Glen Powell's The Running Man Rages at a Dystopia That's Already Here: Review

"While the 1987 movie gets acknowledged with a fun Easter egg or two (sadly no rocket sleds, though), Wright and co-writer Michael Bacall devote their energy early on to creating a new protagonist: This Ben Richards (Powell) is a blue-collar worker who's been blacklisted from most work opportunities after sticking up for the little guy one too many times. And with a sick toddler at home, he and his wife (Jayme Lawson) are more than a little desperate for some extra cash."

"Wright puts some significant and impressive work into building out this America not too far from our own - while paper money has made a major comeback, technology otherwise ensures that the average citizen has very little privacy and even fewer opportunities to bootstrap their way out of poverty. The only reliable source of hope for a person to improve their lot in life: The ever-present game shows, most of which are only slightly exaggerated versions of what you might see on network television these days."

"Then there's The Running Man, the most violent and deadly of those games, which tracks three contestants per season as they try to escape a pack of "hunters" looking to take them out - and civilians also have incentive to join the pursuit, thanks to the cash prizes being awarded by the Network. (The Network is never really given much of a name beyond "The"

The story takes place in a near-future America where corporate-controlled media dominate daily life and personal privacy is severely restricted. Ben Richards, a blue-collar worker blacklisted after defending other workers, struggles to support a sick toddler. Economic mobility is nearly impossible as technology concentrates power and opportunities shrink while paper money resurges. Televised game shows become the primary avenue for financial relief and resemble exaggerated versions of current reality TV. The Running Man pits three contestants against lethal hunters while civilians can join the chase for cash prizes. Class warfare and corporate overreach drive the narrative and underline the moral costs of entertainment-driven desperation.

Read at Consequence