The Running Man

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1:25

The Running Man

R

1987

1h 41m

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

59%

Tomatometer

128 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In the year 2019, America is a totalitarian state where the favorite television program is "The Running Man" -- a game show in which prisoners must run to freedom to avoid a brutal death. Having been made a scapegoat by the government, an imprisoned Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has the opportunity to make it back to the outside again by being a contestant on the deadly show, although the twisted host, Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), has no intention of letting him escape.

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Critics Consensus

Combining slick production values and a strong cast with predictable thrills and a surprisingly muted Schwarzenegger, The Running Man is an uneven albeit occasionally rousing sci-fi action satire.

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David Edelstein

Village Voice

Nov 7

As an actor, Schwarzenegger makes Stallone look profound. He's pretty hilarious cast as someone called "the running man"; he's so muscle-bound he can hardly walk.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Nov 7

This movie may barely escape the exploitation category, but not the garbage classification.

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Joe Kane

New York Daily News

Nov 6

The Running Man is an often sophomoric but generally fun dystopian slaughterfest.

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Bill Brownstein

Montreal Gazette

4d

As a cutting satire of American TV, this ultra-violent affairs works -- for about two minutes.

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Jack E. Wilkinson

United Press International

5d

The "come-on-down" sendup of TV game shows is both brutal and funny.

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Apr 10

At 39 years old, the notions of the film remain strangely timely, even if the specifics within the script didn’t age as well.

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Chris S

@Janomi 4d

This is exactly the kind of action movie that made Arnold Schwarzenegger the biggest star in the world during the 1980s. The premise is ridiculous, the villains are over-the-top, and the action is nonstop, but Arnold's larger-than-life screen presence makes it all work. The story isn't especially deep, but it moves quickly and delivers plenty of memorable action sequences and one-liners along the way. What could have been a forgettable sci-fi action film becomes an entertaining ride because Schwarzenegger carries it from beginning to end. It's cheesy, loud, and unmistakably a product of its era, but that's part of its charm. The Running Man remains one of the more enjoyable action films from Arnold's peak years.

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Justin M.

@RT41656336 Jun 4

Haven’t seen this since I was in elementary school and it still rocks. Social commentary is deep - and still tracks.

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Todor Y

@Phantom961 Apr 15

I like the 80s style, it reminds me of another movie Total Recall. Lots of laughter.

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Scott M

@RT75128960 Mar 31

One of those "so bad its good" movies. Hilariously awful. The acting. The dialog. Just so funny.

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anthony G.

@RT10940598 Mar 30

You mean to tell me that a dystopian future awaits us where there is a totalitarian state,fake news,deepfake videos and a bloodthirsty audience that likes to watch videos of people getting killed? Nahh,that’ll never happen.  Side note,there’s a character that is an Asian ninja who goes by the name of sub zero?? That will never work

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Robert M

@DK-Orion Mar 15

I love Arnold. Great action Flick and highly entertaining.

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Paul Michael Glaser

Director

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Ben Richards

Maria Conchita Alonso

Amber Mendez

Richard Dawson

Damon Killian

Yaphet Kotto

William Laughlin

Jim Brown

Fireball

The Running Man: The Running Man (1987) - Best Scenes

9:40

The Running Man: Official Clip - Dynamo Crashes

2:59

The Running Man: Official Clip - Let's Start Running!

2:56

The Running Man: Official Clip - TV Studio Shootout

2:11

The Running Man: Official Clip - Subzero Gets Iced

2:55

The Running Man: Official Clip - Captain Freedom's Kills

2:39

The Running Man: Official Clip - Fireball Chase

2:07

The Running Man: Official Clip - Fireball Explodes

2:24

The Running Man: Official Clip - Buzzsaw Attacks

2:18

The Running Man: Official Clip - Americans Love Television!

2:03

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The Running Man: Trailer 1

1:25

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Synopsis

In the year 2019, America is a totalitarian state where the favorite television program is "The Running Man" -- a game show in which prisoners must run to freedom to avoid a brutal death. Having been made a scapegoat by the government, an imprisoned Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has the opportunity to make it back to the outside again by being a contestant on the deadly show, although the twisted host, Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), has no intention of letting him escape.

Director: Paul Michael Glaser
Producer: George Linder, Tim Zinnemann
Screenwriter: Steven E. de Souza
Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Production Co: TAFT Entertainment, Home Box Office (HBO)
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 13, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $38.0M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)