Glen Powell’s New Movie Is Getting Panned: Why Viewers Say It Fails Where The Running Man Did

Edgar Wright has a new movie out, Glen Powell is front and center, and the internet is doing that thing where last week it was a victory lap and this week it is panic-checking Rotten Tomatoes. The Running Man just expanded to more screenings and opened at a 62% on RT, which is unusually low for a Wright release and has some critics calling the whole thing... not great.

From premiere high to reality check

At the London premiere on November 5 (Odeon Luxe Leicester Square), the buzz was glowing. Early viewers were calling it big, emotional, and a prime showcase for Powell. Rachel Leishman said it hit the action and the feels and called it an instant classic. Perri Nemiroff praised the high-energy bombast and said the story stuck with her afterward, while also noting this has been a strong year for Stephen King adaptations overall: The Life of Chuck, The Long Walk, It: Welcome to Derry, and now this. Drew Taylor loved the set pieces and the blend of satire, social commentary, and high-stakes thrills, and he singled out Powell’s performance. JoBlo’s JimmytotheO said Powell keeps proving himself and that Wright’s take works even though it isn’t much like the 1987 Arnold movie.

Then the tide turned

As more people caught up with the movie on November 11, the tone shifted. A lot.

'We are going to need to talk about what happened to Edgar Wright.'

That line was Ryan McQuade’s, and it kind of sums up the skeptical camp. The consensus in the tougher reviews: the movie is carried by Glen Powell, not by Wright’s usual fingerprints.

• Kenzie Vanunu (Offscreen Central) called it very bad, said the action is clunky, the jokes do not land, and the movie cannot decide what it wants to be. Also: not nearly enough Colman Domingo or Lee Pace.
• Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) labeled Wright a 'lost storyteller' on this one, calling the film puzzling and bland despite the movie-star effort from Powell.
• Cris Parker said it is a mostly enjoyable action ride but the least distinctive film in Wright’s lineup, playing it safe and straightforward. He praised Powell’s charisma and noted the media-propaganda angle feels uncomfortably relevant. Net take: it is fine.
• Darren Mooney said the movie does not stick the landing. In his read, the first two acts are solid, the third act starts promising, then face-plants right at the finish into a blockbuster-ending meltdown.

Fans who were rooting for Wright and Powell are understandably bummed to see the split, but even the harsher reviews agree on one thing: Powell shows up and then some.

So what is this version, exactly?

This is a more faithful adaptation of Stephen King’s novel than the 1987 Schwarzenegger movie. The setup: contestants have to survive 30 days while being hunted by killers on a televised game show for a shot at a $1 billion prize. Wright’s take brings in a bigger ensemble cast than the old film, with Jayme Lawson, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, and William H. Macy alongside Powell. Also worth noting for the industry nerds: it is reportedly the priciest production of Wright’s career at around $110 million.

Release status

The Running Man has not opened in the U.S. yet. Paramount rolls it into theaters on November 14, 2025. Given the early whiplash, I am very curious to see where the audience score lands once more people get eyes on it.