When most people think of The Running Man, they picture Arnold Schwarzenegger firing off one-liners while villains scream over neon smoke machines. Reviewing both the original 1987 film and the 2025 remake, I was expecting a retro-futuristic action ride. And yes, both offer a show full of adrenaline. But what surprised me is how differently each version interprets Stephen King’s 1982 novel, and how the new version offers great entertainment and has a much richer emotional impact.
The original 1987 film, directed by Starsky & Hutch’s Paul Michael Glaser, features Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger), a police officer wrongly accused and framed for a massacre he tried to stop. After a dramatic prison escape, Richards lands on the radar of Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), the producer and host of The Running Man, a live television blood sport where convicts are hunted and killed. And in classic sci-fi style, the film is set in the “distant” future of… 2017.
Stephen King’s 1982 novel actually takes place in 2025. Coincidence? Written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, the book trades King’s typical supernatural horror (The Shining, Christine) for dystopian value. The 2025 remake, directed by Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim), aligns more closely with the book.
The film also includes a small homage to Schwarzenegger’s original; A detail that fans will enjoy seeing for themselves.
Here, Ben Richards played by Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, Everyone But You) is a working-class man blacklisted for defending his co-workers. With his daughter seriously ill, he secretly joins the deadly game, a decision that increases the emotional stakes.
One of the smarter updates is splitting Damon Killian’s original role into two: Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), soulless executive producer, real power behind the scenes, and Bobby Thompson (Colman Domingo), charismatic host who sells the carnage with a smile.
Both films take place in a dystopian future America, but the worlds feel very different. 1987: Flashy and exaggerated police state: society addicted to televised violence. 2025: Grounded, Plausibly Dystopian: Poverty, Surveillance, Poor Healthcare, Media Exploitation.
The world of the remake feels closer to King’s novel and current reality. Powell offers a firm, human, strong, but not invincible Richards. Brolin’s icy executive contrasts perfectly with Domingo’s magnetic host. Wright’s direction—sharp pacing, clever visual storytelling, and light but effective emotional beats—makes the remake exciting, entertaining, and human.
The film builds tension brilliantly and the ending offers plenty of action, but it didn’t end as I expected. Instead of a final showdown or twist, the story concludes decisively, letting the stakes, emotions, and chaos land in a way that leaves a strong impression. It’s a conclusion that’s satisfying in its own way, even if it subverts expectations of a traditional climactic ending.
While they are different cinematic experiences, the central message is conveyed through both films. It’s when society hits rock bottom, broken systems benefit the most from the people who can least afford it. The film is a chilling idea that transcends explosions and TV theatrics, and the 2025 version delivers it with resonance in the form of a realistic, but deadly and potentially disturbing, TV game show.
Running Man is 133 minutes long and is in theaters now.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5 stars)
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Greg Gazinalso known as Gadget Guy and Gadget Greg, is a syndicated Veteran technology columnist, communication, leadership and technology speaker, facilitator, blogger, podcaster and author. reach it @gadgetgreg or in GadgetGuy.com.
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