MOVIE SCENE CANADA
THE RUNNING MAN
​I Paramount Pictures Canada I November 14, 2025 I 133 mins. I
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64%
* As of 11/14/25
CAST:
Glen Powell, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Colman Domingo, Josh Brolin
DIRECTOR(S):
Edgar Wright
In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television—a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite—and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.
REVIEW BY: Darren Zakus - 11/14/25
RATING 4 out of 5
The Running Man delivers explosive action and a chilling tale of censorship and media control that gives Stephen King’s novel the adaptation it has long deserved, that under the expert direction of Edgar Wright and with Glen Powell lighting up the screen as Ben Richards in a true movie star performance, makes for an exciting, thrilling and timely blockbuster experience.
Goodbye exploding hockey pucks, assassins with flamboyant personalities and the Arnold Schwarzenegger starring vehicle version of The Running Man that audiences are familiar with. While the 1987 film adaptation retained select elements of Stephen King’s novel, originally published under the name Richard Bachman, and remains a campy 80s action film that is without question entertaining, director Edgar Wright returns to the source materials and honours Ben Richard’s journey as originally envisioned by Stephen King. Casting Glen Powell in the lead role of Ben Richards, allowing him to deliver every ounce of talent he has that confirms him as one of Hollywood’s newest movie stars, there is not a moment in The Running Man that isn’t exciting, show-stopping and emotional as Wright, Powell and the rest of the cast and crew deliver a dazzling big screen adaptation of King’s novel.
What makes King one of the greatest writers of our time and his stories timeless favourites that are constantly being discovered by audiences, whether it be within or without the horror genre that he is best known for, is the complex themes and layers to the stories he tells beyond their simple premise. And while The Running Man is on its surface a story about a man being hunted down as part of a television story trying to survive on the run for thirty days, it is far more than just that. Dealing with complex themes of censorship, the role of entertainment in society, and the unchecked influence the media has on our perception of the world, in their adaptation Wright and Michael Bacall tackle these ideas head on, galvanizing Ben Richards as an unlikely hero who finds himself with the power to open up society’s eyes to the false narrative they are being fed on a daily basis.
There is a chilling parallel to today’s world with the wildly different characterization of news events, the prevalence of social media that makes entertainment more prevalent in our lives than ever, and the concerns over government control that are being raised around the world. It’s hard to imagine that King’s story was originally written back in the 1980s, as it feels too much like today’s world, and Bacall and Wright don’t let you forget that. Yes, the first part of the film is a little clunky, but once Ben finds himself on the run for his life, finding out that every element of The Running Man competition is closely controlled to ensure results, that pacing locks in as Bacall and Wright infuses the film with an out of control energy that never fails to excite and propels it forward.
As Ben is chased across the country, there is no shortage of excellent set pieces to make the film the big screen blockbuster experience audiences expect from it. Taking a page out of his mentor Tom Cruise’s playbook, Powell does the majority of his own stunt work, giving an authenticity to the action and setting stakes for Ben’s survival throughout the film. The fight choreography and practical effects match the out of control stylized writing and direction of the film, ensuring that each sequence is a heart pounding experience that is bloody and brutal, never sacrificing the tone of King’s story for a more sanitized and crowd friendly blockbuster experience. The CGI blends seamlessly to create the futuristic world during the sequences, while Steven Price’s musical score ensures the intensity during these sequences doesn’t waver for a second with a bombastic sound that captures the grandeur of the story while maintaining the heart of Ben’s journey at the centre of his compositions.
Audiences know that there is an undeniable tone and directorial style that has defined an Edgar Wright film in the past, from his clever use of needle drops, a great Texas Switch that ensures that a take does not have to break, or a tongue and cheek humour. And while you can see elements of some of his style throughout The Running Man, notably in the action sequences with their longer shots or his humorous moments sprinkled throughout the film such as Ben’s earnings being displayed on screen after killing the law enforcement officials and Hunters tracking him down or Powell cursing in his filmed interviews, Wright channels King while directing the film. It’s a stylistic choice on its own, that even though he leaves his own stamp on the story, Wright knows that King’s writing and the tone of his novel is what makes the story works, and maintains King’s touch in every frame of the film.
Powell has been making a name for himself over the past few years with films like Top Gun: Maverick, Twisters, Anyone But You and Hit Man, and The Running Man is the film that solidifies him as a true Hollywood movie star. While Powell’s great comedic chops aren’t lost in Wright’s screenplay, generating some hilarious moments as he embraces his zany side while vocalizing Ben’s disgust over the media corporation behind The Running Man, this role allows him to tap into a grittier side to his acting ability that audiences haven’t seen previously from him. Building the frustrations, rage and desperation to reunite with his family within Ben, Powell brings great range to the role that generates the emotional lightning rod of the film and ensures that the audience is watching with bated breath, ever hopeful that Ben will survive The Running Man and reunite with his wife and daughter. There are moments where Powell unleashes a chilling rage, a charisma that makes him the figure head of the revolution, or pure insanity that brings to life the fighting spirit of survival within Ben, but within each moment is a magnetism and presence within Powell that solidifies him as the real deal and the leading actor this story deserves. Combined with performing his own stunts, including that show-stopping scene with him rappelling down a building wearing nothing but a towel, Powell is nothing short of excellent and confirms there is nothing he can’t do as he carries the entire film from start to finish.
While they are in smaller supporting roles, there is not a second when on screen that Michael Cera and Colman Domingo don’t steal the film. Domingo is smooth and suave as the host of The Running Man Bobby Thompson, delivering the media’s propaganda and stirring up the audience with a gleeful energy and trustworthiness that ensures that the message Bobby is delivering is never questioned for a second. Cera captures an all grown up Kevin McCallister in Elton Parrakis, a rebel who helps Ben evade the authorities, whose bobby-trapped house makes for one of the standout scenes of the film. Bringing a great, matter of fact comedic timing to the film, Cera is a perfect screen partner for Powell and the two of them make for a killer pairing, making it a shame that Cera was not in the film for longer because his turn here just proves that he needs to be in more deadly action films. Katy O’Brian, Jayme Lawson and Emilia Jones are all strong in their supporting roles with O’Brian continuing her kickass on screen presence as one of Ben’s fellow contestants and perfectly matching the outrageous nature of the film with a spirited performance; Lawson developing the heart of the story in the opening act as Ben’s wife Sheila that within in a mere matter of minutes creates a loving relationship with Ben and gives the audience a reason to root for Ben to survive, and Jones brings an understanding to the film as Amelia that helps to illustrate King’s themes of the influence of the media over society in the story’s final act. And while Josh Brolin is not bad by any means, his performance as Dan Killian, the producer of The Running Man, comes across as too one note and generic, giving no distinguishing personality to this run of the mill corporate villain concerned about the bottom line and tricking the masses.
Continuing to prove that his works continue to be one of the biggest brands in the film industry, The Running Man concludes the Stephen King adaptations for the year with a bombastic bang. Under the talented direction of Edgar Wright, who unleashes his arsenal of filmmaking skills in bringing to life Stephen King’s novel to the big screen while retaining the original voice of King’s writing, The Running Man becomes an exciting yet unsettling examination of media, entertainment and government. Bolstered by exhilarating set pieces that explode across the screen with excellent stunt work by Glen Powell himself, in addition to a compelling leading performance from Glen Powell that allows him to show his range unlike anything seen from him before, Edgar Wright does justice to Stephen King’s writing with The Running Man, delivering a spectacle filled yet terrifying blockbuster that forces viewers to re-examine our own world, society and media.