The Running Man

 

“Hunt him down.”

Anarchic, frenzied and messy, The Running Man thrives when it’s focused on Glen Powell kicking butt in heightened action scenes in a satirical dystopia, but falters when it tries to say anything substantial or conclusive, delivering an entertaining but unsatisfying blockbuster.

Discussion Points:

Is it fun? Yes! Is Glen Powell fantastic? Absolutely! But does it also feel like it never fully coalesces and knows what it wants to be….? Sadly true. It’s a real shame that Edgar Wright who is normally the king of propulsive editing has delivered a film that feels so ill-paced yet awkwardly rushed. The ending feels forced, the middle drags on, the start feels contrived. It’s a mess narratively and thematically, but it’s also so boisterously noisy, anarchic, explosive and energetic that it’s still an entertaining time. Glen Powell gives an angry rage-fuelled performance as Ben Richards, a good guy screwed over by a bad system and trying his hardest to care for his wife and daughter. Josh Brolin gets some fun villainous moments, and the rest of the cast have their own highlights, especially Michael Cera, but Colman Domingo is easily the best in show - with a character that’s both charismatic, and devilish, a victim and perpetrator within the system he functions within. The action is adrenaline-fuelled, and where Wright’s directing and eye for editing finally show up, but the energy is sadly unmaintained, especially as the film drags on into a road trip hostage crisis that feels like a far too late addition into the story. The film is also lacking Wright’s usually well curated soundtrack and whilst the score is propulsive, the film could definitely benefit from some stronger needle drops. Ultimately, The Running Man is more of a disappointment that feels lacking, but its surface level sheen and leading man charisma should still entertain amidst the mess - it’s a good time, but not a great time.