The Running Man Review: The Dystopia Will Be Televised
Ken Jones, OnScreenBlog Chief Film Critic
The Running Man was a 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger action film that was right in the middle of his big action star run. I was unaware that it was an adaptation of a Stephen King story. Director Edgar Wright has undertaken a remake of this Schwarzenegger blockbuster, this time with Glen Powell in the lead role.
Powell’s Ben Richards is out of options for him, his wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson), and their sick infant daughter. Unable to find work because the monopolistic Network has blacklisted him, Ben signs up for the dangerous Running Man reality TV show, where contestants are hunted in the street by everyday citizens and a squad led by a masked man named McCone (Lee Pace). If they survive 30 days, they win a billion dollars. Before he leaves, Ben vows to get back at Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), the producer of the show.
Glen Powell is certainly not in the same physical class as Schwarzenegger, so similar to the remake of Total Recall, it automatically feels like a different movie just by having a different lead. Powell’s Ben Richards, while not physically imposing, is resilient and resourceful. Given a 12-hour head start, he attempts to make the most of it by changing his identity and putting as much space between himself and the hunters as possible, and remaining off the grid as much as possible too.
A clever catch of the show to prevent runners from just holing up someone for 30 days is that they are required to film a selfie video and deliver it to a drop box every day for their message to be uploaded for the show to air. Ben is one of three contestants on the season finale of the show, the other two being Jenni Laughlin (Katy O’Brian) and Tim Jansky (Martin Herlihy); Jenni seems intent on living the last few days and weeks of her life as one big party, while Tim seems mostly oblivious to the seriousness of it all. Coleman Domingo gets a chance to go really, really big as the host of the show, Bobby T.
A big part of the plot in the original movie was that Arnold’s Ben Richards was framed, and the video footage of him being a hero was altered to make him look like a butcher and to become the fall guy. This was extreme in 1987, as the technology did not exist in 1987 to make that sci-fi future a reality. That is not the case now, though, as deepfakes are becoming more and more commonplace. Ben’s words and actions transmitted to the audience are different than what he actually says and does on more than one occasion. This also gives Wright the ability to mess with the movie’s audience a few times to manipulate them and have them question what they are seeing and whether it is “real.”
While late-stage capitalism has not yet produced a single conglomeration controlling literally every aspect of life, as depicted here with Network, it is another aspect of the movie that feels all too realistic in the future. Network controls not only what is on the TV, but who can work and where they can work. The income inequality on display and the authoritarian nature of Network is an overt commentary on the politics and events of today. While King’s novel and the 1987 film may have presaged the dawn of reality TV, this one has 25+ years of reality TV to look back on and assess its contribution to our current state; the resulting commentary is a mixed bag.
I haven't seen the 1987 version of Arnie in a very long time, so I don't recall if the contestants must survive for 30 days or not. Still, it is definitely limited to an abandoned section of the city. In contrast, here the entire country serves as the playground for the runners and their hunters, with viewers having the opportunity to play and get involved as well. I think this is a more effective premise, giving the film more freedom to operate in for locations and settings.
As Ben, Powell brings smarts and some charm to the character. The one characteristic that the film is intent to make a point of, though, is Ben’s rage. An opening scene where he brings his baby along to plead for his job is explained as a way to prevent losing his composure in front of his former boss. Network, and Killian in particular, see Ben’s rage as an asset, something that has ratings appeal and could be exploited, an example of a billion-dollar corporation (like a movie studio???) exhausting a resource and mining it to the point of overkill.
While on the run, Ben eventually encounters anti-Network resistance fighters, people who are fighting against a rigged and unfair system, first in the form of a Boston livestreamer named Bradley (Daniel Ezra) and his little younger brother, and then later by Elton Parrakis (Michael Cera), a rebel intent on taking the fight to Network for what happened to his dad. These people see Ben as a symbol, but they do not seek to exploit him for their own purposes; instead, they hope to convince him to be the catalyst that can spark change.
There is a hint of a revolutionary spirit in the film that could be effective, but the generic studio gloss of the movie muddies it. Wright is a director known for his distinct visual style in films, which is largely absent from much of this movie, which I found pretty shocking.
I think The Running Man is a property worth re-exploring, and I can even see why the elements of the story, including deepfakes, reality television, and income inequality, could have resonance with the world today. I also think that there are many 80s and 90s movies that relied on the charisma and popularity of leading men like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but ultimately produced mediocre overall end products. These properties could be fertile ground for remakes that improve on the originals.
Unfortunately, Wright’s The Running Man fumbles this, making something that looks slicker than any action movie that could have been made 40 years ago, but feels quite generic and impotent in delivering a message that could have been truly scathing, subversive, and biting in its commentary.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
