The Running Man (2025) Reviews: What Critics Said

Editorial note: This is a roundup of published criticism of The Running Man. Celluloid has not screened the film for this piece, and it carries no Celluloid rating. The critics are named and linked under Sources.

Is The Running Man worth watching?

Critics were divided: some found Edgar Wright’s version of Stephen King’s dystopian novel a big, entertaining satire with a strong Glen Powell, while others thought it long, uneven and oddly impersonal for its director. Several reviewers, admirers included, noted a weaker second half and a crowded cast. Powell drew praise from most of them, and several set pieces were admired; the argument is over whether the whole adds up.

What is The Running Man about?

Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards is persuaded by the ruthless producer of The Running Man to enter the deadly televised competition as a last resort. His defiance and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favourite, and a threat to the system, and as the ratings climb he must outwit not only the Hunters but a nation hooked on watching him fall. Glen Powell plays Richards, Josh Brolin the producer Dan Killian and Colman Domingo the host Bobby T., with Lee Pace, Michael Cera, William H. Macy and Emilia Jones in the cast. Wright directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Bacall. The film was released in 2025 and runs 133 minutes. Release details and where to watch are on The Running Man film page.

What critics praised

John Nugent of Empire was the most positive, calling it Wright’s biggest and boldest canvas yet. He saw a satire of American capitalism and celebrity culture with a retro-futurist look that recalls Paul Verhoeven, and felt Powell’s gruff, combustible hero makes another strong case for him as an action lead. He enjoyed the film as blockbuster entertainment with genuine bite.

Aidan Kelley of Collider found it ambitious, topical and consistently entertaining, and expected it to please crowds. He thought Powell captivating throughout, admired Wright’s precisely cut action scenes, and felt Cera and Domingo steal the show in their scenes. He also found its vision of a media-dominated future uncomfortably close to the present.

James Mottram of NME described a vibrant and more faithful take on King’s novel than the 1987 film. He found Powell a very watchable everyman, enjoyed Domingo and Cera, and thought Wright handles the elaborate, kinetic action well, with a first half that builds its surveillance-state world cleverly.

Where critics were divided

The admirers had reservations of their own. Nugent thought the film less funny and less flashily directed than Wright’s earlier work. Kelley felt it juggles too many characters, leaving Brolin and Pace as obstacles rather than people and underusing several supporting players, and he found the ending jarring. Mottram felt the story grows repetitive and stretched in its second half.

Jesse Hassenger of The A.V. Club was mixed. He praised Powell’s physical performance and simmering anger, and found the first hour often darkly funny. But he felt the script works too hard to make Richards likeable, that the media satire already feels dated, and that the final half-hour outstays its welcome. In his view a straightforward action adaptation both underuses Wright’s gifts and sits outside them.

Phil de Semlyen of Time Out was more negative. He liked Brolin and a comic stretch involving Cera, but argued that the film could have been made by many less gifted directors, that Powell is cast against his strengths, and that the satire lacks focus. He also found at least one set piece distinctly average.

Stephanie Zacharek of TIME was the harshest. She found the film bleak, obvious and exhaustingly cartoonish, with messily staged action and a sneering tone, and felt its ideas about family and authoritarian control serve only as backdrop. For her, Powell’s hero feels hollow despite the actor’s evident effort.

Who is it for?

The film suits viewers who want a long, loud action satire and enjoy Glen Powell as a leading man. It is rated R in the US and 15 in the UK. Admirers of Wright’s comedies such as Shaun of the Dead should expect a less playful film. Those drawn to King’s dystopias can compare it with The Long Walk, adapted from another of his early novels in the same year.

The critical verdict

Critics were genuinely split on The Running Man. Nugent, Kelley and Mottram enjoyed it as a spirited, timely blockbuster with a committed lead, while Hassenger, de Semlyen and Zacharek found it overlong, blunt or lacking Wright’s personality. Powell was praised by most of them, and several, admirers included, found the later stretches the weakest part.