Edgar Wright brings the nightmares of Stephen King to life. Glen Powell is struggling to survive in a deadly game show where the future of America is at stake. It was released this November and critics refer to it as slick, propulsive, and unnervingly relevant.
The Running Man 2025: A Dystopian Thriller That Hits Near You by Glen Powell
The Running Man is now available in theaters, and it is not at all like the Arnold Schwarzenegger version that you recall. Under the direction of visionary filmmaker Edgar Wright and starring Glen Powell. This dystopian action thriller arrives in US theaters November 14, 2025 and brings to life the 1982 Stephen King novel in a manner that seems disturbingly relevant.
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What’s The Running Man About?
The film takes place in a near-future where America is controlled by corporate media networks. The film follows Ben Richards, a desperate working-class father, who participates in the most deadliest reality show on TV. The question comes up: why? In order to save the life of his ill daughter.
In the twisted game show, contestants are promised huge prize money of $1 billion dollars upon surviving 30 days during which professional hunters and ordinary citizens attempt to kill them. It sounds like entertainment has gone wrong.
Star Cast and Production
Glen Powell with a stunning cast that features ruthless producer Dan Killian played by Josh Brolin, the charismatic show host played by Colman Domingo, and Lee Pace in the role of the mysterious masked hunter. The screenplay was written by Wright and Michael Bacall, and it has received what Stephen King himself has described as “fantastic” and a “bipartisan thrill ride”—high praise considering he hated the 1987 version.
The movie was released in London on November 5 before its UK release on November 12 and in the US on November 14. Originally, Paramount Pictures planned other release dates but decided on this release so that it avoids clashing with Predator: Badlands.
Critical reception and the box office
The movie received mixed reviews with a 64 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Hindustan Times commended the performance of Powell, describing it as slick, propulsive and razor-edged. In the meantime, India Today remarked that the film delivered a good opening but that it collapsed in the second half. The film is estimated to make $23-25 million dollars during the first weekend.
You may be a fan of Stephen King, a dystopian thriller, or simply cannot get enough of the rising star power of Glen Powell, but The Running Man gives you a chilling glimpse of where reality television may be headed.
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