Stephen King wrote The Running Man in 1982 under his pseudonym at the time, Richard Bachman. It’s set in a dystopian United States in the year 2025, where a popular reality show involves contestants trying to survive attacks by a team of hitmen to win money. This survival reality show is the titular The Running Man show. The protagonist of the story participates in the show to get money for his ailing daughter’s medical treatments. He wins a hundred dollars for every hour he survives, and must survive a month while being hunted in order to win a billion dollars.
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The 1987 film of the same name, a movie adaptation of Stephen King’s novel that the author criticized, is only loosely based on the book. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who’s most famous for playing the titular character in The Terminator, an R-rated 1980s movie you can rewatch forever, played the protagonist. Today, in 2025, when the original novel was set, Edgar Wright is directing a remake of The Running Man starring Glen Powell. While this will be the first official remake, King’s novel, as one of the most influential works in sci-fi ever, has, in the meantime, inspired many great dystopian movies.
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10
The Belko Experiment (2016)
Directed By Greg McLean
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The Belko Experiment
R
Thriller
Action
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Horror
5/10
Release Date
March 17, 2017
Runtime
89minutes
Director
Greg Mclean
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Writers
James Gunn
Cast
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-
Tony Goldwyn
-
Rusty Schwimmer
Written by James Gunn, produced by Peter Safran, and directed by Greg McLean, The Belko Experiment follows a group of eighty American workers who get trapped inside their office in Bogota, Colombia, and in an cruel social experiment, they are forced to kill each other. Despite not being directed by James Gunn, his frequent collaborators Sean Gunn and Michael Rooker appear in the film.
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Greg McLean directed one of the worst Kevin Bacon horror movies, which is offensive in its portrayal of autism and Native Americans. So, it’s not surprising that, despite James Gunn conceiving of the considerably interesting premise for the film, The Belko Experiment doesn’t manage to hook a viewer as much as it should be able to. The poor pacing and the confusing editing choices make it difficult to find anything of value in the movie. Set in a fictional workplace, The Belko Experiment follows about eighty employees who have been locked inside the office.
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While waiting for Severance season 2 to finally drop on Apple TV+, watch this strangely similar office horror movie from 2016, The Belko Experiment.
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They’re presented with a challenge – they must kill each other. The consequence of people not killing each other is the detonation of the tracking devices planted at the base of their skull, which effectively kills them anyway. The dystopian game-show vibe of the film makes it interesting for fans of The Running Man. However, due to poor character writing and, for some reason, the availability of guns as weapons, the action isn’t entertaining, and the film isn’t emotionally satisfying, becoming too bleak and self-serious at times.
9
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Directed By Paul Bartel
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Death Race 2000
R
Action
Comedy
Sci-Fi
Sport
Release Date
April 27, 1975
Runtime
84 minutes
Director
Paul Bartel
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Writers
Ib Melchior, Robert Thom, Charles B. Griffith
Cast
See All
-
David Carradine
-
Simone Griffeth
-
Sylvester Stallone
-
Mary Woronov
Death Race 2000 is a dystopian action film directed by Paul Bartel. Set in a totalitarian future, it follows a violent transcontinental car race where drivers earn points for running down pedestrians. The film stars David Carradine as the enigmatic racer Frankenstein and Sylvester Stallone as his ruthless rival, Machine Gun Joe Viterbo. It explores themes of societal decay and the glorification of violence, offering a satirical take on government and media.
Main Genre
Action
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David Carradine is perhaps most famous for playing the titular Bill in the Kill Bill movie duology. Part of his mysterious persona in the movie is attributed to the amount of lore that’s built up about him. One of the legendary deleted scenes in the second movie would show him fighting against Michael Jai White. However, almost three decades ago, after his acting break in two consecutive Scorsese films, Carradine appeared as an iconic character in a goofy action movie that has major similarities with The Running Man.
Director Paul W. S. Anderson made a remake of Death Race 2000 in 2008, titled Death Race, starring Jason Statham, which received mixed reviews but inspired three more direct-to-TV Death Race movies.
Carradine plays a wrestler-type persona in Death Race 2000, known as The Frankenstein, clad in an all-black costume that looks like death incarnate. The film is set in a dystopian future where a game show is based on five racers’ ability to kill as many pedestrians as possible during their race. While the exploration of politics is gloomy and potent, the film is a cheesy action movie with a ton of gore that satirizes the media’s role in sensationalizing violence for people’s entertainment.
