The Running Man Review: The 2025 Reboot Slightly Outruns the Original

Stephen King’s 1982 novel of the same name got its first film adaptation in 1987, where Arnold Schwarzenegger played the titular role. Now it’s Glen Powell’s turn.

Here is our version of The Running Man review that will explore what works, what doesn’t, and whether it’s worth watching.

Plot details of The Running Man (2025)

Ben Richards (played by Glen Powell) must survive 30 days on a top-rated future TV show, The Running Man, where contestants are hunted by professional assassins.​

The program is broadcast live to the general public, where every step of the contestants is filmed every second. Ben opts to enter the game for his sick daughter as he is desperately in need of money.​

Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) is the show producer who makes things happen, even by hook or crook. But Ben has other plans as he soon becomes a fan-favorite with his defiance, instincts, and wit.

Catch the trailer right here:​

Actors’ performances in The Running Man (2025)​

Glen Powell is emerging as the new beloved action hero, particularly after his performance in The Running Man. He is constantly being compared to the classic action hero of the 80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was known for his physicality and screen charisma.​

Powell brought the definitive role back to life with confidence, and his portrayal of Ben brings the character’s vulnerability closer to the modern audience’s expectations of action protagonists. The reliability tells that the action-hero archetype has evolved with changing audience liking over time.

Josh Brolin’s Dan Killian was as sadistic as he was in Wake Up Dead Man (2025) and for some part in the horror film Weapons (2025). He presents the key antagonist force of the film as the master manipulator. He is cunning yet charming. He shows the harrowing abuse of power and gaining trust to harm others. Smart!

Another notable role that caught my eye in The Running Man was that of Colman Domingo, who played the flamboyant TV show host, Bobby Thompson. His performance was electrifying, theatrical, and perfectly enchanting, as is needed of a true TV host. His role required a commanding presence over the huge crowd, so that he could embody an over-the-top spectacle, get show ratings, give a depth and danger effect to the show, and eventually, to his character. Extraordinary!

The rest of the cast was fine, too, but did not give me anything memorable.

What do critics add to The Running Man review?

With a 63 percent critics’ score, the Rotten Tomatoes consensus states:

“Spiritedly sprinting through grim source material, Edgar Wright’s The Running Man doesn’t live up to the director’s high bar for inventive action extravaganzas but maintains a slick stride.” [Source]​

There is no doubt about the movie’s action energy, the critics, however, do not approve of the remake that has nothing exciting other than Powell doing “Tom Cruise”  sort of combats. The action seemed “uninspired,” and the suspense was missing, the critics declared.

Fans’ reaction

The fans were of the same view as they called it “one of the worst action movies” that had a terrible storyline. A fan pointed out that the original film adhered more closely to King’s book, whereas the recent remake failed to capture the same essence in Wright’s hands.

The rest of the viewers called it “awesome” and an action movie entertaining enough not to have gruesome images.

Is it worth watching?

The Running Man (2025) has surpassed the original by a slightly better rating, as it earned a 59 percent RT critics score with a 6.6 on IMDb. The only attraction at that time was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was considered the ultimate action hero of that era. However, his presence was not as impactful as Powell’s in the 2025 remake.

​Glen Powell appears to make his mark, but the overall film still didn’t impress. The plot seemed predictable, right from the day its trailer was released. The film struggles to rise above predictability, leaving little room for surprises despite the film’s energetic execution.

This year saw a surge in Stephen King adaptations– four films and two series- but two of those movies made one thing clear: audiences are increasingly drawn to stories centered on human survival.​

The Long Walk (2025) and The Running Man are both dystopian “death games” whose stories are centered on the risk of death for any of the contestants who fail. The live broadcast of such brutal entertainment is a criticism of the society itself that has turned human suffering and class struggle into sources of mass entertainment and distraction.

Another factor that the film didn’t fully address is the use of AI to make phony videos of the contestants that Dan Killian used to arouse public contempt for Ben. King never wrote this in his original novel, but a good element to be added in the film to give it contemporary touches.​

However, what was the point of getting real-life humans to participate in the game when AI was to be used all along in the game? The game was meant to thrive on raw human survival instincts, which it does to some extent, but the heavy reliance on AI turns the contest into a pre-programmed spectacle.

What we liked

• Glen Powell’s performance
• Supporting cast highlights
• Action energy
• Relevance of themes
• Slight improvement over the original

What could be better

• Predictable plot
• Overreliance on AI
• Uninspired action sequences
• Missed opportunities

Here’s a detailed breakdown of our rating for The Running Man (2025):

Story/plot	6/10
Characters and acting	6/10
Direction and pacing	7/10
Visuals and cinematography	7/10
Soundtrack/score	7/10
Themes and message	7.5/10
Emotional impact	5/10
Creativity/originality	5/10
Rewatchability	2/10

​​Our rating: 6/10​

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Is The Running Man (2025) available for streaming?​

Paramount Pictures distributes The Running Man (2025) (R-rated) from November 14, 2025, onwards in theatres. It will be available for online streaming on Paramount+ in January 2026. 

Genre: Dystopian sci-fi, action, thriller, adventure, one-person army action

IMDb rating: 6.4

Rotten Tomatoes: 63 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 78 percent on Popcornmeter

Cast: Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Michael Cera

Director: Edgar Wright

Writers:  Michael Bacall, Stephen King, Edgar Wright

Producers:  Edgar Wright, Nira Park, Audrey Chon, Simon Kinberg

Release date: November 14, 2025

Movie runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes 

Did The Running Man (2025) live up to your expectations, or was it too predictable? Share your opinion.