One Battle After Another Hits The Jackpot In Las Vegas

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Las Vegas Film Critics Society has announced its picks for the best of 2025. The winners are in bold.

BEST PICTURE
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia

BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emily Blunt – The Smashing Machine
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST DIRECTOR
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Clint Bentley – Train Dreams

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Weapons

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Bugonia
Frankenstein
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST FILM EDITING
F1: The Movie
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST SCORE
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Tron: Ares

BEST SONG
Clothed by the Sun – The Testament of Ann Lee
Drive – F1: The Movie
Golden – KPop Demon Hunters
I Lied to You – Sinners
Train Dreams – Train Dreams

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cover Up
John Candy: I Like Me
The Perfect Neighbor

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Arco
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle
In Your Dreams
KPop Demon Hunters
Zootopia 2

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
It Was Just an Accident
Left-Handed Girl
No Other Choice
Sentimental Value
The Secret Agent

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

BEST ART DIRECTION
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1: The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Superman
The Fantastic Four: First Steps

BEST ACTION FILM
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Predator: Badlands
Superman
The Running Man

BEST COMEDY
Eternity
Friendship
The Ballad of Wallis Island
The Naked Gun
One of Them Days

BEST HORROR / SCI-FI
28 Years Later
Bring Her Back
Frankenstein
Sinners
The Long Walk

BEST FAMILY FILM
How to Train Your Dragon
KPop Demon Hunters
Lilo & Stitch
The Legend of Ochi
Zootopia 2

BEST ANIMAL PERFORMANCE
Bing, the Great Dane – The Friend
Hercules, the Dog – Marty Supreme
Indy – Good Boy
Olga, the Cat – Sorry, Baby
Richard and Baba – The Penguin Lessons

BEST ENSEMBLE
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

BREAKOUT FILMMAKER
Clint Bentley – Train Dreams
Drew Hancock – Companion
Emilie Blichfeldt – The Ugly Stepsister
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
James Sweeney – Twinless

BEST STUNTS
F1: The Movie
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Predator: Badlands
The Running Man

YOUTH MALE PERFORMANCE (UNDER 21)
Christian Convery – Frankenstein / The Monkey
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet
John Wren Phillips – Bring Her Back
Mason Thames – How to Train Your Dragon
Miles Caton – Sinners

FEMALE YOUTH PERFORMANCE (UNDER 21)
Helena Zengel – The Legend of Ochi
Maia Kealoha – Lilo & Stitch
Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl
Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family
Sora Wong – Bring Her Back

WILLIAM HOLDEN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Kathryn Bigelow
Barbara Broccoli
Kathleen Kennedy
Delroy Lindo
Sigourney Weaver

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Kansas City Film Critics Circle have announced their nominations for the best of 2025! And here they are:

BEST FILM
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Weapons

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ari Aster – Eddington
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Rian Johnson – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon

BEST ACTRESS
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Jennifer Lawrence – Die My Love
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Josh O’Connor – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Glenn Close – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Weapons

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Frankenstein
Hamnet
The Life of Chuck
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
F1 The Movie
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Tron: Ares

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco
The Bad Guys 2
KPop Demon Hunters
Predator: Killer of Killers
Zootopia 2

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Arco
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value

BEST DOCUMENTARY
My Mom Jayne
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor
Secret Mall Apartment
We Best the Dream Team

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY/HORROR
28 Years Later
Frankenstein
Sinners
Superman
Weapons

TOM POE AWARD FOR BEST LGBTQ FILM
Hedda
The History of Sound
Twinless
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
The Wedding Banquet

BUSTER KEATON AWARD FOR THE BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE FILM
F1 The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Nobody 2
The Running Man
Warfare

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the Las Vegas Film Critics Society

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the 2025 nominations of the Las Vegas Film Critics Society.

BEST PICTURE
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia

BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emily Blunt – The Smashing Machine
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST DIRECTOR
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Clint Bentley – Train Dreams

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Weapons

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Bugonia
Frankenstein
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST FILM EDITING
F1: The Movie
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST SCORE
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Tron: Ares

BEST SONG
Clothed by the Sun – The Testament of Ann Lee
Drive – F1: The Movie
Golden – KPop Demon Hunters
I Lied to You – Sinners
Train Dreams – Train Dreams

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cover Up
John Candy: I Like Me
The Perfect Neighbor

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Arco
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle
In Your Dreams
KPop Demon Hunters
Zootopia 2