8
Ready Player One (2018)
Directed By Steven Spielberg
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Ready Player One
PG-13
Sci-Fi
Thriller
Action
6/10
5.3/10
Release Date
March 29, 2018
Runtime
2h 20m
Director
Steven Spielberg
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Writers
Eric Eason, Zak Penn, Ernest Cline
Cast
See All
-
T.J. Miller
-
Hannah John-Kamen
Adapted from Ernest Cline’s novel of the same name, Ready Player One follows Wade Watts, an orphan who desperately wants to win a seemingly-impossible video game competition that would see him win ownership of the OASIS, a sophisticated virtual reality game that had revolutionized modern life. Helped by his friends and racing against time to find the hidden clues before the OASIS is claimed by an evil conglomerate, Wade’s love of the game is put to the test.
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
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Steven Spielberg has directed some of the most perfect non-animated action movies for kids to watch – his fertile imagination has created a vast land of cinematic joy for moviegoers all over the world. As the forefather of the modern blockbuster, his works have come to influence more films and stories than one can keep count of. Among the more recent exciting ventures is Ready Player One, which is a meditative look at how pop culture works and how a form of nostalgia about old-time blockbusters creates a culture of revisiting that could potentially kill creativity in the modern age.
Set in the year 2040, Ready Player One tells the story of a kid who lives in a desolate world where people’s only source of joy is spending hours online in a virtual reality setup. It’s an imaginative land filled with Easter eggs and pop culture references, but after the death of its creator, its control is up for grabs. In an intense few days of gameplay involving brain-teasers, real-life risks, and ruminations about the mental state of people, players from every corner of the world compete for its control.
7
Ready Or Not (2019)
Directed By Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
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Ready or Not
R
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Horror
Comedy
Thriller
8/10
9.3/10
Release Date
August 21, 2019
Runtime
95 minutes
Director
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
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Writers
R. Christopher Murphy, Guy Busick
Cast
See All
-
Nat Faxon
-
Kate Ziegler
In Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s 2019 black comedy Ready Or Not, newlywed bride Grace Le Domas participates in a violent game of hide-and-seek with her fiancé’s family, who attempt to kill her during her wedding night as part of a long-standing ritual. The film stars Samara Weaving as Grace, Mark O’Brien as Grace’s husband Alex, Adam Brody as Alex’s brother Daniel, Andie MacDowell as their mother Becky, and Henry Czerny, Melanie Scrofano, Kristian Bruun, and Elyse Levesque as other members of the murderous family.
Studio(s)
Mythology Entertainment, Vinson Films, Radio Silence Productions
Distributor(s)
Fox Searchlight Pictures
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One of the most terrifying horror comedy movies ever, Ready or Not in set in a mansion owned by a family of aristocrats who were cursed for their snobbish and classist behavior. Every new member of the family is made to play a game, and if they pick the most ominous card, the Hide-and-Seek, the family must hunt them down and kill them before dawn and perish. On her wedding night, the protagonist, played by Samara Weaving in possibly her best performance till date, picks the Hide-and-Seek card and gets embroiled in a game of life and death.
[Ready or Not] is a supernatural interpretation of capitalist dystopia.
The labyrinthian mansion with its dimly lit rooms and corridors creates the perfect backdrop for the metaphorical chase. The rich family, haunted by the consequences of their actions, are actively hunting down a working woman who is a former foster child – this is a supernatural interpretation of capitalist dystopia. The fact that the family may be lying adds a cynically humorous layer to the delectably dark shenanigans. It was such a hit that the movie Ready or Not 2 is rumored to be in the works.
6
Judge Dredd (1995)
Directed By Danny Cannon
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Judge Dredd
R
Crime
Action
Sci-Fi
4/10
8.8/10
Release Date
June 30, 1995
Runtime
96 minutes
Director
Danny Cannon
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Writers
Steven E. de Souza, William Wisher Jr.
Sequel(s)
Judge Dredd
Cast
See All
-
Armand Assante
-
Joan Chen
Judge Dredd is a 1995 sci-fi action film based on the comic character of the same name. Set in a distant dystopian future, humanity has elected “Judges,” to deal out justice, who act as “judge, jury, and executioner” as they tend to the lawless world of Mega-City One. But when Judge Dredd is framed for murder by his own brother, Dredd will strike back against him to reestablish the rule of Law and bring him to justice.
Studio(s)
Disney
Distributor(s)
Disney
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Judge Dredd is a cheesy sci-fi action thriller that is more interested in creating explosions and adrenaline-fueled fight scenes than exploring the implications of its premise. Based on the comics of the same name, it follows the titular character, played by Sylvester Stallone, as he tries to fight back and undo a conspiracy to wrongfully convict him of a crime he didn’t commit.
