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The Running Man

Play trailer 1:25 Poster for The Running Man R 1987 1h 41m Sci-Fi Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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59% Tomatometer 124 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In the year 2019, America is a totalitarian state where the favorite television program is "The Running Man" -- a game show in which prisoners must run to freedom to avoid a brutal death. Having been made a scapegoat by the government, an imprisoned Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has the opportunity to make it back to the outside again by being a contestant on the deadly show, although the twisted host, Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), has no intention of letting him escape.
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The Running Man

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Critics Consensus

Combining slick production values and a strong cast with predictable thrills and a surprisingly muted Schwarzenegger, The Running Man is an uneven albeit occasionally rousing sci-fi action satire.

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Critics Reviews

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David Edelstein Village Voice Nov 7
As an actor, Schwarzenegger makes Stallone look profound. He's pretty hilarious cast as someone called "the running man"; he's so muscle-bound he can hardly walk. Go to Full Review
Jay Boyar Orlando Sentinel Nov 7
This movie may barely escape the exploitation category, but not the garbage classification. Go to Full Review
Joe Kane New York Daily News Nov 6
The Running Man is an often sophomoric but generally fun dystopian slaughterfest. Go to Full Review
Jana Monji Age of the Geek Nov 15
2/5
This is more cheesy than Cheetos and brings back the nightmare of French-cut leotards. Richard Dawson does make a great villain, but that's about it. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 12
2.5/4
A particular kitschy piece of 80s Arnie action, with a great premise and some potent underlying themes limply handled. Go to Full Review
Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Nov 11
2/4
Its core idea is similar to 'Battle Royale' and 'The Hunger Games,' but those movies had a firm grasp on the social satire involved, whereas the simplistic 'The Running Man' is more about spectacle, violence, and the good guys winning. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jace E @thefilmguy 4d For some strange reason, the moment the movie ended I wanted to watch it again. Don't hear what I'm not saying. I did not like the movie but I was intrigued by it. Honestly, most of the time I was confused by where the plot was going. Amber's character was dumb and unnecessary, the whole "resistance" story felt half-baked and there were more than enough puns by Schwarzenegger. (It felt like I was watching Batman Forever again) I'm curious where the Edgar Wright adaptation goes, because I really do think that the premise is interesting. Best Character: Ben Richards Best Quote: "Only in a rerun." - Killian Best Scene: Landing in the Arena Best Piece of Score: Logo-Bakersfield See more matthias s 6d Never seen this one till now, but I’m glad I finally knocked it off my watchlist—especially with the remake on the way. The Running Man is peak cheesy dystopian chaos, the kind only early-Stephen-King stories (under his Bachman alter ego) can deliver. It’s loud, ridiculous, and somehow still incredibly entertaining. The satire hits harder than expected, and the over-the-top action feels like a time capsule you can’t look away from. Honestly, it made me even more curious about what Edgar Wright’s take will look like. Consider me happily surprised—and weirdly charmed—by this vintage slice of future-shock mayhem. See more Reeves S Nov 26 I just watched this tonight and I LOVED IT. I now want to rewatch it with drinks and have a shot every time a one- liner is said. What a classic! 10/10! Hilarious lol See more Kevin P Nov 25 A goofy and crazy, but fun and witty dystopian satire based on the Stephen King novel. It's the televised death match predecessor for Battle Royale, the Hunger Games, and Squid Game. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting is on-par with most of his roles at the time (cheesy okay acting, but lovably charismatic). The movie isn't too faithful to the book as far as plot goes, but it shares the same themes. There's some good satire of the public's obsession with reality TV being exploited by the system as a distraction from the harsh realities of the world. The digital deep fakes were ahead of its time as a critique. A totalitarian state uses violent reality TV with hope to quench the first of the audience's repressed anger and hope. There's some good commentary, such as the Edutainment Department, trying to escalate violence for ratings, and digital deepfakes. I liked the exciting opening scene at the iron works prison riot escape. But then movie kind of drags down with that questionable apartment scene where Arnold assaults and kidnaps a random woman in his brother's apartment (a sadly typical plotline for many male movie heroes of the 60s, 70s, & 80s). There's even a weird SA comment/joke from her coworker fantasizing Arnold doing that to her (weird). She later joins the action, but she spends most of the time reduced to the dated "lol women are panicky and useless" trope as she just gets pulled in different directions by her male counterparts for most of the runtime. Her kiss with Arnold felt totally unearned. The film is also very, VERY dated in a fashion & music sense (Arnold's yellow jumpsuit, all the aerobics videos, the entire soundtrack, etc.). But there's still a charm to it with the film's cheesy tone. I liked some fake TV shows, such as "Climbing for Dollars". I also liked the thrilling tube slide run at the start of the game. The villains are corny, but really fun, such as Professor Sub Zero the ice hockey player, Buzz-Saw, Dynamo, Fireball, and Captain Freedom (hammed up by Jesse Ventura). I also like the audience’s gradual transition from their blood lust to betting and cheering on Ben Richards. Showing how giving the public what they want on TV for consumerism only works for so long. It's certainly a dated movie that loses some of the depth of the novel. But it has its creative sparks of satire and entertainment that makes this worth a watch and respectable for how it influenced the dystopian death march genre. See more A S Nov 22 Absolutely prescient, campy, and just a fun ride. Richard Dawson is icons and Schwarzenegger is at his sarcastic best. Love this movie! See more Mike V Nov 20 It is the year 2019. "The Running Man" is a deadly game no one has ever survived. But Schwarzenegger has yet to play. The Running Man is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Michael Glaser 🏃‍♂️ Not bad, but not my favourite either 😐 Meh, it passed the time. Just. 😐 👍🏼👎🏼 By 2017, the global economy has collapsed and U.S. society has become a totalitarian police state, censoring all cultural activity. The government pacifies the populace by broadcasting a number of game shows in which convicted criminals fight for their lives, including the gladiator-style The Running Man, hosted by the ruthless Damon Killian, where "runners" attempt to evade "stalkers" and certain death for a chance to be pardoned and set free. See more Read all reviews
The Running Man

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The Running Man

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the year 2019, America is a totalitarian state where the favorite television program is "The Running Man" -- a game show in which prisoners must run to freedom to avoid a brutal death. Having been made a scapegoat by the government, an imprisoned Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has the opportunity to make it back to the outside again by being a contestant on the deadly show, although the twisted host, Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), has no intention of letting him escape.
Director
Paul Michael Glaser
Producer
George Linder, Tim Zinnemann
Screenwriter
Steven E. de Souza
Distributor
TriStar Pictures
Production Co
TAFT Entertainment, Home Box Office (HBO)
Rating
R
Genre
Sci-Fi, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 13, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$38.0M
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Surround
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