The Running Man
Review: That title is accurate as heck. Say what you will about this movie but Glen Powell do be running. I would prefer to refer to this as a more accurate adaption of Stephen King’s book than a remake of the 1987 film, but I digress. Set in a dystopian world where an authoritarian government controls the media and the only accessible entertainment is high stakes game shows, the film has some incredibly interesting concepts. It is able to explore a majority of them pretty well, resulting in some honestly dark themes. The film is action packed throughout with some very memorable moments and has some quality comedic moments as well. The comedy made the film a little bit of a tonal roller coaster, switching back and forth from cracking jokes to talking about starving children which can admittedly be a little jerky. But beyond all of that, it’s really just a fun movie. That’s the main thing it has going for it. It’s fun. Yes, it has some very deep themes and will definitely give you something to thing about, but you can also just watch Glen Powell do some cool stunts and leave feeling good. The film felt like a lot of the creative decision were made by the studio than by the director, Edgar Wright, so I don’t know if I really felt his signature style at any point in the film.
High: The performance in this movie were all really fun. Glen Powell is just really one of those dudes. Everything he does is electric and I will absolutely be tuned in. Josh Brolin is a very detestable antagonist, Colman Domingo brings it (of course), Katy M. O’Brien makes everything she’s in better, Daniel Ezra was really cool, Emilia Jones did a good job, I could’ve used more of Jayme Lawson, but she was good in her role, Lee Pace’s character was intriguing, William H. Macy also had a small role, but was fun, & homeboy from Please Don’t Destroy made me chuckle. And don’t even get me started on Michael Cera. Cera was great in this movie.
Low: Dystopian movies used to be fun. Now they just make me sad because they strike a chord. Boo.
Rating: 8.5/10 (at least on the fun scale)
