Edgar Wright Does it Right.
The Running Man is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The story follows Ben Richards, who has been blacklisted from all jobs after standing up for his coworkers. Desperate to buy medication for his sick daughter, Richards auditions for the deadly TV show, The Running Man, where contestants must evade hunters for 30 days while civilians are incentivized to report them. No one has ever survived the full 30 days, but Richards believes he can beat the odds.
The Running Man deals with a lot of interesting concepts, especially in 2025. The cost of living in this future is so high that average people can’t afford flu meds or food, the media can be altered for the executive’s liking, and companies are using us and turning us against each other. Stephen King’s stories are more relevant now than ever, and he wrote this back in the 80s. Richards is selected for the game because he is so angry, but he’s not a bad person. He is just angry with society and the system.
The movie itself is so interesting to watch and visually spectacular, as they are on a game show. Edgar Wright has his signature “watch the character walk” scene, and it’s so cool to watch Richard’s progress through town from the slums to the nice TV station. Since he is constantly on the run, we get a lot of cool set pieces and locations, the slums, countryside, rich neighborhoods, sewers, and everywhere in between! We also see him switch through multiple disguises, and each one’s quite fun.
Overall, this one is worth giving a watch, whether you want some cool action or an interesting scientific critique. I feel like it does both well! If you want to see more, check out the trailer below!
-Jared Gomes