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Judge Dredd is set in the 22nd century, where social order has entirely come undone, and the law is enforced by ruthless judges who play judge, jury, and executioner. The titular character’s journey during his adventure to clear his name and expose the truth about a genetic engineering program leads him to realize the inherent darkness of his profession. The skewed idea of justice, the dystopian regime, and the extremely violent law enforcement are clearly influenced by the concepts in The Running Man.
5
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Directed By George Miller
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Mad Max: Fury Road
R
Action
Adventure
Thriller
Fantasy
9/10
57
8.7/10
Release Date
May 14, 2015
Runtime
120 Minutes
Director
George Miller
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Writers
George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
Prequel(s)
Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Cast
See All
-
Tom Hardy
-
Charlize Theron
Mad Max: Fury Road is the fourth film in George Miller’s long-running sci-fi franchise, with Tom Hardy starring as Max Rockstansky, a vagabond who lives on the road in an apocalyptic wasteland. When Max comes across a cult group that keeps its people in fear and under control with a monopoly on water and other crucial supplies, he joins up with Imperator Furiosa, a warrior woman leading a rebellion against the cult’s leader, Immortan Joe.
Studio(s)
Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Kennedy Miller Mitchell
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
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Any film in George Miller’s Mad Max franchise, whose latest entry is one of the best 2024 movie flops which could become cult hits in the future, could be an ideal watch while waiting for the remake of The Running Man. However, the best of them all, Mad Max: Fury Road, is perhaps closest to the Stephen King adaptation in its atmosphere.
|
List of Nominations for Mad Max: Fury Road at the 88th Academy Awards, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Category |
Nominee |
Status |
|
Best Picture |
Doug Mitchell and George Miller |
Nominated |
|
Best Director |
George Miller |
Nominated |
|
Best Cinematography |
John Seale |
Nominated |
|
Best Costume Design |
Jenny Beavan |
Won |
|
Best Film Editing |
Margaret Sixel |
Won |
|
Best Makeup and Hairstyling |
Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega, and Damian Martin |
Won |
|
Best Production Design |
Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson |
Won |
|
Best Sound Editing |
Mark Mangini and David White |
Won |
|
Best Sound Mixing |
Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff, and Ben Osmo |
Won |
|
Best Visual Effects |
Andrew Jackson, Tom Wood, Dan Oliver, and Andy Williams |
Nominated |
Three decades after the previous Mad Max film, George Miller’s franchise finally grew after years of delays due to various reasons, including recasting and production handovers. However, it was worth the wait because it became the second-most nominated movie at the Oscars in 2016, and became a worldwide box office success overnight. Set in a dystopian wasteland where all resources, including water, are scarce, it follows Max Rockatansky, after his escape, during his extended road battle against a local warlord.
4
Mayhem (2017)
Directed By Joe Lynch
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Mayhem
Not Rated
Action
Comedy
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Horror
Release Date
November 10, 2017
Runtime
87 Minutes
Director
Joe Lynch
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Writers
Matias Caruso
Cast
See All
-
Steven Yeun
Derek Cho
-
Samara Weaving
Melanie Cross
-
Steven Brand
John Towers
-
Caroline Chikezie
Kara Powell
Mayhem, directed by Joe Lynch, follows an office complex where a virus outbreak leads employees to act on their worst impulses. This 2017 film centers on a recently fired attorney and his quest for justice amidst ensuing chaos and violence.
Main Genre
Horror
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Similar to The Belko Experiment but with a significantly sharper satire at its core, Mayhem is a hilarious and gory horror comedy movie set in a fictional towering building that serves as the workplace for a fictional consulting firm. It follows two main characters – a morally bankrupt lawyer at the firm (Steven Yeun), and a desperate woman who needs more time on a loan (Samara Weaving) – as they take on the firm’s corporate order after realizing its inhumanity.
Mayhem clinically takes apart the illusory worker’s satisfaction in a corporate setting.
A virus breaks out in the entire building, which removes people’s inhibitions, and this sets up the film’s exploration of corporate greed. A literal massacre occurs in the building as disgruntled employees start killing each other, while the bosses upstairs release an award for whoever can kill the two people coming after him. Mayhem clinically takes apart the illusory worker’s satisfaction in a corporate setting, and the dystopian excess of violence as a means to the ending of an oppressive regime renders comparisons to The Running Man more than obvious.
