Who had “Year of the Bachman” on their 2025 genre bingo list? And yet several months after the (excellent) screen version of The Long Walk showed up at cinemas, we have another movie based on the limited works of Richard Bachman at theatres. Of course, this is the alter ego of horror meister Stephen King, and most people will associate The Running Man with the quippy and lightweight Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner from 1987, rather than the grim dystopian fable from the novel. Incidentally, don’t expect to see adaptations of the other two Bachman books (Rage and Roadwork) anytime soon. One’s out of print (possibly forever, given its subject matter of a school shooting), and the other’s just been cancelled. Anyhoo, as just mentioned, Schwarzenegger's film was fun but predictably miles away from most of the book’s content and tone. This has left the matter of another adaptation more palatable and likely than other “remakes”, when it can be justifiably a new take on the same source. Headlining Glen Powell as the title character, the cast also includes an eclectic range of talent, including several genre faves, such as: William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Jayme Lawson, Katy O'Brian, and Josh Brolin. Okay, so it’s not really horror and it’s far too close to reality to be considered fantasy. But it is from King and it is directed by Mr Shaun of the Dead, namely Edgar Wright. So, sue us. Projecting onto walls all around the world now, is it worth a jog to see it?

 

In the near future (possibly next Tuesday), America is … *ahem*… “a dystopian state run by corporate media networks, where most people live in poverty with little access to healthcare, whilst others live in comfort and are oblivious to the struggles of the lower class”. Preposterous, right? Both levels of society are placated by bad reality television, which offers the poor a way out (although mostly not), whilst entertaining both sides at the same time. Ratings are everything. In this world lives Ben Richards (Powell), a good guy with a bad temper. His inability to roll over and his drive to stick up for the little guy have blacklisted him from all jobs; his wife is working all hours in a demeaning pastime as a hostess in a bar, and there is no access to medicine for their sick daughter without better finances. At least, he’s not dumb enough to try out for one of the lethal game shows that exploit people like him. Except he is… but at least it’s not “The Running Man”. A reality show where the contestants are hunted across the country by expert trackers from the network, as well as snitching members of the public. Well, that isn’t the case until he catches the eye of slimy TV Exec Dan Killian (Brolin), who knows that his attitude and athleticism will make him a TV must-see. Left with no choice, Richards must try to reach the end of the show… and maybe start a revolution at the same time.

 

Viewers of the trailers for RM will be expecting a snappy action thriller in the vein of the 80s version, albeit with some cinematic quirkiness from Wright and perhaps some meaty subtext to chew on. And it is sort of like that, just perhaps not in the measures you were expecting. At two-and-a-quarter hours, it is slightly too long for the material, and despite this, the characters that drift into Richard’s orbit during his run are not given any chance to make any sort of impact on the plot. Seriously, the superlative character actor William H. Macy is in there for like 5 minutes. Katy O’Brian (as a fellow runner) is barely present, and Emilia Jones (as arguably one of the most important supporting characters) is left until the end and given short shrift as a result. With its title (and the reputation of the earlier version), you would expect the action to be non-stop and breathless, which would explain the lack of impact the rest of the cast has, but it’s really not. Whilst it’s probably to be expected, it’s the dystopian nose-taps and satirical play on culture that gets most of the spotlight here.

 

Without wishing to sound shallow, RM itself could have been a touch more dynamic and headstrong, mirroring the characteristics of its lead a little more. The thing is, as you would expect from the director of Baby Driver and Hot Fuzz, when the action sequences are in full flow, they slap hard. The nippy car chases and corridor pursuits are like “Die Hard in the Slums”. One particular scene is shot from the perspective of Richards, who is locked in the trunk of a car and can only hear the stuff that’s going on. But it then segues into a proper chase in the blink of an eye. The point being that Wright can oversee an outstanding chase scene, so it’s a pity there aren’t more of them, especially ones as innovative as that example. An action high point is probably the “live capture” scene in the rundown hotel, where a frantic cat-and-mouse game unfolds. This is made all the more tense and innovative by having the “Running Man” host (Colman Domingo as "Bobby T") narrate the events, which Richards can hear on all the TVs around him. Great stuff, and Wright showcases his usual crackerjack editing style in these sequences, with multiple cuts during each moment.

 

However, much of the “running” time is given over to a lot of heavy-handed satire. Which is fine and a legitimate use of the narrative given the subject matter, but it does sacrifice some of the speed and snappiness that should have been the forte of the experience. Richards spends some periods with underground “revolutionaries” with similar stories (“The networks gave her throat cancer”). Deep fakery is used to vilify contestants and deceive viewers, and subtext is used to prescribe how the general public is conned and cheated by TV executives (standing in for politicians and … err… real TV executives). You kind of get how close this all is to real life, so you don’t really need it rubbed into your face so much. Especially as it allows for multiple viewings of “The Americanos”, a parody of “The Kardashians” that is referenced so many times (complete with theme tune) that it becomes as irritating as the real thing! The subject is best served with the introduction of Amelia Williams (Jones), a member of the higher class who buys the bullshit of the “Running Man” before witnessing the truth. Wright even uses the “N” symbol to air a real-life beef with Netflix.

 

Having said that, if you are in the mood for real-life snarkery on modern living, a couple of moments hit the spot. The instant surrender of a self-driving car should give pause for thought to those who support them, at least, and the spoof game shows are instantly believable. The only characters that really matter, though, are those of Killian and Richards. Powell is pretty good for the most part as the lead, especially the scenes where he has to exhibit barely suppressed bouts of anger (“I’m still here, yah shit-eaters!!”) or bursts of energy. He hasn’t quite hit the action-hero sweet-spot here, though, as he’s not given a whole lot to work with. Just needing to run and get pissed off with Killian and his Hunters, with his charisma mostly dialled down and interactions with others mostly being brief or via telecommunications. Brolin pretty much nails his delivery as the hateful Killiam, though, and he enjoys the lack of morality that comes with it. Thanos with a TV studio, basically.

 

Another nice touch is the reversal of fortune and status that Ben Richards undergoes. From the original chant of “Hunt. Him. Down”, the same number of syllables morph into the later shout of “Richards. Lives”. This is something common from the previous film and the book, the way in which common folk elevate the unfairly criminalised character to something of a folk hero. Which is cool in concept, if unlikely in real life. Speaking of which, the film pretty much straddles a fine line between the frothiness of the 80s movie and the downbeat nature of the book. This does lead to a slight mismatch in tones and a somewhat messy ending that tries to pay homage to both sources. There are some faux happenings and visual trickery that lead to an unusually cheesy and somewhat unsatisfying denouement. That is, of course, a personal opinion, and it may be more effective for other people. Interesting, though, how the try-to-please-everyone strategy is used.

 

In a nutshell, that is RM for you. Fun but flawed. Great in parts, but a little draggy in others. If you want a snappy action-thriller, then you’ll be partly happy with this. If you want something a little dour, satirical, and cynical, well, that’s here as well. There’s a little bit of everything, really, but it doesn’t really excel in any one area. Some of the action sequences are cool and inventive, but they’re placed in between brief or floaty character arcs, and pointy-finger exercises about how dumb the general public is, as well as how shitty those in charge are. We already know that. It just doesn’t feel as dynamic as it could have been, given the opportunities that the material offers. File it under “not bad but could have been better”. So, it probably won’t be a runaway hit or a ratings winner.