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
It Was Just an Accident
Left-Handed Girl
No Other Choice
Sentimental Value
The Secret Agent

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

BEST ART DIRECTION
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1: The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Superman
The Fantastic Four: First Steps

BEST ACTION FILM
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Predator: Badlands
Superman
The Running Man

BEST COMEDY
Eternity
Friendship
The Ballad of Wallis Island
The Naked Gun
One of Them Days

BEST HORROR / SCI-FI
28 Years Later
Bring Her Back
Frankenstein
Sinners
The Long Walk

BEST FAMILY FILM
How to Train Your Dragon
KPop Demon Hunters
Lilo & Stitch
The Legend of Ochi
Zootopia 2

BEST ANIMAL PERFORMANCE
Bing, the Great Dane – The Friend
Hercules, the Dog – Marty Supreme
Indy – Good Boy
Olga, the Cat – Sorry, Baby
Richard and Baba – The Penguin Lessons

BEST ENSEMBLE
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

BREAKOUT FILMMAKER
Clint Bentley – Train Dreams
Drew Hancock – Companion
Emilie Blichfeldt – The Ugly Stepsister
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
James Sweeney – Twinless

BEST STUNTS
F1: The Movie
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Predator: Badlands
The Running Man

FEMALE YOUTH PERFORMANCE (UNDER 21)
Helena Zengel – The Legend of Ochi
Maia Kealoha – Lilo & Stitch
Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl
Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family
Sora Wong – Bring Her Back

WILLIAM HOLDEN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Kathryn Bigelow
Barbara Broccoli
Kathleen Kennedy
Delroy Lindo
Sigourney Weaver

One Battle After Another Emerges From The Ashes Of Phoenix

Posted on December 11, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Phoenix Critics Circle has announced their picks for the best of 2025! The winners are listed in bold.

BEST PICTURE
HAMNET
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
SINNERS

BEST COMEDY FILM
THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND
BUGONIA
FRIENDSHIP
THE NAKED GUN
RENTAL FAMILY

BEST SCIENCE FICTION FILM
BUGONIA
COMPANION
FRANKENSTEIN
MICKEY 17
THE RUNNING MAN

BEST HORROR FILM
28 YEARS LATER
BRING HER BACK
SINNERS
THE UGLY STEPSISTER
WEAPONS

BEST ANIMATED FILM
ELIO
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS
ZOOTOPIA 2

BEST DOCUMENTARY
DEAF PRESIDENT NOW!
LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY
ORWELL: 2+2=5
PREDATORS
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
NO OTHER CHOICE
THE SECRET AGENT
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
SIRAT

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, MARTY SUPREME
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
JOEL EDGERTON, TRAIN DREAMS
OSCAR ISAAC, FRANKENSTEIN
MICHAEL B. JORDAN, SINNERS

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
JESSIE BUCKLEY, HAMNET
ROSE BYRNE, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU
CHASE INFINITI, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
JENNIFER LAWRENCE, DIE MY LOVE
RENATE REINSVE, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
BENICIO DEL TORO, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
JACOB ELORDI, FRANKENSTEIN
DELROY LINDO, SINNERS
SEAN PENN, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
STELLAN SKARSGARD, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
ODESSA A’ZION, MARTY SUPREME
INGA IBSDOTTER LILLEAAS, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
AMY MADIGAN, WEAPONS
WUNMI MOSAKU, SINNERS
TEYANA TAYLOR, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

BEST DIRECTOR
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
PARK CHAN-WOOK, NO OTHER CHOICE
RYAN COOGLER, SINNERS
JAFAR PANAHI, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
JOACHIM TRIER, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

BEST SCREENPLAY
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
RYAN COOGLER, SINNERS
JAFAR PANAHI, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
JOACHIM TRIER & ESKIL VOGT, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
EVA VICTOR, SORRY, BABY

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
MICHAEL BAUMAN, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
AUTUMN DURALD ARKAPAW, SINNERS
ADOLPHO VELOSO, TRAIN DREAMS
KIM WOO-HYUNG, NO OTHER CHOICE

BEST SCORE
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT, FRANKENSTEIN
JONNY GREENWOOD, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
LUDWIG GORANSSON, SINNERS
KANGDING RAY, SIRAT

BEST STUNT COORDINATION
FRANKENSTEIN
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SINNERS
WEAPONS

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of The Phoenix Critics Circle

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the 2025 nominations of the Phoenix Critics Circle!

