The Running Man (2025) crawls when it should run. I expected action and thrills, but got endless pacing issues and an infuriating ending.
As a massive Stephen King and Edgar Wright fan, perhaps I went into The Running Man with expectations that were too high. The book is one of my favorites, and after the terrible adaptation from the 1980s, I was thrilled to see something more akin to the King’s words.
While it starts off doing a great job of giving the book the justice it deserves, that slowly starts to dissipate by act two. As we approach act three, the film starts to redeem itself, only to take the ending in an unexpected, and quite frankly, infuriating direction that doesn’t fit the story at all.
The Running Man (2025) Is A Better Adaptation Than The 1987 Version
In The Running Man, Ben Richards is desperate to get his sick daughter the care that she needs. With no other options in sight, he goes to the Game Network hoping to get himself on a show. After tryouts, he is placed as a contestant in The Running Man, a show that sends hunters after players to kill them, but if someone survives for a month, they win so much money that they are set up for life. There are options for bonuses along the way, and while Richards does not want to do this, he feels it is his only choice.
The Running Man is a social commentary on the world we live in today. The rich are always ahead, and the poor literally have to fight to get what they need to survive. This is an important and relevant message that is too quickly buried in a movie filled with many pacing issues. It jumps around constantly, taking Ben Richards (Glen Powell) to new environments almost every five to ten minutes. Yes, this makes sense for the film, but it could have been accomplished in a way that did not feel as if the audience is being jerked around from scene to scene.
This new version of the film certainly stays closer to the book than its predecessor, but it also makes quite a few changes. Without spoilers, the ending that I love so dearly, which really brings home the overall message being told with a shocking gut punch, is not just changed in The Running Man (2025), it is teased in a way that made me very upset. Almost as if Network head executive Damon Killian (Josh Brolin) himself was dangling exactly what I wanted over my head, only to rip it away at the last second.
It is a better adaptation, I will give it that, but it still never captures the dark grit of the book that I love so dearly. Silly decisions are made to keep the story going (or to keep Glen Powell in a towel for an extended period of time), I suppose, that just don’t make sense when you think about it. They are hard to talk about without spoiling things, but chances are you will pick up on them when you watch it.
Thoughts On The Cast Of The Running Man
Glen Powell is entertaining as Ben Richards. There is no doubt about that. He is mad at the world, and he shows it, time and time again. Who can blame him, honestly? That said, the love for his family never shone through for me. I simply did not believe he cared about his wife and child. Perhaps this is because they spend so little time together at the start of the film, or because he barely has time to talk about them while he is on the run, I am not sure, but unfortunately, this key part of the plot did not land for me.
The man is the next big action star; that much is clear, as his performance is captivating when it needs to be. He did a great job of running, but the movie itself did not.
Lee Pace is great in this movie. Lee Pace is always great. But why hire Lee Pace if you are only going to show his face for five minutes? It is no mystery who is playing this character if you have paid any attention to the marketing. Plot wise, there comes a reason why he wears a mask, but it is too little, too late, in my opinion.
His character is always eye-catching when on screen. He is cocky, and I love that about him, but he is very underused. When we finally do get extended time with him, however, Pace blows it out of the water.
Speaking of electric performances, Colman Domingo stole the show for me. Which is fitting considering his character, Bobby T., is the host of The Running Man. He is charismatic and over-the-top and an absolute joy to watch on screen. Even when he is being terrible, I could not help but watch with a big smile on my face.
Michael Cera‘s part might be a little bit useless, but the Home Alone of it all truly made me smile. Easily some of the best, if not most ridiculous, moments of the film.
Overall Thoughts
The Running Man, unfortunately, has a pretty solid blend of pros and cons. Glen Powell is a great action star, although for a movie that promises big action set pieces, there simply are not enough. The heart of the story is Ben’s love for his family, which is not only hard to believe, it is not touched on nearly enough.
The pacing is all over the place, with some scenes flying by too quickly and others dragging on for too long. That said, there are parts that end up being a lot of fun to watch. Overall, however, the movie is far too long and could have easily been twenty to thirty minutes shorter. Only about half the jokes landed for me, but I did enjoy references to the previous film and Stephen King and his work that I hold so dearly.
The social commentary is lost amidst all the clutter, which is sad because it is something that feels so relevant to the world we live in today. That said, the ending is the toughest pill to swallow for me. While it looks great and is sure to be crowd-pleasing, it just does not fit the story that is being told. Considering the book ending is one of my favorite book endings – ever – any change to it was always going to leave me walking out of the theater with a sour taste in my mouth.
About The Running Man
In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television–a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward.
Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite–and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.
The Running Man comes to theaters on November 14th.
NEXT: In Your Dreams Review: A Heartwarming & Emotional Film
The Running Man (2025) crawls when it should run. I expected action and thrills, but got endless pacing issues and an infuriating ending.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.