Entertainment Blog #374 | The Running Man [2025] : Survive for the Survival of the Family...

When it comes to science fiction action thrillers, especially ones based on Stephen King novels, adaptations can be hit or miss depending on how they balance satire, chaos, and tension. The Running Man is one of those movies that tries to do all of that at once, and the result has been pretty divisive among audiences and critics.

“The Running Man” is a #sci-fi #action #movie directed by Edgar Wright. It was released in November 2025. It’s the second film adaptation of the 1982 novel by Stephen King, the first adaptation being the 1987 version. The movie stars Glen Powell as his version of Ben Richards, a desperate man fighting for survival in a deadly televised competition.

The story is set in a near-future dystopia where the region-ruling media giant known as the Network controls the masses with showy but brutal reality shows. The most popular show, The Running Man, pits contestants called “runners” against elite group called hunters. Runners must survive for 30 days while being hunted for sport. Anyone who lasts earns a huge reward.

Richards enters the competition not for fame but to help his family. He has been blacklisted for union activism and struggles to afford medicine for his sick daughter. That personal desperation pushes him to take the chance on the show. Along the way he meets allies like Bradley, an anti-Network activist, and Amelia, a civilian caught up in the chaos, while deadly hunters and deepfakes from the show’s producers make escape almost impossible.

The cast also includes William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Sean Hayes, Colman Domingo, and special cameo appearances connecting back to the older film.

When it hit theaters, the movie got mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Some praised the high-energy pacing and Glen Powell’s performance, while others felt the satire could have been sharper and that the action sometimes didn’t extract the most of Edgar Wright’s usual style. It didn’t do great at the box office either, earning around $68 million on a $110 million budget.

So will Ben Richards outsmart the hunters and survive the brutal show? Can he expose the Network’s corruption and get his family the life they deserve? And does this version capture enough of King’s original message for both old fans and new viewers? It’s up to you to find out.