Glen Powell’s Latest Sci-Fi Remake’s RT Score & Reviews Aren’t Impressive

The Running Man reviews have generated mixed reactions across major outlets. Edgar Wright’s sci-fi action remake is earning praise for its bold direction, energetic pacing, and Glen Powell’s lead performance. Critics highlight its sharp satire of media and politics, though many point out uneven tone and pacing as recurring flaws.

Reviews on Edgar Wright’s The Running Man are in

Edgar Wright’s The Running Man has debuted with a 62% Tomatometer score from 76 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Critics are sharply divided in their views, praising the film’s direction and performances but criticizing its pacing and tone. RogerEbert.com’s Matt Zoller Seitz wrote, “The relentless pace generates enough of an endorphin rush to power the movie beyond plausibility nitpicking.” The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw noted it “sometimes feels retro-futurist and steampunky, though it is always watchable and buoyant.”

Top critics were split. The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney said Wright’s remake “ends up feeling hollow,” while Rolling Stone’s David Fear found it a movie that “doubles the dosage” of “grit and despair.” Empire’s John Nugent described it as “Wright’s biggest, boldest canvas yet,” and The Times (UK)’s Kevin Maher offered a harsher verdict, writing, “Well, at least we’ll always have the Cornetto trilogy.”

Daily Telegraph (UK) critic Robbie Collin praised its scale, writing, “Every flourish and trick here isn’t in service of a singular creative vision so much as a great, rumbling excitement machine.” USA Today’s Brian Truitt called it “a lively, satirical stab at modern-day reality TV… slathered in blood-soaked ultraviolence and bonkers charm.”

How The Running Man remake’s Rotten Tomatoes score compares against original

The 2025 remake’s 62% Tomatometer score narrowly surpasses the 1987 original’s 59% score based on 123 reviews. The Arnold Schwarzenegger-led version remains remembered for its campy sci-fi satire, while critics labeled Wright’s film more “ambitious” but uneven.

The 1987 film holds a 61% audience score from over 50,000 ratings. The new version has no audience score yet, ahead of its November 14 U.S. release. Both movies show similar critical division, praised for entertainment value but criticized for tone and depth. The debate continues over whether The Running Man works better as satire or spectacle.

Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on SuperHeroHype.