When? running man First published under Stephen King’s Richard Bachman pseudonym in 1982, the United States was just beginning to feel the effects of then-President Ronald Reagan’s neoliberal economic policies. Under Reaganomics, massive tax breaks for the wealthy and deep cuts to social security programs like food stamps and Medicaid greatly increased income inequality. The rich became richer, poverty increased amid the Depression, and King used his novel to explore the ways that these types of changes could turn society into a dystopia.
Apart from its title, character names, and main premise, the 1987 adaptation of Tri-Star running man Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was a very different kind of story: a big, bombastic send-up of ’80s pop culture, including appearances from professional wrestlers and jokes about Schwarzenegger being the world’s biggest action star. but that running man Still serves as commentary on how hard life can be for those who are not part of the one percent.
Paramount Skydance’s new spin running man The differences between the 80s film and King’s novel are divided by Edgar Wright. It intentionally – but not always successfully – sticks very close to the source material, emulating the narrative tone of the older film. Although this running man Leaning toward a kind of absurdism that Wright generally thrives on here, it feels like he’s keeping many of the directorial talents he’s known for in the movies. hot Fuzz And Baby Driver. but surprisingly formulaic like new running man Its ideas about living in a world shaped by surveillance technology and media empires controlled by ghosts are particularly pointed in 2025.
Set in the near future where the United States has become an even more draconian police state, running man Ben focuses on Richards (Glen Powell), a blacklisted laborer who cannot find the work he needs to buy medicine for his sick daughter. Although Ben’s wife Sheila (Jaime Lawson) is able to raise enough money to get drops that soothe their child’s symptoms, they both know that this stuff is not enough to cure his flu. Sheila is willing to take on more waitressing roles at a busy nightclub to make ends meet. But she’d rather stay at home until Ben makes some quick cash by taking part in a twisted game show airing on the state-owned Free-V network.
Ben plans to sign up for one of the less deadly shows like Free-V set the wheel in motion Where contestants have to answer trivia questions while running on human-sized hamster wheels to avoid falling into a pit. But when Ben becomes angry at a Free-V employee for mentioning his sick daughter, he catches the eye of Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), head producer of the network’s most popular show. Running man.
some differences between rights running man And its ’80s big-screen predecessors become clearly visible as the new film opens. This Richards is a blue-collar family man instead of a military pilot who is in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and he’s from the fictional Co-op City on the East Coast rather than California. But the extent to which this new film sticks to the tune of King’s novel doesn’t become clear until Richards is released into the universe. running man show.
To win the $1 billion competition, contestants must race while avoiding professional hunters and civilians such as Evan McKeon (Lee Pace), who can earn cash prizes by alerting producers to the runners’ whereabouts. The whole thing is like a big, deadly, televised (squid) game of tag where people watching at home are encouraged to participate. Richards just has to survive 30 days, which is easier said than done.
Apart from a few promising needle drops in the film’s first act, there is little of Wright’s signature storytelling ability. running manInstead, the film presents things in a very straightforward way – which doesn’t mean it’s boring or overly serious – in a way that’s reminiscent of classic ’80s action movies, running man It moves at an extremely fast pace as the contestants are thrown out on the street and given 12 hours to figure out how they will survive. Some choose to let fate take their hands while others play straight to the remote-controlled drone camera and think that becoming the audience’s favorite can keep them alive. But Richards wears a series of ridiculous disguises to hide his identity, a detail – even though it’s taken from the novel – that makes the character feel like a silly riff on Powell’s role in the Netflix hit. hit it friend,
Between its cheesy dialogue and ridiculous commercial breaks for other fictional shows like the Kardashian-inspired Americanosyou can tell that running man Reality TV programming is being intentionally silly when commenting on our current moment. The film’s frequent references to Free-V (not to be confused with Amazon’s defunct streaming service) being run by pro-establishment maniacs who use television to manipulate the public would be a lot funnier if the feature weren’t a Paramount Skydance production. He said, way running man The characterization of surveillance entertainment and the commodification of people’s lives as symptoms of a deeply dysfunctional society makes it feel like Wright is at least cooking something.
it running man As it races into its final act in a rush of extreme action sequences and wandering into other locations from King’s larger, interconnected universe, it begins to get lost somewhat. But in a year that’s been filled with new King adaptations, this has proven to be a fun ride with something to say.
running man It also stars Colman Domingo, William H. Macy, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Katie O’Brien, Sean Hayes, David Zayas and Debi Mazar. The film is in theaters now.