The Running Man (2025)
You had me at "Edgar Wright is adapting Running Man." A kinetic and smart director paired with a wild little story that had already been an Arnold Schwarzenegger classic can't be bad, right? Right? It's not bad and you should see it if you have any interest, but I have thoughts.
Our story is simple. Dystopian world run by corporations that want the public docile. Not quite cyberpunk, not quite 1984, but shades of both and just as crappy to the multitude of poor. Ben Richards (Powell) lives with his wife and sick child. When he has no money or prospects, he enters a tv game show called "The Running Man." The longer he stays alive and the more people he kills that are hunting him, the more money he will make. Survive thirty days, and he gets one billion dollars.
A frenetic action movie that wants to be social commentary, The Running Man leans closer to the original story than the 80s movie but feels muddled. Our hero bounces from set piece to set piece finding friends and allies that get very little development. Wright brings his attention to detail and action, but the whole affair does not feel like the director was in control. I dunno if it was a stylistic decision, but overall the film feels standard action rather than part of Wright's body of work. I think he's better at using his movies as a commentary on pop culture than society.
See it in theaters if you can because the sound and visuals are big and bold and everyone seems to be having a great time. It just doesn't feel like an Edgar Wright film. There's little "quirk" I guess.