At this point in time, bestselling author Stephen King may be one of the most prolific voices in film and television, in addition to being an enormously major voice in book horror. When he wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, he brought a decidedly different flavor that colored a body of work often tinged with genre trappings. The Running Man has been attempted once before in the 80s, with Arnold Schwarzenegger leading a ridiculously fun flick that bares little in common with its novel counterpart. Leave it to auteur filmmaker Edgar Wright to literally right the wrong of the universe in his approach to this title. Buoyed by a captivating lead performance from Glen Powell and a sinister post-apocalyptic sci-fi world of great depth and texture, Wright’s take on The Running Man soars past expectations. Relentless action and Wright’s trademark stylistic flourishes make this an eye candy extravaganza with a timely message about the power of propaganda. Now on 4K and stuffed with enough extras to thrill Killian and the whole network, The Running Man brings must-see programming to the home video masses in a major way.
In a burning world, hot-headed Ben Richards (Powell) gets fired from one job after another for “insubordination.” But with a sick two-year-old at home and his wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson), forced to pick up extra shifts at her waitressing gig, Ben turns towards a different means of new-money-making: competing in the deadly Running Man reality competition! In the first of many easter eggs, the new-dollars are adorned with the face of Arnold Schwarzenegger in a throwback to his previous role as Ben. The deceptively calculating TV executive Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) encourages Ben to enter, promising riches beyond his wildest dreams that will extend past merely paying his daughter’s hospital bills. Running Man frames its contestants as criminals, their narratives distorted through deepfakes and selective editing. As Ben navigates this engineered nightmare, he accidentally unpeels the layers of the broader Network, and their nefarious methods to keep the masses in check.
Media manipulation operates at an all-time high, pushing the deepfake element so present in the original movie to the forefront. Are we that far away from a government that can not only watch our every move, but manipulate those movements to fit a narrative of their own creation? In an omnipresent world, Wright and co-writer Michael Bacall imagine a place locked in the analog, one in which the government pulls the strings—and they’re always watching. Granted, this concept goes way back to George Orwell’s 1984, but it has perhaps never felt quite as prescient as it does in today’s day and age. The Running Man doesn’t overtly make political statements, opting to fully focus on Ben, and let the viewer come to whatever conclusions their hearts desire. The addition of rebel Bradley (Daniel Ezra) and his crusade to deconstruct the Network’s nefarious motives helps to circle the motives without ever getting too preachy. Ezra makes a meal of a smaller role, especially in his punchy video narrations.
In Edgar Wright’s version of this apocalyptic landscape, everything is falling apart. The class divide pushes an even wider gap, aided by the hyper-stylized visual aesthetic. As such, Wright’s trademark British oddball humor has been slightly dialed down. Under the visual excess, there’s shades of Hot Fuzz, as residents are encouraged to report any contestants they see out in the wild, and in some cases, take matters into their own hands. The outlandishness plays remarkably well when juxtaposed against the straight-laced anger of Powell’s Ben. This war of clashing tones neatly folds Michael Cera’s Elton into the mix. His backstory helps explain the commitment to a rebel cause, with Elton trying to make Ben understand his role in the larger framework of the story. The Truth newsletter is just the beginning: in Elton’s own words, “this country’s ready to blow, and you’re the initiator.”
Other memorable supporting characters come in waves, skirting on the fringes of a story that very much belongs to Ben. Lee Pace’s mostly-masked Evan leads The Hunters, a brutal taskforce that directly target the contestants, with publicly filmed executions at top of mind. Colman Domingo’s Bobby T., the fast-talking host and commentator of Running Man, fits perfectly into this zany universe. Even Oscar-nominee Emilia Jones leaves her imprint, coming in late in the game as a frazzled driver unfamiliar with a world outside of her own narrow viewpoint. There are plenty more too, from gameshow contestants to further Hunters, family friends, and everyone in between. When a throwaway role still feels vital to the larger whole, you know Wright and company are doing something right.
As great as the rotating roster of colorful characters becomes, The Running Man ultimately belongs to Glen Powell. He makes a meal of every line delivery, embracing a ferocity when it comes to defending his family. When he dips his toes into the waters of violence, Ben’s drive never become murky. Ben remains committed to his motivation for competing in the Running Man—if he can somehow defy all odds and make it to the end, perhaps his wife and daughter will truly be financially set forever. Powell has chemistry with just about every character, leaning into his natural charisma and finding a method to transform Ben from unlikable live wire to committed family man. It also helps that Powell has actually never looked better. An elaborate hotel escape sequence—wherein Ben quite literally scales a wall wearing just a towel—puts Powell’s impressive physique on full display. Watchers of Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens are probably familiar with this part of Powell (see: season 2’s shower competition against John Stamos), but for everyone else, there’s a whole new [back]side to see. To pull off some of these stunts and tricks, a remarkable physicality was required. There’s not a single moment where Powell avoids committing to the bit.
Despite being action-heavy, Wright and Bacall never lose the plot so to speak. Each elaborate sequence services the greater whole, staged with a ferocious momentum to snuff out any potential monotony. From tight-knit grounded pursuits to larger-scale set pieces, the world has room to breathe as the scope expands. A standout finale, set entirely onboard a massive plane, serves as the film’s climactic centerpiece. As is typical from a Wright production, The Running Man utilizes mostly practical effects, from zippy commercials to elaborate game show theatrics. At certain intervals, hundreds of extras help to fill out the TV studio audience, or revolt along with Ben against a domineering society of oppression. A revisit helps to unfold addition layers of detail, down to Brisket cameos, Stephen King universe references, and subtle texture to the omnipresence of constant observation.
The Running Man emerges as a truly great movie, and the extras loaded onto this 4K disc are worthy of that moniker. There’s a veritable cavalcade of content, including (but not limited to): commercials, self tapes, clips from in-world gameshows, makeup tests, featurettes, and deleted and extended scenes. The main event comes in the form of a loaded audio commentary from Edgar Wright, Glen Powell, and Michael Bacall. The trio unearth secrets from filming, test screening feedback, reshot material, camera setups, and much more. Hearing them wax poetic about sticking close to the source material and their passion for movie magic underlines just how much heart and soul was poured into this project from its inception. Even if the box office wasn’t exactly explosive, The Running Man will be remembered years down the line for being a wildly ambitious entry in the Stephen King cinematic universe. Wright, Powell, Bacall, and the hundreds of others who worked on this propulsive thriller should be proud with the outrageously entertaining fruits of their labor. In five… four… three… two… one… and action!
Enter the competition of a literal lifetime with The Running Man, now on stunning 4K Blu-Ray.
