'The Running Man': An Uneven Dystopian Satire

PHOTO: Paramount Pictures

A Stephen King adaptation directed by Edgar Wright and starring Glen Powell sounds like a slam dunk on paper. After all, Wright has given us such singular creations as Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Baby Driver, so pretty much anything he puts his name on is sure to pique most people’s interest. Wright is passionate about every film he makes, so his choice to adapt The Running Man suggests that he has a strong vision that could potentially improve upon the previous adaptation of King’s novel from 1987. On Powell’s end, this gives him an opportunity to further solidify himself as one of today’s biggest movie stars and test whether or not his name alone is enough to bring in audiences. There is a lot of promise when it comes to this version of The Running Man, and yet the film isn’t able to fully deliver on it.

Wright is a rather idiosyncratic director, yet you wouldn’t know this from seeing The Running Man. The vast majority of what makes him such an exciting filmmaker is suppressed in favor of making something that resembles any other blockbuster you’d see nowadays. His visual style and humor comes out in small bursts, but the film’s angry, cynical tone doesn’t suit him well. As for Powell, he encounters similar issues, struggling at times to nail the balance of charm and grittiness that the role calls for. The film at least showcases Wright’s gift for action filmmaking, but its tone is all over the place and the script is rather messy to boot. There are moments of entertainment throughout, but considering the talent involved, The Running Man ends up being one of the most disappointing films of the year. 

In the near future, media networks have taken power in America and plunged it into an authoritarian state. Blue collar worker Ben Richards (Glen Powell) has been unfairly blacklisted and lives in the slums of Co-Op city with his wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson) and daughter, Cathy (Alyssa and Sienna Benn). Unable to afford medicine that Cathy desperately needs, Ben decides to try out for one of the network’s many game shows in order to win a little cash. However, Ben’s personality and physical fitness makes him a prime candidate for the network’s most dangerous show: The Running Man. This program challenges three people to survive for 30 days while being chased down by hunters and civilians who are trying to kill them. Ben initially wants nothing to do with the show, but reluctantly agrees to participate after seeing how his prize winnings could help Sheila and Cathy. From that moment on, Ben has two goals: to survive, and to take down Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), the corrupt head of the network.

This film has been a long-gestating passion project for Edgar Wright, and I can understand why he would want to make it. The world of King’s novel provides a good foundation for Wright to build off of, and the commentary it makes can easily tie into modern culture. The problem is, much of Wright’s distinct style is tamped down for much of the film and he simply isn’t the person to go for when it comes to social commentary. Don’t get me wrong, I love Wright and his films, but if Last Night in Soho taught us anything, it’s that he isn’t great when it comes to moments of nuance or heavier subject matter. He can nail dramatic moments well, but anything that is particularly deep or complex tends to vary. To The Running Man’s credit, the commentary it makes on entertainment and its effect on American culture isn’t half bad, but it does feel a bit jumbled as the film goes on. 

As far as the filmmaking goes, I can’t help but wonder why Wright was so keen on making this film when so much of what makes his films so electric is absent here. It feels much more anonymous than I would have ever guessed, and just blends in with other mainstream blockbusters in its look and feel. I can understand wanting to depart from the norm in some ways, but this feels more like a for hire job than it does an Edgar Wright film. The film does come alive in its action setpieces, which is easily the best thing about it. A scene in which Glen Powell’s Ben is in the trunk of a car while people are after him is especially thrilling, as is an escape sequence that occurs earlier in the film. Perhaps the standout sequence of the film is one in which a series of traps are set off by Michael Cera’s Elton Parrakis, leading to a mix of humor and violence that give the film some much needed juice. 

These moments are great, but the rest of the film around it is a bit of a mess. It starts off fine, breezing through its exposition and getting into the meat of the story quickly. But as it goes on, it becomes more episodic, much like a road movie, and begins to drag as a result. Some sections, like the ones featuring Michael Cera and Daniel Ezra, are fun and exciting, while others, like the ones featuring William H. Macy and Emilia Jones reek of missed potential. It doesn’t help that the messaging and tone feels all over the place, as the film isn’t able to fully thread the needle between its Idiocracy-esque satire and its more dramatic aspects. It practically alternates between taking itself too seriously and being a little goofier, but it plays a little too much to each extreme and feels wildly uneven. In isolation, the film’s comedy and its more serious moments work, but as a unit, it just feels inconsistent. 

As for the commentary, it’s clear that Wright and co-screenwriter Michael Bacall have their heads in the right place, but it falls apart when closely examined. It flirts with revolutionism, but doesn’t seem to fully grasp how to properly convey it in the story. This is especially true in the final section of the film, where it reaches a conclusion that feels natural, but also treats its politics as mere affectations. It does poke fun and make some decent connections to our current political climate, but much of what the film says is either shallow or crumbles under further examination.

Glen Powell is certainly one of the biggest names in Hollywood right now, and has been on an upward trajectory ever since his breakout role in Top Gun: Maverick. He is undeniably charming, but it is clear that he is trying to add some complexity to the roles he plays. It would be easy for him to remain typecast as the smooth, heroic types he played in Maverick and Twisters, but he understandably does not want to be boxed in. This can be seen in the fact that three of his recent projects (The Running Man included) involve his character needing to wear a disguise and that each respective character allows him to flex acting muscles we haven’t really seen him flex in his previous work. It’s an admirable pursuit, but it yields mixed results in this case.

That’s not to say that Powell isn’t good here, as his effortless charm and magnetism is still present in his performance, but he struggles with the more cynical, angry aspects of the character. Perhaps it is just that I’m more used to a specific mode that Powell most operates in, but even still, it feels like he’s out of his element a little from time to time. At times, it feels like he’s channeling Brad Pitt, who is a good reference point for this version of Ben Richards. At best, it works well and at worst, it feels like imitation. The rest of the performance is good, though, as it allows Powell to shine as an action hero, as well as add some dramatic weight to the film as a whole. While Ben is a rather tough character, you can’t help but feel for him. The emotional core of the film lies in his desire to provide for his family, and it is arguably one of the more effective aspects of the whole thing. It may be minimized by all the chases and violent confrontations, but it still serves a vital function to Powell’s performance and the film as a whole. I wouldn’t say this is his best work, but it is still mostly successful in spite of its flaws. 

I found myself much more interested in the supporting characters we meet along the way than our leading man, though. The clear standout is Colman Domingo, who oozes charisma every step of the way as Bobby T., the host of The Running Man. Domingo charms and is quite funny, giving the film a big boost of energy each time he appears. It is a small part, but it is easily the film’s most memorable performance. I also enjoyed Daniel Ezra’s performance, as he is magnetic and quite good opposite Powell. His section is perhaps the most successful of the whole film, and it is largely due to how good he is here. Of course, I enjoyed Michael Cera’s performance, even if his character is a little underwritten. I would have liked more from him as he has the right energy, but is only in the film briefly. 

The Running Man is decent enough when viewed as mindless entertainment, but its weird pacing and inconsistent tone keeps it from being little more than this. I don’t want to put the blame solely on Edgar Wright, as there may have been some studio notes that led to this film being the way it is, but I can’t help but feel a little let down by this one. I had fun, but this is nowhere near the level of craft or quality that I normally associate with Wright. When it works, it works well. But when it doesn’t, it is rather frustrating. I just couldn’t help but want more from this film, as it has a lot of talent behind it and some good ideas at its core, but it is merely fine at best and is too messy to fully come together.

Rating: 2.5/5