The Running Man
1987 · Directed by Paul Michael Glaser
Original language: English
- action
- thriller
- science fiction
The story
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.
What it’s like
Hard, saturated 1980s studio lighting gives way to grimy, sodium-orange and grey-blue urban decay, with the dystopia rendered in cramped concrete corridors, smoggy LA streets and a glossy, garish television-studio world of hot pinks, electric blues and fluorescent spectacle. The camera favours wide, busy compositions and chunky handheld movement during the chase sequences, while the synth-driven score pulses hard beneath the action, all bombast and neon energy. Its vibe is loud, cynical and fast, a pulpy satire of media spectacle and state control that suits a Friday night with friends or a nostalgic action rewatch. The pacing is relentless and the register is gleefully over-the-top, with a lone wrongly accused man fighting his way through hunts and set pieces. Violence is frequent and cartoonishly brutal, with stylised gunfights, explosions, fistfights and some bloody deaths, plus crude one-liners and mild profanity. It is best for fans of 1980s action spectacle and cheeky, anti-authoritarian sci-fi who want their dystopia with a wink.
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