The Running Man is an action-thriller film released in theaters on November 14th. Glen Powell stars as protagonist Ben Richards, a man desperate for money to save his sick daughter. He resorts to joining a deadly competition in which contestants get chased by hunters, the entire ordeal is broadcast for people’s entertainment. The film has made a total of $70 million in box office sales worldwide, not surpassing its $110 million budget.
Although my expectations were low, this film actually hooked me in fast. The entire movie feels intense and nerve wracking, but in an entirely positive way that keeps you pulled in. The best part of the film is how it almost never slows down, keeping the viewers engaged throughout. Glenn Powell does an amazing job with this role as well. He doesn’t really act like he’s perfect, instead most of the time he appears to be tired or beaten up, making scenes feel even more real. The future world they show is really messed up, unfortunately the movie does bring up some stuff you see in the real world.
The movie is far from perfect though. Some characters show up and disappear too quickly. I also believe that the ending could have been scripted more effectively. It’s not a horrible conclusion, but it feels like the writers went for the safer option, rather than the best one, opting for the more unoriginal ending in which Ben survives and exposes the broadcasting network.
Overall, I still believe the film is certainly worth the watch. It’s entertaining, exciting, and an excellent movie with an actual point behind all of the action shown. It’s definitely not the best movie in the world, but it feels fresh and different from quite a bit of the stuff coming out nowadays and that helps it stand out a bit more.
