Sci-fi/Adventure; Cert R16, contains violence, cruelty & offensive language; 2hr 13min

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Michael Cera

Ever thought you could probably win The Chase? This film creates the highest stakes scenarios for that thought to ever be had.

The Running Man follows Ben Richards (Glen Powell); a guy fired from his last job for briefly forming a union and desperate for cash to get his baby girl medicine. He decides to try out for a game show and accidentally gets cast on The Running Man – aka, the worst to play and the most watched one.

Ben is suddenly on the run from a group of five goons, and the public is eager to turn him in and report his location in exchange for cash, plus he has to mail a vlog as proof of life each day he survives.

The odds seem impossible… and potentially rigged. It sort of gives The Hunger Gamesbut for Dads (although it’s based on Stephen King’s novel which outdates both The Hunger Games and me).

Director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Shaun of the Dead) has delivered his most restrained work yet. Colman Domingo and Michael Cera deliver supporting performances closest to Wright’s typical absurd style, but a lot of this film is played as a pretty straight action flick, which surprised me.

Albeit it is mostly a gripping top-tier action flick – the first two thirds had me hooked more than most. There were some excellent to-the-needle-drop-beat action sequences.

There are some cool ideas in here, and a lot of the dystopian tech doesn’t seem all that far away – with deep fakes, AI and the true threat to society: reality TV show editing. All these strategies are really antagonising Ben’s slim shot at survival.

Glen Powell continues to be a strong leading man, again in a role where he dons many disguises (Hit Man, Chad Powers). It's a specific niche but he plays it well.

The last half of act three lost me a bit – it had a lot of reveals resulting in cinematic whiplash, but it might hold up better on a rewatch.

Definitely worth your ticket – especially in cinemas, it might not play quite the same on Netflix. A solid eat-the-rich tale. 7/10