Hi all!

Welcome back to a fun segment on my blog, where I pit an original film against its remake and discuss which one I personally believe is better. If you wish to check out the dedicated category, please click here. There will be a few factors to take into consideration: a.) Does the remake improve the original story, b.) Is the original already so superior, the remake is quite irrelevant and c.) Do both films exist side-by-side, complementing one another in cinematic history? Today’s post is tackling a non-horror. I am covering Paul Michael Glaser’s, The Running Man from 1987 and Edgar Wright’s reboot from 2025. These movies are set in a futuristic world, where ‘runners’ must survive against lethal assassins, in order to obtain freedom/monetary prizes. Remember, this is just my opinion. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Did the remake improve upon the original? 100%! My issue with the original, is it’s too limited in scope. The game takes place in a singular underground area, with no creative design. It’s just a basic warehouse, surrounded by awful red lighting. In the remake, everything is grander. It is open world. The ‘runner’ travels across the United States, taking on many different disguises and resources to survive. The competition is also expanded upon. The competitior has to film themselves for 10 minutes a day; finding time to mail their video before the timer runs out. This amps up the tension significantly. The audience participation is also wild. They can call in tips if they spot the ‘runner.’ It’s an entire event. For this and many more reasons (which I’ll discuss below), the reboot is far superior.

Winner – The Running Man 2025

Was the original already so superior, the remake was irrelevant? No. The remake was needed. This is a film that benefits greatly from modern movie-making. Not only that, it is very telling of our current political climate, which felt like an act of rebellion in and of itself. I also preferred the motivation. In the original, Ben Richards is thrown into the game as a prisoner, with the ‘opportunity’ of fighting for his freedom. In the remake, he enters voluntarily, in order to gain a significant monetary prize to assist his wife and sick daughter. When a loved one’s life is on the line, the stakes feel higher. As mentioned above, everything was expanded upon – even the deepfakes. In this day and age, where technology can intentionally misrepresent a person’s face and voice, the concept hits harder. I also want to add that Glen Powell’s character visits Derry. IT is my favourite horror movie and book of all time – need I say more?

Winner – The Running Man 2025

Can both films exist side-by-side in cinematic history? I wish I could say yes but after watching the remake, I cannot agree. Don’t get me wrong, there are things about the original I appreciate. Nothing will ever beat Arnie’s classic one-liners. However, the 2025 version really went for it, providing one hell of an action-thriller akin to Squid Game, The Hunger Games and The Long Walk. For its time, the 1987 feature would have been effective, especially the hyperbolic themed assassins. However, a competition titled ‘The Running Man’ deserves to be bigger and grander. We want to see open-world running. Edgar Wright gave us exactly that.

Winner – The Running Man 2025

The clear and obvious winner is the modern remake. It is exactly what The Running Man should be. The irony that this and The Long Walk were both released in the same year.

Thank you so much for reading! What are your thoughts? 

Peace & Love xoxo