Imagine a world where survival comes at the cost of entertainment.

The Running Man (2025) puts this question into action. “Life or Death is on the line, Mr Richards… can you feel it?” the film asks, forcing audiences to confront their own appetite for bloodlust as a form of amusement.

Edgar Wright brings his signature action-packed style to Stephen King’s dystopian vision. Ben Richards (played by Glenn Powell), an ex-army marine, is struggling to provide for his sick child and in a moment of crisis, he makes a rash move to join the ruthless show “The Running Man”.

Richards must survive thirty days in a world manipulated and controlled by the media, while being hunted by professional assassins and even ordinary citizens. On his journey, he navigates a society in which television shows and gambling mask the underlying problems, with “The Running Man” itself feeding humanity’s darkest instincts: bloodlust and addiction, all in pursuit of higher ratings and greater spectacle.

The film is pure Edgar Wright: fast-paced, quick-witted and filled with relentless momentum. It is a guaranteed boredom buster, playing into every sensory desire for a human’s want to survive, with the promise of a big cash prize at the end of it.

But like many films saturated with action, it sacrifices some emotional depth. The film forces you quickly into the mechanics of the show, neglecting layers which motivated Richards to join the show in the first place.

Even so, I would always find myself recommending an Edgar Wright film. “The Running Man” may pose as a critique of entertainment, but it also deeply understands it.

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