Surrounded by drab industrial buildings, gray skies and a sea of sallow faces, Co-Op City, the setting for the new blockbuster “The Running Man,” channels the hallmark qualities of a dystopian metropolis. Released in theaters on Nov. 14, the film offers surface-level enjoyment but fails to provide any deeper social commentary on wealth and corruption the movie aims to provide.
The movie centers on protagonist Ben Richards (Glen Powell), who auditions for a spot in one of the game shows on the Network, an all-controlling, authoritarian television corporation, to secure black-market medicine for his sick daughter, Cathy (Sienna Benn). The Network places Ben on “The Running Man” show along with Jenni Laughlin (Katy O’Brian) and Tim Jansky (Martin Herlihy), during which the characters must evade the Network’s mysterious assassin group for 30 days while civilians report sightings of the contestants. As the group flees the killers led by Evan McCone (Lee Pace), the trio attempts to survive and win the billion-dollar prize.
Less than five minutes into the film, the disgruntled Ben leaves his former office after his ex-boss refuses to rehire him and he stumbles across an ad to join “The Running Man.” When he returns home, Ben watches more of the Network’s programming while he tends to Cathy. Then, his wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson) returns from her shift as a club waitress and attempts to dissuade him from applying to the show. Although the movie references the family’s need to obtain medicine, the presentation feels low-effort. For a movie centered on Ben’s goal of winning the prize money in order to support his wife and child, this scene is the only one that shows the family together. With lackluster chemistry between Sheila and Ben, Powell does not sell his portrayal of a loving husband and family man.
Likewise, “The Running Man” offers little exploration of internal conflict before introducing the game show. Instead of building tension by emphasizing Ben’s desperate need for the prize money, the film jumps straight from his job rejection to the survival show — displaying a cheap and uninteresting transition into the main plotline.
Soon, Ben decides to audition for a variety of the Network's shows, which have open slots for several of their game shows, hoping that he will not be placed in “The Running Man.” But of course, by a heavy-handed coincidence, he is selected for “The Running Man.” Complete with an eccentric show host, Bobby T. (Colman Domingo), reminiscent of “The Hunger Games’” (2012) Caesar Flickerman, along with player interviews and contestants from the city’s slums, the show elicits an uninspired mood derivative of better dystopian movies.
Viewers could argue that the source material for “The Running Man,” Stephen King’s 1982 novel of the same name, was ahead of its time. In 1987, Paul Michael Glaser released “The Running Man” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. But after watching the film, director Edgar Wright felt the novel needed further exploration. However, as a modern adaptation arriving after the dystopian movie peak in the 2010s, “The Running Man” does not captivate viewers with unique aesthetics or futuristic features.
“The Running Man” appears cheap at times, failing to break out of its dystopian mold. The media manipulation and capitalistic greed within Ben’s society seem less shocking in today’s world than they should. There is nothing new to learn from the film.
Despite its lack of insight, “The Running Man” still proves to be a fun film. Powell proves to be a charming actor, and Domingo, Michael Cera and Emilia Jones give standout performances. The film fills its runtime with spunk and humor, including a mock show from the Network reminiscent of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” (2007-2021).
Wright also crafts an inventive way to discuss the Network’s corruption via a character called “The Apostle” Bradley Throckmorton (Daniel Ezra), who did not appear in King’s original novel. In addition, “Freevee” is the name of the TV channel where “The Running Man” airs, referencing Amazon Prime Video’s now-dissolved Freevee channel to critique the greater corruption of contemporary media conglomerates.
“The Running Man” is not the most original dystopian film of the past few years. Still, it makes for enjoyable viewing, which ultimately may be the opposite of what its filmmakers intended. Instead of seething social commentary, Wright offers an entertaining exploration of malicious entertainment.
