pure adrenaline with Edgar Wright and Glen Powell at their best

Review of The running manthe adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982. It premieres on November 21st.

Those of us who comb gray hair remember the earlier version of The running man released in cinemas, specifically in 1987, with the title Persecuted.

The Ben Richards we met in that adaptation of Stephen King (the third under the pseudonym Richard Bachman after Anger, the long march and cursed road) was very different from what we will see now, more than 30 years later.

Back then I was a testosterone Arnold Schwarzenegger who performed the feat of trying to survive in a show in which several hunters were sent to kill him live. With the peculiarity that the owners of the network had no qualms about changing what they demonstrated at will to favor their interests.

Times have changed, but The speech remains strangely valid, although we have replaced some fears with others. If at the origin of history was the fear of manipulating the masses with technology, today the threat is brought to us by the misuse of Artificial Intelligence.

This is one of the reasons that led the actor Glen Powell to step into the role of actor and lead a diverse cast that also includes William H. Macy, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Michael Cera, Lee Pace (the star of Foundation) or Karl Glusman, among others.

The first and most obvious thing to say about this film is that The running man It’s not a remake of Persecuted but a new adaptation of the novel. The change in perspective is important because, despite continuing to exude masculinity, the protagonist becomes visibly humanized.

The film benefits from a powerful update (although it breathes a retro air in the staging) and Edgar Wright’s sense of rhythm, which in certain sequences comes to fruition in an explosive way. The film’s protagonist himself told us:

What is the film about?

The running man It presents us with a dystopia: in an alternative future, a company has absolute control over what citizens watch, making the use of televisions mandatory. In this context, we are introduced to Ben Richards, a somewhat rebellious worker who decides to ask his boss for help when his daughter falls ill.

Not only does he find no understanding or humanity in his attitude, he ends up being fired, much to the dismay of his wife, who sees no other solution than to work in a seedy nightclub.

With the sole intention of raising enough money to treat his daughter, Richards ends up signing up for the deadly competition in which competitors, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being chased by professional killers, something no one has ever achieved before.

Every move is broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and, with each passing day, the cash reward increases, but so does the risk of being betrayed by any anonymous citizen.

Against all odds and despite the network’s trickery, Ben’s courage makes him an unexpected fan favorite and a threat to the entire system. As the ratings grow, so does the danger, and Ben must deceive not only the Hunters, but also a nation addicted to the lies with which he has been infected.

Analog road movie

In addition to the overwhelming plot, the talented cast and the wonderful playlist with which Wright spices up his dizzying production, The running man It has the virtue of not being carried away by the look of other science fiction films and has its own visual style.

In the tone of a road movie, with a character who can only keep moving to save his life, all the technology we see takes us back to the 90s, even though it is set in 2025.

Is it a piece of cinema-spectacle? Without a doubt, but it is also called to generate debates and reflections about the world we live in. Perhaps we will even become aware of the extent to which we depend on large companies that threaten to dominate the world, above democratic governments.

Reducing the length a bit to keep the footage under two hours would be even more accurate, but it accomplishes its goal of doing justice to the printed letter… and even leaves some nice winks for our friend Schwarzenegger.