I never much cared for the original The Running Man. Other than featuring Schwarzenegger at the peak of his action movie star career, it was a cheap looking, B-movie, lazily written adaptation of a 1982 Stephen King novel. It was too short to be fully effective - something that Edgar Wright wisely corrects in his 2025 remake.
Glen Powell is perfectly cast as the titular hero, a common man living in an authoritarian dystopia where the rich and corrupt rule over the poor masses, and entertain them with the violent reality TV show. His man on the run climbs down buildings while wearing nothing but a towel, encounters revolutionary influencers/podcasters who are fighting for the greater good, and engages in a shootout with killer pilots while boarded on an out-of-control crashing airplane. The movie's set pieces are impressive, the timely themes of income inequality quite relevant, and its implementation of advanced technology to fuel its narrative surpasses everything the original dished out.
It's unfortunate this did not find the theatrical audience it deserved. I suppose it could find a second life on streaming platforms, and becomes a cult-classic worthy of its production design.
☆☆☆
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