The Running Man movie provides an interesting and timely message presented in a mixed bag of action and a high body count.
Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is having a hard time. He and his wife Cathy are struggling to make ends meet and when their only child gets sick, he can only see one way out.
Set in the future, lotto has been replaced with a series of game shows offering prizes for a range of dubious acts. Richards convinces his wife to let him try out for the games. She agrees but with one exception, he cannot go on The Running Man show.
The Running Man contest is the most watched television show. The premise, contestants win a fortune if they survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins. Three contestants start out. The whole thing is broadcast to the world and members of the public can win money for dobbing in the contestants.
Thousands of people try out for the various contests, including Richards. Fueled by anger with the system that’s put him in this situation, Richards excels. After a myriad of tests, he’s chosen for a game. He’s given one choice, The Running Man. Producer Dan Killian (Josh Bronlin) allows Richards one phone call before the game starts. The phone call to his wife goes as well as can be expected.
The game begins and the three contestants set off.
Richards proves a good player. The public is on watch to catch him out and earn money for themselves. But his strength and blunt honesty quickly win over the crowd, and the game takes an unexpected turn. Will Richards survive the game and make it back to his family?
As the credits rolled I pondered:
- The Running Man movie is a bit of a mixed bag;
- There are some good messages in the movie. particularly around AI, which has you pondering about what’s real. It’s just a shame the movie doesn’t give the audience some credit for working out the messages themselves;
- The movie is a mixture of The Hunters television show, The Hunger Games and The Truman Show;
- Powell was interesting to watch but it was hard to warm to his character as he didn’t seem to grow beyond his angry demeanor;
- It was a treat to see William H Macy pop up.
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