BEST PICTURE
HAMNET
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
SINNERS

BEST COMEDY FILM
THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND
BUGONIA
FRIENDSHIP
THE NAKED GUN
RENTAL FAMILY

BEST SCIENCE FICTION FILM
BUGONIA
COMPANION
FRANKENSTEIN
MICKEY 17
THE RUNNING MAN

BEST HORROR FILM
28 YEARS LATER
BRING HER BACK
SINNERS
THE UGLY STEPSISTER
WEAPONS

BEST ANIMATED FILM
ELIO
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS
ZOOTOPIA 2

BEST DOCUMENTARY
DEAF PRESIDENT NOW!
LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY
ORWELL: 2+2=5
PREDATORS
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
NO OTHER CHOICE
THE SECRET AGENT
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
SIRAT

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, MARTY SUPREME
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
JOEL EDGERTON, TRAIN DREAMS
OSCAR ISAAC, FRANKENSTEIN
MICHAEL B. JORDAN, SINNERS

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
JESSIE BUCKLEY, HAMNET
ROSE BYRNE, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU
CHASE INFINITI, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
JENNIFER LAWRENCE, DIE MY LOVE
RENATE REINSVE, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
BENICIO DEL TORO, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
JACOB ELORDI, FRANKENSTEIN
DELROY LINDO, SINNERS
SEAN PENN, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
STELLAN SKARSGARD, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
ODESSA A’ZION, MARTY SUPREME
INGA IBSDOTTER LILLEAAS, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
AMY MADIGAN, WEAPONS
WUNMI MOSAKU, SINNERS
TEYANA TAYLOR, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

BEST DIRECTOR
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
PARK CHAN-WOOK, NO OTHER CHOICE
RYAN COOGLER, SINNERS
JAFAR PANAHI, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
JOACHIM TRIER, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

BEST SCREENPLAY
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
RYAN COOGLER, SINNERS
JAFAR PANAHI, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
JOACHIM TRIER & ESKIL VOGT, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
EVA VICTOR, SORRY, BABY

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
MICHAEL BAUMAN, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
AUTUMN DURALD ARKAPAW, SINNERS
ADOLPHO VELOSO, TRAIN DREAMS
KIM WOO-HYUNG, NO OTHER CHOICE

BEST SCORE
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT, FRANKENSTEIN
JONNY GREENWOOD, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
LUDWIG GORANSSON, SINNERS
KANGDING RAY, SIRAT

BEST STUNT COORDINATION
FRANKENSTEIN
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SINNERS
WEAPONS

Review: The Running Man (dir. by Edgar Wright)

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Arleigh

“Bloodlust is our birthright!” — Bobby Thompson

Edgar Wright’s 2025 take on The Running Man is an adrenaline shot to the chest and a sly riff on our era’s obsession with dystopian game shows, all filtered through his own eye for spectacle and pacing. Unlike many of his earlier works, such as Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which bristle with meta-commentary, the film is a sleeker and more bruising affair. At its core, this is a survival thriller decked out in neon, driven by a director who wants to both honor and outpace what’s come before.

Wright’s version ditches the muscle-bound caricature of the 1987 Schwarzenegger adaptation, recentering on a more grounded protagonist. Glen Powell’s Ben Richards isn’t a quip-dispensing tank; he’s a desperate father, pressed to extremes, haunted more by anxiety than rage. We meet him in a world where reality TV devours everything, and nothing is too cruel if it wins the ratings war. Richards is cast as the sacrificial everyman, volunteering for the deadly Running Man show only because his family’s survival is at stake, not his ego. This lends the film a more human—and frankly, more believable—edge than either of its predecessors.

Visually, The Running Man is vintage Wright: kinetic and muscular, with chase scenes propelled by propulsive synths and punchy editing, each set piece designed as much to thrill as to disorient. Gone, however, is much of the director’s comedic ribbing; what remains is a tense visual feast, saturated in electric colors and relentless motion. The camera rarely settles. The television show itself is depicted as both garish and sinister, a spectacle that feels plausible because it’s only five minutes into our own future.

The film takes sharp aim at the machinery of television and the spectacle it creates, exposing how entertainment can thrive on cruelty and manipulation. It highlights a world where reality is heavily curated and shaped to serve ratings and control, with the audience complicit in consuming and encouraging the degradation of genuine human experience. The media in the film mirrors warnings that have circulated in recent years—that it has become a tool designed to appease the masses, even going so far as to use deepfakes to manipulate narratives in favor of particular agendas. While this focus on broadcast media delivers potent social commentary, Wright does drop the ball a bit by concentrating too much on traditional TV media at a time when entertainment consumption is largely online and more fragmented. This narrower scope misses an opportunity to deeply engage with the digital age’s sprawling and insidious impact on public attention and truth.

