run by the ruthless Dan Killian, can manipulate viewers into believing anything just screams modern social media and the division of the nation. It’s pretty scary that a film that is a slice of screen entertainment can leave you thinking about what is happening in the world today, without once being preachy or slamming the message home. It’s there for all to see; take it if you want.

Once again, Wright has persuaded the best screen talent to appear, none more so than Glen Powell as Richards. The star of Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters is a perfect choice to play the everyman, although not as much an everyman when he is hanging from a hotel with a tiny white towel. He has the right level of bumbling anger and vulnerability to make him believable as the man doing this for his family. It’s another example of Powell’s screen persona, which is winning over both men and women.

Having the time of their lives are Josh Brolin as the slimy Killian, with the best set of teeth you are going to see on screen this year, and Colman Domingo as the host of the show, Bobby T, who looks like he was born to play the quiz show host. Michael Cera returns to working with Wright after Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in a fun cameo as a helpful hand for the runner.

King has described The Running Man as Die Hard for our time, and you can see what he means. It’s a full-on, adrenaline action flick with a neat line in dark humour and a message that will leave you looking at the world we live in. The best fun you can have in a cinema this side of taking your clothes off and wearing a tiny white towel.

4 out of 5

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Sean Hayes, Jayme Lawson, Katy O’Brian, Emilia Jones

Written by: Edgar Wright, Michael Bacall and (based on the novel) Stephen King

Running Time: 133 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 12th November 2025