Partial one-sheet poster for “The Running Man.”
Parmount Pictures
The Running Man, a new film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel starring Glen Powell, is opening in theaters this weekend. How is the film scoring with Rotten Tomatoes critics?
Originally published in 1982 under King’s author pseudonym Richard Bachman, The Running Man was first adapted for the big screen by director Paul Michael Glaser and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Yaphet Kotto, Jim Brown and Richard Dawson. The new version of The Running Man, which is directed by Edgar Wright, plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.
The official summary of the film reads, “In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television — a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward.
“Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite—and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.”
Rated R, The Running Man also stars William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson and Colman Domingo.
As of the publication of this article, The Running Man has earned a 64% “fresh” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 98 reviews. RT’s Critics Consensus, audience summary and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are still pending.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘The Running Man’?
Owen Gleiberman of Variety is among the top critics on RT who gives The Running Man a “fresh” review on RT, writing, “Released in 1987, The Running Man was a lumbering Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. You could say that Edgar Wright, the director of the new version, has made it into a decent Bruce Willis movie.”
Brian Truitt of USA Today also gives the film a “fresh” rating on RT, writing in his review summary that it’s a “lively, satirical stab at modern-day reality TV, scary big-brother technology, cultural dissension and rampant income inequality, all slathered in blood-soaked ultraviolence and bonkers charm.”
In his “fresh” review summary on RT, David Fear of Rolling Stone writes, “Most filmmakers would have diluted the grit and genuine sense of moral free-fall. Wright doubles the dosage. Every adrenaline rush comes with a chaser of low rage and simmering despair.”
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter is among the top critics on RT who gives The Running Man a “rotten” rating, writing in his review summary, “Edgar Wright’s update of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle of the same name, while it has no shortage of action and adrenaline, ends up feeling hollow. It also fails to erase lingering doubts about Glen Powell’s viability as a leading man.”
Nick Schager of The Daily Beast isn’t a fan of The Running Man either, writing on RT, “Largely faithful but unwilling to pick a funny or nasty lane, it’s the most impersonal film of its writer/director’s career, and a revolutionary thriller that too often falls back on establishment conventions.”
Kristy Puchko of Mashable also gives the film a “rotten” rating, writing in her RT review summary, “The Running Man is a sloppy collage of violence, action, and cheap jokes that is far more style than substance.”
The Running Man plays in previews on Thursday before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.
