Edgar Wright directing a Stephen King adaptation starring Glen Powell sounded, on paper, like one of the most exciting pairings of 2025. The Running Man delivers much of what that promise suggests — a breathless chase, a furious satire of reality television, and a star turn full of battered charm — yet it never quite becomes the classic it strains to be. It is a good film that keeps reminding you it could have been a great one.
Verdict: 3.5/5. A propulsive, timely dystopian thriller with a terrific Glen Powell at its centre, held back by a baggy middle and a tone that never fully settles. Worth watching — especially now that it has found its audience on streaming.
| Director | Edgar Wright |
| Cast | Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, William H. Macy, Emilia Jones |
| Release date | 14 November 2025 (US cinemas) |
| Runtime | 2 hours 13 minutes |
| Genre | Action, sci-fi, dystopian thriller |
| Based on | Stephen King’s 1982 novel, written as Richard Bachman |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 61% critics, 77% audience |
| Metacritic | 56/100 |
| CinemaScore | B+ |
| Box office | Around $69 million worldwide on a reported $110 million budget |
| Streaming | Paramount+, from 16 December 2025 |
| Verdict | 3.5/5 — flawed but thrilling |
A Faithful Take on King’s Bleak Vision
Wright’s film goes back to King’s novel rather than remaking the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, and the difference matters. This is not the campy, quip-heavy game show of the eighties version. Powell plays Ben Richards, a blacklisted labourer and desperate father who volunteers for a lethal reality show to pay for his sick daughter’s medicine. Once he steps into the game, he can run anywhere in the country while professional Hunters track him down and the whole nation watches.
The satire lands because it feels close to home. The show’s host, Bobby T, played with gleeful menace by Colman Domingo, and its producer, Dan Killian, played by Josh Brolin, treat human desperation as prime-time content. Crowds cheer, bet and film the hunt on their phones. Wright stages the chase across recognisable American landscapes — diners, malls, highways — which makes the dystopia feel uncomfortably near rather than far away. Stephen King himself praised the new version, and it is easy to see why: this is far closer to the anger of his novel than the 1987 film ever was.
Glen Powell Carries the Chase
Powell is the film’s engine. He plays Richards not as an action superman but as an ordinary man running on fumes, and that vulnerability is what keeps the chase gripping across two hours. He is funny without undercutting the stakes, and his chemistry with the strangers who shelter him — including Michael Cera in a warm supporting turn — gives the film its emotional spine.
Domingo is magnetic as the showman host, and Lee Pace brings cold menace as the lead Hunter, Evan McCone. Wright’s direction is at its best in the set pieces: long, kinetic sequences shot with his usual rhythmic flair, where the camera seems to sprint alongside Richards. When the film is moving, it is genuinely exhilarating.
Where the Film Stumbles
The trouble is that a chase film needs to keep moving, and at 133 minutes this one stops too often. The middle stretch sags as Richards goes from one hiding place to the next, and the pattern starts to repeat. Critics were divided for exactly this reason: Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus notes that the film “doesn’t live up to the director’s high bar for inventive action extravaganzas but maintains a slick stride,” while Metacritic’s 56 reflects a spread of mixed notices.
Tone is the other problem. Wright’s sharpest work balances comedy and danger, but here the jokes and the bleakness sit uneasily together. A few scenes want to be funny, a few want to be furious, and the film never quite decides which it is. The result is a thriller that is always watchable but rarely surprising.
A Box Office Flop With a Streaming Second Life
Theatrical numbers were disappointing. The film opened to roughly $17 million in the US and finished with around $69 million worldwide against a reported $110 million budget — a clear commercial failure, and the weakest box office result of Wright’s career. Powell later said Paramount cut its marketing department a month before release amid a corporate merger, which may help explain the muted opening.
Yet the film has found a second life at home. It became Paramount+’s most-watched movie of the first half of 2026, with Nielsen reporting 2.307 billion minutes viewed. Audiences, who rated it far more warmly than critics, clearly connected with something the opening weekend missed. On streaming, where its length matters less and its momentum carries the evening, it plays considerably better.
The Verdict
The Running Man is not Edgar Wright’s best film, and it is not the definitive Stephen King adaptation. But it is a sincere, furious and often thrilling one, powered by a star giving everything and a premise that only grows more relevant. If you missed it in cinemas, catch it on streaming — it is a chase worth joining, even if it runs a little long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Running Man (2025) based on a book?
Yes. It adapts Stephen King’s 1982 novel The Running Man, published under the pen name Richard Bachman. It is a separate adaptation from the 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Who stars in The Running Man?
Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards, with Josh Brolin as producer Dan Killian, Colman Domingo as host Bobby T, and Lee Pace as Hunter Evan McCone. Michael Cera, William H. Macy and Emilia Jones also appear.
What is The Running Man rated on Rotten Tomatoes?
The film holds 61% from critics and 77% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, with a Metacritic score of 56 out of 100. CinemaScore audiences gave it a B+.
Where can I watch The Running Man?
The film is streaming on Paramount+, where it became the platform’s most-watched movie of the first half of 2026.