Glen Powell’s latest vehicle The Running Man is a turbo-charged thrill ride that finally gives Stephen King’s dystopian nightmare the adaptation it deserves — with abs, attitude, and adrenaline to spare.

Powell trades his Top Gun swagger for gritty desperation as Ben Richards, a man tossed into a televised death match where survival means cash and glory. Directed by Edgar Wright, the film is equal parts satire and spectacle, blending King’s bleak vision with Wright’s signature kinetic flair. Think Black Mirror meets Mad Max, but with Powell cracking wise and dodging assassins like it’s just another Tuesday.

The action? Relentless. The humor? Sharp. The abs? Allegedly “two and a half,” according to Powell himself— but don’t worry, he still runs like a man possessed. According to Yahoo!, even Tom Cruise gave it a thumbs-up, saying he was “on the edge of [his] seat” and ate “way too much popcorn.”

Best of all, Stephen King himself finally approves. After famously hating the 1987 Schwarzenegger version, King called this one the “first time [his] vision has been properly adapted”. That’s high praise from the master of horror.

In short: The Running Man is a wild, witty, and wonderfully faithful update that proves Glen Powell can outrun assassins, expectations, and even the shadow of Arnold. Catch it (and him) — if you can.

Rating: R for Some Gore, Language, and Strong Violence

Runtime: 2h 13m