Glen Powell’s performance is pivotal to the film’s success. He anchors the story, selling both the exhaustion and the resolve required for the role. This Ben Richards is no superhero—his fear feels palpable, and his reactions are messy, urgent, and often impulsive. Opposite him, Josh Brolin steps in as Dan Killian, the show’s orchestrator. Brolin’s performance, smooth and menacing, turns every negotiation and threat into a master class in corporate evil. The stalkers, the show’s gladiatorial killers, are less cartoon than their 1987 counterparts, but all the more chilling for their believability—branding themselves like influencers, they embody a world where violence and popularity are inseparable.

On the surface, Wright’s Running Man leans heavily into social satire. It lobs grenades at infotainment, the exploitation inherent in reality TV, and the way audiences are silently implicated in all the carnage they consume. Reality is a construct, truth is whatever the network decides to show, and every moment of suffering is a data point in an endless quest for engagement. The critique is loud, though not always nuanced. Where Wright has previously reveled in self-aware storytelling, here he pulls back, focusing on the mechanics and cost of spectacle more than its digital afterlife.

Action is where the film hits hardest. Wright brings his expected flair for movement and tension, with chase sequences escalating to wild, blood-smeared crescendos, and hand-to-hand fights that feel tactile rather than stylized. The film borrows more heavily from the structure of King’s novel, raising stakes with each new adversary and refusing to let viewers catch their breath. Despite the non-stop pace, the movie runs a little too long—some sequences feel indulgent, and the final act’s rhythm stutters as it builds toward its conclusion. Still, even in its bloat, there’s always something energetic or visually inventive happening onscreen.

The movie’s climax and resolution avoid over-explaining or revealing too much, instead choosing to leave room for interpretation and suspense about the outcomes for the characters and the world they inhabit. This restraint preserves the tension and leaves viewers with something to chew on beyond the final credits.

For fans of Edgar Wright, there’s a sense of something both familiar and altered here. The visual wit, the muscular editing, the stylish sound cues—they’re all present. Yet the film feels less like a playground for Wright’s usual whimsy and more like a taut, collaborative blockbuster. It’s playfully brutal and thoroughly engaging, but does not, in the end, subvert the genre quite as gleefully as some might hope. For every moment of subtext or clever visual flourish, there is another in which the movie simply barrels forward, content to dazzle and provoke in equal measure.

The Running Man (2025) is a film with a target audience—those who want action, smart but accessible social commentary, and just enough character work to feel the stakes. It will delight viewers drawn to a flashier, meaner take on dystopian spectacle, and Powell’s central performance is likely to win over skeptics and fans alike. If you’re hoping for a thesis on algorithmic age or a meditation on surveillance capitalism, you may need to look elsewhere. But if you want a turbo-charged chase movie that occasionally stops to wag a finger at the world that spawned it, you’re likely to have a great time.

Ultimately, Edgar Wright’s Running Man is a sharp, glossy refit of a classic dystopian story, packed with high-octane action and grounded by its central performance. It won’t please everyone and doesn’t attempt to, but it never forgets that, above all, good television keeps us running. In the era of spectacle, that might be all you need.

10 Films For The Week (7/6/25)

Posted on July 6, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

America, Hell Yeah!

As I always do, I celebrated Independence Day by watching one of the greatest films ever made, the original Red Dawn (1984). The communists land in America and try to take over and, sadly, they succeed to a large extent. However, a group of high school students led by Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen refuse to go down without a fight. Say it with me, “Wolverines!” This film really doesn’t get the respect that it deserves. Not only is it well-acted but, despite it’s reputation, it doesn’t glamorize war. Most of the Wolverines do not survive. C. Thomas Howell, the most committed of the Wolverines, loses a bit of his soul and goes from being a fresh-faced high school student to someone who can execute a former friend without a moment’s hesitation. While evil Russian William Smith plots to destroy the rebels, Ron O’Neal comes to respect their dedication. Still, in the end, the best thing about this film is that it’s shamelessly patriotic and unapologetically anti-communist. “Avenge me!” Harry Dean Stanton yells and you better do it. The film can be found on Max.

Warren Oates, Hell Yeah!

