The Running Man 2025 Is Exactly What You Think

If you are looking for a movie that actually sticks to its title without any twist, then you should see The Running Man 2025. The movie, The Running Man 2025 is a remake of The Running Man 1987 starring Glen Powell. It tells the story of a man who would do anything for his family, even if it means laying down his own life.

The Running Man 2025 was released in the cinemas on November 14th, 2025. It follows the exact plot of Stephen King’s novel, but with a little twist from its director, Edgar Wright. It has its screenplay written by both Edgar and Michael Bacall, who both have us in for one big ride.

If you are a fan of Sci-Fi action, quite similar to Predator Badlands, then you would love The Running Man. With a star-studded cast filled with the likes of Glen Powell, Colman Domingo, Jayme Lawson and Josh Brolin, you will love everything The Running Man has running your way. At first it seems like the movie is going to stay simple and straight to the point. However, it keeps pushing forward and pulling you in, especially when the stakes get higher.

Premise

The Running Man is literally about a man running for money, and let me get into the plot because it gets even crazier. This movie has its plot in a dystopian future America where the elites are separated from the not-so-elites. Everything, including television, is state-controlled by a big company known as The Network. To sate the masses, the state network broadcasts a game show titled The Running Man. In the show, poor people, many of them branded criminals even if they are not, are released into the open and tracked down by a team of elite hunters.

Deep in the plot of this charade is a man named Richard, who was just relieved of his duty as a construction worker because he chose to tell the truth about how radioactive the company he works for is. Well, it happened long ago and it is a storyline I met once the movie started playing on screen.

Richard goes back to the construction company to beg his boss for his job back. He takes with him his nine month old daughter, so he can restrain himself from beating the crap out of his former employer. As expected, the boss turns down Richard’s pleas to be rehired and tells him to leave. On his way out, he sees a tv show, The Running Man, airing online. The show narrates how the last man standing after 30 days of avoiding getting killed will walk away with one billion new dollars. Richard in his words cradles his daughter and says, “Daddy’s not that stupid.” Which on the contrary he was.

Richard’s daughter is very sick from the radiation he was exposed to at work. It affected her, giving her a burning fever and cough. For her to survive another night, he must somehow get enough money to get her to a proper hospital for treatments.

Richard does the very thing he said he will not do. Not going on The Running Man though, but something else, because he is not that stupid. I mean, who would sign themselves up for such propaganda.

Richard heads up town for the try outs. After a few days of proving he is fit enough for any of the network shows, he gets the offer to sign up for The Running Man with a very irresistible sign up bonus. It is almost like The Network specifically wanted him on the show. Richard almost backs out. However, he realises his daughter’s health is his priority and the sign up bonus is more than enough to get her to a good hospital and commence treatments. So he does it. He signs his freedom for the next 30 days in order for his daughter to get the medical treatment she deserves.

For the next 30 days, Richard must literally run for his life. He must evade the predator-like force of the show’s hunter and his team. He must do that while taking different disguises, different names and moving to different cities just to stay alive for each day. Meanwhile, civilians report him for reward bonuses and he is televised for the world to see.

At this point, the movie picks up speed. It becomes a frantic journey about survival, betrayal, desperation and the thin line between entertainment and human suffering. You find yourself asking if he will be able to outrun his fate or if he will get caught by the hunter and killed like the other contestants before him.

Cast and Performances

Glen Powell as Ben Richards

Glen as Richards was good. I feel it is a script issue. They did not give him many relatable lines to work with; perhaps they expected him to run throughout the entire two-hour duration of the movie. His scripted lines were not just for me. It needed polishing. But his stunts were fire. You could call him Tom Cruise if you want, because everything he did was Mission Impossible. I am sure he sustained real bruises on set. He was quite daring to watch and, in all delivered a pearl-clutching performance.

Colman Domingo as Bobby Thompson

Colman played the role of The Running Man show Host. Imagine Steve Harvey, but better. That was exactly what Colman delivered. I always enjoy movies he stars in. The roles he and Idris Elba play in movies are too good, and I do love seeing them on screen. You cannot help but wonder how much the producers’ budget was. Colman as Bobby was the chef’s kiss. I will be on the hunt for more movies he stars in.

