The Running Man (2025)

The Running Man turned out to be a lot more entertaining than I expected from the marketing. I knew the Stephen King story and was interested in seeing a new adaptation, but the trailer made me wonder whether the movie was going to be too goofy. Once I watched it, I felt like the tone worked much better than the previews suggested. It's a big action thriller with a nasty dystopian premise, and it understands when to add humor without turning the entire film into a joke.

Glen Powell is a good choice for the lead. He has enough energy and charisma to make Ben Richards someone you want to follow through this ridiculous television spectacle. The character is desperate, angry, and trying to take care of his family, so there is a real reason behind his decision to enter the game. That helps ground the action even when the situations become completely outrageous.

I also liked the supporting cast. Michael Cera's appearance could have felt like a distraction, especially based on how that material was presented in the trailer. In the movie, I thought the humor in his scenes was well placed. Those moments give the story a little breathing room without making the danger feel meaningless.

The action is entertaining, and the movie does a decent job exploring how the people controlling the game manipulate what audiences see. That is one of the more interesting parts of the premise. The hunters aren't simply the threat; the whole entertainment system is designed to make survival nearly impossible. There is plenty to dig into there without slowing the film down too much.

I wouldn't classify The Running Man as straight horror, even though it comes from Stephen King. It's much closer to a science-fiction action thriller. I also think it could have been a little tighter in spots. The runtime is generous for a movie with this much movement, and some scenes run longer than they need to.

Still, I had a good time. The performances are engaging, the premise is timely without feeling like a lecture, and the humor works better than I expected. This is a solid adaptation that delivered an entertaining night at the theater.

I didn't have strong feelings about seeing The Running Man from the trailers. I hadn't watched the older movie or read the book, and I thought it looked like a pretty ordinary action movie. Glen Powell seemed likable, so I was willing to give it a chance. I'm glad I did, because I had a much better time than I expected.

The story is easy to get into. A man needs money to help his family, so he joins a dangerous television competition where people are trying to kill him. You understand why he makes the decision even when you know it is a terrible idea. I liked that I had somebody to root for right away, and I thought Glen Powell carried the movie really well.

There is a lot of action, but there is also more humor than I expected. Michael Cera was one of my favorite surprises. His scenes made me laugh, and I liked that the movie knew when to give the audience a little break. Some action movies get so intense that I start feeling worn out halfway through, and having those funny moments helped.

The movie is long, though. I know people love big action scenes, and I enjoy them too, but after a while I need the story to slow down for a reason. There were moments when I thought it could have been a little shorter without losing anything important. That didn't ruin it for me, but I definitely noticed the runtime.

I also liked that the film had something to say about the people running the competition and how viewers can be manipulated. It wasn't just a man being chased for two hours. There were some ideas underneath all the running, fighting, and explosions, and those gave the story more interest.

I don't know that I would have chosen this movie on my own, and it isn't what I usually picture when someone says Stephen King. But I was entertained, I liked the cast, and the humor worked for me. Sometimes that's enough. I came away thinking The Running Man was a much better movie than the trailer had convinced me it would be.