Yesterday was the birthday of the great character actor Warren Oates. Brad reviewed two of his films and Jeff shared a scene from Strips. I would like to recommend the enigmatic 1966 western The Shooting (1966). Deliberately paced and philosophically-minded, this film features Oates in a leading role. Millie Perkins and Jack Nicholson (who wrote the screenplay) make for a wonderfully menacing duo of villains. The Shooting can be found on Tubi.

Sylvester Stallone, Hell Yeah!

Today is Sylvester Stallone’s birthday. As far as I’m concerned, Stallone’s best performance was in First Blood (1982). The sequels, which were a bit more simplistic and jingoistic than the first film, have tended to overshadow just how good Stallone was as a troubled veteran who just wanted to get a cup of coffee and who found himself being thrown in jail for refusing to “go across the border.” Of course, it’s not just Stallone who is great in First Blood. Brian Dennehy and Richard Crenna were, arguably, never better than when they played Sheriff Teasle and Col. Troutman. First Blood was one of the first films to really be sympathetic to the plight of the Vietnam veteran. Rambo may snap and destroy an entire town but, after what he’s put through, you won’t blame him. First Blood is on Tubi!

Of course, if you really want a fun and wonderfully absurd Stallone film, check out the arm wrestling epic, Over The Top (1987). Stallone is Hawk, a truck driver who makes his living as an arm wrestler. Robert Loggia tries to Stallone’s son away so Stallone has to prove himself to be the world’s greatest arm wrestler. I distrust anyone who doesn’t love Over The Top. It can be viewed on Tubi.

Tom Cruise, Hell Yeah!

If you’re still in the mood to celebrate Tom Cruise’s birthday, Losin’ It (1982) features Cruise as a teenager in the 60s who goes down to Mexico with his friends so that he can …. well, lose it. While the comedy is often predictable, Losin’ It is still an amiable enough film and Cruise gives a likable performance and his character has a really sweet romance with Shelley Long. The great John Stockwell is also in the film. Director Curtis Hanson went on to do L.A. Confidental. Losin’ It is on Tubi!

It’s become fashionable to criticize Risky Business (1983), released a year after Losin’ It, for being a materialistic film but …. eh, screw that. Between the soundtrack, the surreal direction, Guido the Killer Pimp, and Tom Cruise bringing out the sunglasses at night, Risky Business is one of the best films of the 80s and it can be viewed on AMC+’s Prime Channel.

In Cocktail (1988), Tom Cruise is the last barman poet! A guilty pleasure for sure but a pleasure, nonetheless. Cocktail can be viewed on AMC+.

The Running Man, Hell Yeah!

There’s a remake of The Running Man coming out this year. I’ll live it to you to decide whether or not that’s a necessary thing. I will say that the original Running Man (1987) holds up very well, as both an action film and a media satire. You can smell the cigarettes and gin whenever Richard Dawson is on screen. The Running Man can be viewed on Tubi.

Beach Fun, Hell Yeah!

Saturday was National Bikini Day. If you missed your chance to celebrate, you can make up for it be watching Malibu High (1979), a film from the legendary production company, Crown International. It’s all fun and games the beach until a young woman is dumped by her boyfriend and decides to become a professional assassin. Malibu High can be viewed on Tubi.

The End of the World, Hell Yeah!

If you’re in the mood for some end of the world action, the low-budget, independently made A Thief In The Night (1972) is currently on Tubi, along with its sequels, A Distant Thunder, Image of the Beast, and The Prodigal Planet. A Thief In The Night is not necessarily a great film but it does have a few moments of dream-like intensity. And it’s short! It can be viewed on Tubi.

Click here for last week’s entry!

Glen Powell is everyone’s target in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man trailer!

Posted on July 1, 2025 by Leonard Wilson

I’m happy to see Edgar Wright back making movies. It’s been a while since 2021’s Last Night in Soho, and this time around, he’s remaking 1987’s The Running Man. Based off the story by Stephen King, Ben Richards (Glen Powell, Twisters, Hit Man) is a man who needs some help, living in the slums with his wife (Jayme Lawson, Sinners, The Batman) and child. To earn a high stakes reward, he joins The Running Man, a tv show that puts him in the spotlight for 30 days while everyone hunts him down. Should he survive, his family will be set. The movie looks like it has a good cast, with Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) and Josh Brolin (Dune) also in the mix. Admittedly, I’m curious of what the soundtrack to this will be like, given Wright’s flair for pairing scenes with music.

The Running Man will be in theatres this November.

Guilty Pleasure No. 60: The Running Man (dir by Paul Michael Glaser)

Posted on January 7, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

“Killian, here’s your Subzero… now plain zero!”