3
Battle Royale (2000)
Directed By Kinji Fukasaku
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Battle Royale
Not Rated
Adventure
Sci-Fi
Thriller
Drama
Release Date
December 16, 2000
Runtime
114 Minutes
Director
Kinji Fukasaku
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Writers
Koushun Takami, Kenta Fukasaku
Cast
See All
-
Tatsuya Fujiwara
-
Aki Maeda
-
Tarô Yamamoto
-
Takeshi Kitano
The dystopian action movie Battle Royale takes place in a future Japan, where a group of high school students fight to the death in a deserted island until only one survivor remains. Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the 2000 film gave rise to a whole genre of similar stories such as the Hunger Games books and movies, as well as the video game Fortnite.
Main Genre
Action
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One of Netflix’s biggest recent releases is Squid Game, which has become widely popular and recently got a second season, and is to be followed by a final third season later this year. It is very obvious that Squid Game draws inspiration from Battle Royale, a novel that popularized the survival game genre in Japan. It was adapted as a movie in 2000 and later became a manga series.
Director Kinji Fukasaku was supposed to direct the sequel, Battle Royal II: Requiem, co-written by his son Kenta Fukasaku and Norio Kida, but he unfortunately passed away after shooting only a few scenes, after which, his son took over directorial duties as well.
Battle Royale tells the story of a class of middle-schoolers, who are taken to a remote island and given three days to fight to the death until one of them remains. They’re fitted with explosive collars that will kill them if they decide to not play or stray out of the prescribed territory. This is a form of state-sanctioned punishment for juvenile delinquency that aims to prevent crime by younger people after a recession financially destroys many families across Japan. The similarities between Battle Royale and The Running Man are easy to discern.
2
The Hunt (2020)
Directed By Craig Zobel
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The Hunt
R
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Horror
Action
5/10
11
8/10
Release Date
March 13, 2020
Runtime
90 Minutes
Director
Craig Zobel
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Writers
Nick Cuse, Damon Lindelof
Cast
See All
-
Hilary Swank
-
Ike Barinholtz
Set against a politically strained backdrop, The Hunt is a horror-action film that follows a group of captured Americans who are set loose in a booby-trapped ground where wealthy elite citizens hunt them for sport. As the game progresses, the elites notice something is off – and they’re right. One of the unwilling participants knows the game better than they do, and she aims to turn the tables on them.
Studio(s)
Universal Pictures
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures
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In a darkly ironic twist of fate, Craig Zobel’s The Hunt, which is a satire on classism and political conservatism, had its release delayed when President Donald Trump had a fit on social media after finding out about its premise (via The Guardian). The Hunt is set in the present world, where a group of working-class people are kidnapped by a group of social elites for them to hunt.
A satire on the deep political divide between the left and the right wings, its message gets messy in delivery as it ends up stereotyping the kind of people it attempts to understand and emancipate. However, the premise of an actual war between two social classes is genius. The use of this premise to explore people’s lack of tolerance towards anyone with opposing viewpoints seems to be a direct nod to The Running Man. This isn’t surprising whatsoever, because The Hunt is loosely based on the 1924 Richard Connell short story The Most Dangerous Game, which influenced King’s novel too.
1
Total Recall (1990)
Directed By Paul Verhoeven
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Total Recall
R
Sci-Fi
Thriller
Action
8/10
8.6/10
Release Date
June 1, 1990
Runtime
113 minutes
Director
Paul Verhoeven
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Writers
Dan O’Bannon, Gary Goldman, Ronald Shusett
Cast
See All
-
Marshall Bell
-
Ronny Cox
Based on Philip K. Dick’s short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”, Total Recall tells the story of Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a construction worker who receives an implanted memory of an adventure in humanity’s colony on Mars. Quaid finds his memories playing out in real time, hunted by agents of a mysterious organization as he works to topple the tyrannical regime of a Martian dictator (Ronny Cox).
Studio(s)
Carolco Pictures
Distributor(s)
Tri-Star Pictures
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Two years before he made arguably his most famous movie, Basic Instinct, one of the crime movies where the villain wins in the end, Paul Verhoeven directed Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall. He was hot off the success of RoboCop, and unlike that movie, which often sacrifices its satirical potential for cheesy action flick moments, Total Recall feels intentional in its commentary.
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1
A working-class man discovers memories of a fantastical adventure, and through the powers he seemingly unlocks via the fantasy, he metaphorically takes on corporate America. The movie’s exploration of the risk of excessive militarization in a dystopian future, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stunning action sequences, and overdone gory action scenes make Total Recall the ideal choice for fans of The Running Man. They can look forward to a familiar blend of sci-fi, cheesy violence, and sleazy romance, all connected together by what is possibly Schwarzenegger’s best performance.
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Category: Entertainment