On Monday Nov. 10, Her Campus at HU was graciously invited to an early screening of the 2025 adaption of the Stephen King novel, ‘The Running Man’.
With a charming leading man, themes of deceitful media and AI, and an abundance of product placements, the movie had all the makings of a great film. The screening ended with applause and praise from attendees.
I was thoroughly pleased as that morning it had debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a 64% making it barely fresh. Going in, I had low expectations, but the movie thoroughly surprised me and showed the disconnect between audiences and critics.
Summary
‘The Running Man’ is a dystopian movie that follows Ben Richards (played by Glen Powell) as he is forced to participate in a televised game show that has deadly consequences for a large cash prize, in order to provide for his family. With Ben’s defiant attitude he becomes a fan favorite and threat to the entire system.
What We Loved
The film’s commentary on media and the use of AI in the near future.
The strongest element of this movie is its themes. The use of technology is shown in a ‘Black Mirror’ lens. People are forced to be under surveillance 24/7. What makes this so jarring is that it’s not just in the streets, but in their homes through appliances.
The use of AI in this film had ramifications that we are even seeing now. The creation of false material to manipulate the feelings of the nation is something that could happen even now as AI just continues to get better and stronger, and it’s hard to differentiate between what is real or not.
For all my dystopian media lovers, this is for you. I feel like it was a combination of every loved YA movie. It had elements of the ‘Hunger Games’, where people have to give their bodies and lives to the upperclass in order to get enough money and resources to stay alive. It had points of the movie ‘Nerve’, where technology is ruling over the minds of the general population and people are interested in pushing the stakes for others just to increase their entertainment.
I found this all very striking and very much enjoyed the movie overall. The star studded cast lead to multiple ‘Leonardo Dicaprio pointing at the tv’ moments, and each new face made me wonder how much this movie cost to produce!
Glen Powell was a very welcome sight after coming off multiple hit films and getting a reputation as a major Hollywood leading man. His charm here was undeniable and he makes the character a believable and lovable character who can take down every bad guy with his physicality.
What Critics Disliked
The major critiques of the movie were its predictability and lack of feeling like there were any real stakes.
The set up of the story involves him leaving his family behind to participate in this reality show with likely deadly consequences. Without spoilers, let’s just say not all of these consequences are fully realized, which I agree I wanted the stakes to be even higher here, but I still really enjoyed the movie.
Critics also wanted the depth of commentary on media and AI to be deeper, but I feel like it’s all laid there for audiences to see so there is only so much deeper they could go.
Overall, I think critics just wanted a deeper, more intense movie, but the lighter tone was helpful in making the comedy hit harder and make it something you would want to return to.
Overall
The ‘Running Man’ makes for a great action/comedy movie with many memorable moments that are sure to excite audiences.
While it is a bit predictable, it’s overall a great time! I think the 64% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects more on what critics expected of the film rather than there being something wrong with it.
The ‘Running Man’ is the kind of movie that is made to be seen in a theater surrounded by the laughs and cheers of other attendees. Audiences that are looking for a feel-good movie with some striking themes and excitement will enjoy this. So grab your friends and some popcorn to go see this movie in theaters!