The Running Man (MA) – 133 minutes

The dystopian action thriller The Running Man pits one man against the system.

Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is noted for his rage.

He stands up for what he believes in and feels is right, but as a result he has been fired from a succession of jobs for what is termed insubordination.

Now out of work, he and his wife, Sheila (a waitress, played by Jayme Lawson), have a two-year-old who is very sick with the flu.

They no longer have the money to provide for the infant's wellbeing.

So it is that against his better judgment Richards tries out for an omnipotent TV network’s reality shows, looking for a cash injection.

His wife warns him not to be drawn in to the most ruthless of them all, The Running Man, in which contestants are literally hunted to death.

But the show’s creator and producer Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) talks him into it.

Killian maintains that Richards – more than any other contestant in the franchise’s history – has what it takes to go all the way.

That involves being on the run for 30 days without being caught and killed.

Richards is painted as a villain and even his daily video commentary is doctored to try to ensure the public sees him that way.

But he is not about to go down without an almighty fight.

Ratings skyrocket as the so-called villain becomes a fan favourite.

Crossed and double crossed, Richards will stop at nothing to see his beloved wife and child again.

Based on the 1982 Stephen King book of the same name, which he wrote under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman, it is the second adaptation of the novel.

There was a 1987 film, which had Arnold Schwarzenegger as the running man.

As a tribute to Schwarzenegger the hard folding currency used in this movie has his face all over it.

The 2025 version was co-written, with Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs The World), by director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead).

Notwithstanding his ripped physique, I remain to be convinced that Glen Powell is leading man material in mould of more established action heroes.

I speak of the likes of Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson and Schwarzenegger himself.

There are a few facial expressions that Powell pulls in the early scenes that look decidedly cheesy and awkward.

Still, as the saying goes, he fights a good fight, as the filmmakers throw challenge after challenge at Richards, the storyline taking many a twist, with thrills aplenty.

I liked the surfeit of characters Richards meets along the way.

These include William H. Macy as Molie Jernigan, a man who Richards knows, and who can provide him with a fake identity and disguise.

There is also Michael Cera as Elton Parrakis, a rebel with an axe to grind with the system that took down his father.

Further, Jayme Lawson presents Richards’ wife as a sympathetic figure.

With a pulsating score, The Running Man builds momentum and is largely satisfying, if a tad long, at 2 hours 13 minutes.

Rated MA, it scores a 7½ out of 10.