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

126 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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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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David Crumpler

Florida Times-Union

Jan 27

3/5

The Running Man is a real crowd pleaser.

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Jana Monji

Age of the Geek

Nov 15

2/5

This is more cheesy than Cheetos and brings back the nightmare of French-cut leotards. Richard Dawson does make a great villain, but that's about it.

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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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Richard L

@KaneLives Mar 2

A kitschy, low-budget shlock-fest that - while it certainly does satisfy on the 80s nostalgia front - doesn't even manage to conjure up ONE memorable scene.

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Jens B

@Jens97 Feb 22

Nice idea, poorly executed. The intended funny moments elicit eye rolls, and there are far too few unintentionally comical ones. None of the characters are memorable, and the set design creates visual monotony. Harold Faltermeyer's score and the end-credits song are truly excellent; at least you could rely on those in the '80s.

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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

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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)