Edgar Wright’s The Running Man Surges on Paramount+ Despite Mixed Reactions

Glen Powell’s latest turn in Edgar Wright’s take on Stephen King’s dystopian thriller has quickly become a talking point among streaming audiences. After a brief stint in cinemas last November, the film made its way to Paramount+ on 13 January 2026, where it’s been drawing considerable attention. Wright, known for his sharp direction in Baby Driver and Hot Fuzz, brings a fresh cast to the screen, with Powell joined by William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Sean Hayes, Jayme Lawson, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin. This marks the second time King’s 1982 novel has been adapted, with Wright’s version sticking closer to the original text than the 1980s action spectacle led by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The story unfolds in a not-so-distant future, where a brutal television contest dominates the airwaves. Contestants, or ‘Runners’, must evade professional killers for a month, all for the entertainment of a nation glued to their screens. Each day survived means a bigger cash prize, but the risks are deadly. Ben Richards, played by Powell, is a working-class father desperate to save his ill daughter. He’s persuaded by the show’s slick but cold-hearted producer, Dan Killian (Brolin), to take part. Richards’ refusal to play by the rules, coupled with his resourcefulness, soon makes him a crowd favourite—and a headache for those running the show. As the stakes climb, so does the public’s obsession, leaving Richards to navigate not only the Hunters but a society hooked on his every move.

Critical Divide and Audience Response

Despite the pedigree of its director and cast, the film’s reception has been anything but unanimous. Critics landed on a middling 63%, with many noting that while the film maintains a certain polish, it doesn’t quite reach the inventive heights expected from Wright. As Julian Roman put it,

the film nails the book’s economic and authoritarian themes but stumbles in stale action sequences and a long, bewildering third act.

The action, it seems, left some reviewers cold, and the final stretch of the film proved divisive.

Viewers at home, however, have been a bit more forgiving. The Popcornmeter, a favourite among streaming fans, clocked audience approval at 78%. Even so, some felt that Wright’s adaptation softened the novel’s sharper edges, diluting its more biting commentary. The film’s box office performance was less than stellar, pulling in $69 million globally against a hefty $110 million budget. Yet, on streaming, it’s found a second wind, with numbers climbing steadily since its digital debut.

Modernising a Classic

Wright’s approach to the material has been to bring the story into the present, both in tone and style. The cast, a mix of established names and rising stars, gives the film a contemporary feel, while the narrative leans into the spectacle and voyeurism of modern reality television. The decision to hew more closely to King’s original plot has been met with both praise and criticism, with some appreciating the faithfulness and others longing for the bombast of the earlier adaptation.

What’s clear is that, for all its flaws, the film has managed to capture the public’s imagination in a way that its cinema run did not. Whether it’s the draw of King’s name, Wright’s reputation, or simply the thrill of a high-stakes chase, The Running Man has become a streaming phenomenon—at least for now.