Uhm, excuse me, Mr. Schwarzenegger, but a man just died. He probably had a family who just watched you kill him on national television….

Oh well, it happens! In the role of Ben Richards, Arnold Schwarzenegger kills quite a few people over the course of the 1987 film, The Running Man, but they were all bad. In fact, when we first meet Ben Richards, he’s a cop who is trying to save lives. His superiors want him to open fire on a bunch of protestors who simply want enough food to eat. When Richards refuses to do it, he is framed for perpetrating “the Bakersfield Massacre” and is sent to prison. When he is recaptured after escaping, he is given a chance to compete on America’s number one game show, The Running Man! Hosted and produced by Damon Killian (Richard Dawson, oozing smarm in a performance that — in a fair world — would have received Oscar consideration), The Running Man is a show in which prisoners are given a chance to win prizes like a trial by jury or maybe even a pardon. While the audience cheers and puts down bets, the prisoners are stalked by professional killers like Buzzsaw (Gus Rethwisch), Dynamo (Erland Van Lidth), Fireball (Jim Brown), and Sub-Zero (Professor Toru Tanaka). Along with Killian, Captain Freedom (Jesse Ventura) provides commentary and analysis on how the game is going. Ben soon finds himself joined by Amber (Maria Conchita Alonso), who proves herself to be just as tough as he is.

Seen today, The Running Man feels more than a bit prophetic. Due to worldwide economic collapse, the poor are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer. The American government has become both increasingly corporate and increasingly authoritarian. The citizens are entertained and manipulated by “reality” programming. On camera, Killian is a charismatic host who delivers his lines with faux sincerity and who loves to meet and give away prizes to the public. (There’s something both undeniably creepy and also rather familiar about the way that Killian sniffs the hair, rubs the shoulders and holds the arms of the audience members to whom he’s speaking. It’s all very calculated and one gets the feeling that Killian washes his hands as soon as the camera are off of him.) Behind the scenes, he drinks, smokes, curses, and is full of contempt for everyone around him. He may not be happy when Ben outsmarts and kills the show’s stalkers but he definitely cheers up when he hears how good the ratings are. The film is set in 2017, which was 30 years in the future when The Running Man was first released. Seen today, The Running Man’s 2017 feels a lot like our 2017….

That said, The Running Man is also a big, flamboyant, and undeniably entertaining film. It’s also surprisingly funny, at times. Living in a dystopia ahs turned everyone into a quip machine. None of the bad guys die without Schwarzenegger making a joke about it. (“Buzzsaw? He had to split.” Yes, he did.) The show’s vapid studio audience, who go from cheering the prospect of witnessing a bloody death to crying when their favorite stalker is killed, is both disturbing and humorous. (Also memorable is the faux somber dance number that is performed while the show memorializes all the dead stalkers.) For all the costumed heroes and villains, the film is practically stolen by an older woman named Agnes who becomes Ben Richards’s favorite fan. The gaming “quads” may be dark and dangerous and full of angry people but they’re also full of advertisements for Cadre Cola. Dey Young of Rock and Roll High School and Strange Behavior fame has a cameo as Amy, who pays six dollars for a can of Cadre. (That may seem like a lot for a can of anything but Cadre is the official cola of The Running Man! Damon Killian endorses it! And, of course, when The Running Man was produced, the studio was owned by Coca-Cola so the jokes about Cadre’s corporate dominance also serve as a “take that” towards the corporation who put up money for the film. Either that or Cadre is stand-in for Pepsi.)

It’s easy to compare The Running Man to The Hunger Games films but The Running Man is infinitely more fun, if just because it doesn’t make the mistake of taking itself as seriously as The Hunger Games did. (Add to that, The Running Man manages to wrap up its story in 90 minutes, whereas The Hunger Games needed four movies.) Like The Hunger Game, The Running Man is based on a book, in this case a very loose adaptation of one of the pulpy novels that Stephen King wrote under the name of Richard Bachman. While King said that he enjoyed the film, he also asked that his real name not be listed in the credits because the film had little in common with his book, which is fair enough. The Running Man may have been inspired by a Stephen King novel but it’s an Arnold Schwarzenegger production through-and-through.

Previous Guilty Pleasures

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix for The Running Man!

Posted on January 6, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter. I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie! Every week, we get together. We watch a movie. We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, I will be hosting the first #FridayNightFlix of 2022! The movie? 1987’s The Running Man!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag! It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

The Running Man is available on Prime and Paramount! See you there!