Josh Brolin as Dan Killian

Josh played the role of Dan, the man who runs The Running Man show. He practically played the role of the devil, offering Richard a billion dollars in exchange for Richard’s freedom and an opportunity to feed The Network’s citizens with all the entertainment they can get. He sounds exactly like Hollywood mainstream producers. They are always ready to buy new cast members and give them an adrenaline shot at fame, one they cannot handle and will eventually burn them out. His acting was phenomenal. I expected nothing less from him. He is very good.

Jayme Lawson as Sheila Richards

Jayme played the role of Sheila, Richard’s wife. She worked tirelessly to make sure her daughter gets better. However, she could only provide the little she can since Richard lost his job. I enjoyed her performance in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and I was excited to see her on screen again even if it was just for 120 seconds. Her character added emotional warmth to the very scifi and action plot the movie portrayed.

Lee Pace as Evan McCone

Lee’s character has to be my second favourite in The Running Man. He played the role of the headhunter, one who leads a group of other hunters to find and delete each contestant in the game. You do not need a face to the character to love them. His acting behind the mask was quite impeccable. You could not tell by his expressions. However, he moved like someone who was sick of playing hide and seek with Glen’s character.

He played the role like a character straight out of Family Guy. He gave the show the humor and fright it needed.

What I Liked

I liked the fact that The Running Man was not beating the allegations. When I first saw the title, I rolled my eyes and said, “Let me guess, it is going to be about a man running”. Then I saw the trailer and I was like “ah ha”. I knew it. Well, it confirmed my suspicions in the right way. It was not cliché because we have seen The Working Man. I mean, what is the harm in seeing a man run?

I also liked the fact that the movie felt impossible to predict. With the insane plot and the very challenging means of escaping the skilled hunter, one could only hope Richard survives. The movie does not give a hint of his survival. A man who left his wife and kid to go make ends meet. We would assume he would return alive. But in The Running Man we can only question if he will return alive.

I loved the casting even though Glen Powell’s character was not my favourite and he had the most screentime. The others who made a cameo were my favourites. For example, the brief scene with Sinners Jayme Lawson as Sheila and Colman Domingo as Bobby. The Running Man show host. His screentime was energetic and that energy carried me throughout the entire two hours of the movie.

I also liked the fact that the movie is a more accurate version of Stephen King’s Running Man book. Compared to The Running Man in 1987, the 2025 remake does it and is quite interesting to watch. The pacing is stronger. The environment feels more lived in. The stakes feel more real. At least for me.

What I Did Not Like

I am big on show no tell. For the first 20 minutes of the movie, the actor Glen told more than he showed. The whole talking to yourself thing. Saying you will not go to the show. It was so obvious. We all knew he would go. And the overzealousness of Glen’s character was annoying and very cliché. Standing up for a stranger. Richard had rage for no reason, and he was, in fact, beaten to a pulp for insubordination. It was too much. It was giving the main character syndrome.

At some point, two hours is too long to make a point. The scenes felt exaggerated just to keep the movie running. Some transitions felt stretched and a few conversations lingered. The energy dipped in the middle. Even so, the movie eventually picked back up when Richard began switching disguises and cities.

Verdict

The Running Man 2025 is a remake of The Running Man 1987. It is an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. If you enjoyed The Long Walk and you need something longer, packed with action and Sci-Fi, and you need a protagonist daring enough to carry such a plot, then The Running Man is for you.

It is the kind of movie you head to the cinema with your friends for. You will have a good laugh and excitement about the entire movie. Please note that it is not suitable for anyone under 18 due to strong language.

My Rating

The Running Man 2025 ran its way into a 3 out of 5.

Our Rating

Author

Amarachi Ndukwe

Amarachi Ndukwe is a talented movie reviewer who knows how to make films easy to understand and fun to discuss. She shares her thoughts in a clear and engaging way, helping her readers see what makes each movie special. With a great eye for detail, she explains stories, themes, and characters in a way that anyone can enjoy.