This action thriller released on November 14 and rated R is an adaptation of a 1982 novel by Stephen King, written under his pen name of Richard Bachman. It takes place in the near future and feels moody and dystopian. I didn’t expect to enjoy the film as much as I did. The combination of a talented cast, reasonable script and tight action sequencing is entertaining and provides for a good diversion. Glen Powell’s performance in the lead role employs a strong sense of physicality and commitment, which is spot on for his character. He did many of his own stunts in the role of Ben Richards, an unemployed blue-collar man with a wife and young daughter. They live in Co-Op City, a run-down part of town which is sharply separated from where the affluent reside. The two-tiered system of the haves and have-nots appears to be in a police state controlled by media networks in this modern rendering. Richards and his wife try to make ends meet while she works and he searches for a job. They become increasingly desperate when they can’t afford medication needed by their daughter due to illness.
The movie centers around a brutal and very popular television show (called “Running Man”), produced by one of the controlling media networks. The contestants try to survive for 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins aided by the public. Not surviving literally means death. Against the wishes of his wife, Richards competes against many and makes the final cut to be a contestant in this high-stakes venture. Josh Brolin gives a fine performance as the television show’s ruthless producer, with a velvet smooth presentation designed to manipulate the contestants. Richards begins the “run” with a 12-hour head start, along with two other final contestants. The twists and turns of surviving, while the public watches and participates in the media spectacle, are the central plot of the film. The theme of class division continues throughout as the elite entertain themselves while watching citizens become hunters and the hunted.
A prior movie adaptation from King’s novel starred Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987. An interesting fact is that in the 1982 novel, the near future was set in 2025 with the backdrop of poverty, over-population, environmental decline and a totalitarian landscape. Since we’ve already arrived at 2025, the new film takes place at an unnamed future time from where we are now.
Glen Powell, age 37 and known for his roles in “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Hit Man” and “Twisters,” was a good choice to play Ben Richards. Colman Domingo is excellent as the deadly game show’s host. Director Edgar Wright (“Baby Driver”) infuses the movie with high energy action and a somewhat interesting story, all of which harkens back to the action films of the 1980s. The action scenes include ingenious escapes made by Richards, as the television contestant. Weaknesses in the film include the premise of network television executives controlling society at a future time as compared to the more likely relevance of the modern internet and artificial intelligence in facilitating power brokers. After all the excitement, the finale can seem somewhat anticlimactic. If you’d like fast-paced action with an edge of social commentary, and are willing to put up with some graphic violence along the way, this movie could fit the bill.