Edgar Wright's new version of The Running Man manages to be both bleak and entertaining. It's a tricky combination, and he mostly pulls it off. But it comes at a cost: This is the first of his films that doesn't sing. From his zom-rom-com Shaun of the Dead to his twisty thriller Last Night in Soho, each one has had at least one scene of pure movie magic that could have only come from his brain. Even though there's still evidence of his authorial stamp here, it often feels like this could have been directed by anyone.
Glen Powell once again proves to be a real movie star as Ben Richards. Blacklisted for trying to unionize his workplace, his desperation leads to him competing on the titular game show, which has literal life-and-death stakes. The basic rules: Evade capture for 30 days and win $1 billion. Every day you survive earns you more money on your way to either death or financial freedom. But the forces behind the show (including Josh Brolin and Colman Domingo) don't always hold up their end of the agreement, cheating and twisting the narrative to juice ratings.
Stephen King's original novel imagined a dystopian America in 2025 where most workers are stuck in humiliating, backbreaking jobs for low wages with no hope of working their way up. Well, here we are in 2025 and there's not much for Wright to depict to make this world look like some far-off vision of the future. Indeed, its timeliness is one the film's greatest strengths. Cops and masked mercenaries beat and kill with impunity while the working class can't afford healthcare and numb themselves with mindless content. Some may find its social commentary a bit too on-the-nose, but that's not where the movie comes up short for me.
No, this is another blockbuster with third-act problems. Late in the film, Ben carjacks a wealthy woman (Emilia Jones) and in an extremely short amount of time convinces her that poor people aren't draining society; it's the ultra-wealthy. While that may be true in real life, getting her on his side so quickly serves as a shortcut to make her a major part of the ultra-violent finale. I get the need to condense, as the movie already inches toward two-and-a-half hours. But this, along with an absurd number of twists, makes the last 30 minutes kind of a mess. This is in sharp contrast to the preceding two hours, which seemed to let Ben's helpers develop naturally.
This take on The Running Man is far more faithful to its source material than the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, with another extremely engaging lead. It's grim yet gripping. But it's missing a lot of Wright's oddball charm that could have made it great.
