Once again we turn back to an adaptation by everyone’s favorite maniac from Maine—after The Long Walk, now we have another adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel The Running Man, set in the year 2025 where world violence has risen and dystopic governments distract from crumbling economies. Hm.
There was of course the 1987 movie version with Schwarzenegger, which went for a rather more campy tone than the fairly grim novel—cheesy as it was with its bright jumpsuits and big hair galore, many like myself enjoyed for all that over the top charm. With that in mind I was also interested to see what Edgar Wright would bring to this new version that seems to harken back to the book while keeping some of the tone of the previous movie version—even if Wright’s career has been stumbling around a bit, his visual sense sure hasn’t gone anywhere since. So how does it turn out?
Glen Powell is Ben Richards, a struggling blue collar worker in a super-stratified future that may or may not be an alternate timeline with cassettes still in use and Arnie himself seemingly having made it to the presidency. With his family desperate and his options limited, he signs up for a game show overseen by Josh Brolin and Colman Domingo, where the rules are simple—three contestants, after a head start, have to survive for as long as possible while being hunted by the likes of Lee Pace. Every day they must mail a video to the show, so they can’t just wander off to the middle of nowhere. And Richards, it seems, might find out the game isn’t as fair as it seems.
The satire is there, of course, and it’s like a brick to the face—between signing your life away to Thanos here and the very blunt take on corporate monopolization. Now, as always, Wright’s visual flair keeps things entertaining—everything’s always dynamic, you never lose track of the action, and so on. The performances match the over the top style, with Powell being perennially pissed off but also refusing to give up—and there’s enough twists and turns as it goes on, while you inevitably start to wonder just how you’d try and survive in this show. Probably wouldn’t but it’s a perversely pulling thought.
That keeps things entertaining for sure—and the side characters like an unexpected Michael Cera and Katy O’Brian are also fun in that up-to-eleven brash sense. Things start to slip just a little towards the end, however—and, as others have been saying, the ending kind of trips up. The film is surprisingly loyal to the source material, a lot of which still eerily applies to our 21st century future—but at the same time it tries to wedge in the somewhat more heroic tones of the ’87 film, in a way that remains awkward. And then trying to wrap things up in the most ‘tell, don’t show’ way possible.
It’s a little annoying, as Wright can do better (swans and steeples, anyone?), though let’s just say I can understand why they didn’t adapt the end of the book directly. All in all, for a casual watch, there’s definitely enjoyment to be had—just bear in mind it’s a somewhat uneven ride.
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