Ready for a thrilling rollercoaster ride of defiant heroism and calculated survival? Well, buckle up! Stephen King’s 1982 novel, The Running Man, offers a terrifying, yet eerily familiar glance into the future - it’s 2025, and the US is run by a soulless conglomerate. Imagine a regular Joe fighting against an oppressive system with sexy gladiatorial style game shows as the distraction du jour!

Sadly, the modern relevance of King’s futuristic masterpiece is unignorable. The book’s potential for a high adrenaline Hollywood block-buster is evident, but Edgar Wright’s recent hop on the potential express left some back at the station asking, "that’s it?". Despite Wright's nuanced vision, doubts about Glen Powell’s super-stardom potential seem here to stay.

Co-written with Michael Bacall, the brains behind Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Wright's remake aligns more with the original than we’ve seen before. However, the prickly humor that gives Wright's films their zest rubs uncomfortably with the grim reality of extreme inequality and oppressive law enforcement. We've got all the speed and excitement, but not nearly enough soul, pals. The thrill's there – until it isn’t.

Enter our anti-hero, Ben Richards (Powell). He’s brash, short-tempered, and fired from numerous jobs for being a bit too loose-lipped. Now, amidst a deteriorating financial situation, and a looming healthcare crisis, he stumbles into a desperate fight to protect his family. He considers enlisting for one of the Network’s infamous shows to secure the $1 billion prize money that nobody has been audacious enough to snag.

However, even the lesser “dangerous” game shows make folks tremble. The ever-popular Spin the Wheel, for instance, tosses quiz contestants into a killer hamster wheel that spins faster for every wrong answer. Scary enough for you? If not, wait until our satirical host, Gary Greenbacks (an unrecognizable Sean Hayes), screams to ramp up the horror.

Here's where things get interesting. Despite promising his wife , Sheila (Jayme Lawson), he’d steer clear from the deadly Running Man, lousy luck and challenging circumstances find Ben in the company of daredevil Jenni (Katy O’Brian) and brainy, albeit feeble Tim Jansky (Martin Herlihy). No guessing needed to tell who’s the sacrifice and who’s expected to last the full 30-day race across a cityscape-turned-arena. Yet, the cynic, the martyr, and the survivor keep us on tenterhooks.

As the set-up rolls out and the stakes mount, Wright's usual jazzed-up cinematic style takes a backseat to a more repetitive rhythm. Our hero's bout against formidable pursuers, the Hunters, led by the terrifying masked figure McCone (Lee Pace, a wasted talent), gives us several gasp-worthy moments, but after a while, the thrill starts to lose its kick.

In his scramble for survival, Ben encounters Sheila, and Amelia (Emilia Jones), a privileged realtor he kidnaps and who ends up joining his cause. However, it's Powell, exhibiting Tom Cruise-ish bravado, who carries the bulk of the action. Despite Powell’s undeniable charm, his character lacks the spark needed to be etched in our memories as a powerhouse hero.

It's no secret this isn’t Wright’s most exceptional effort, lacking the kinetic energy of Baby Driver or the mesmerizing aura of Last Night in Soho. But, in between moments of grim survival, Wright does manage to sneak in some fun. One particular instance is a brief glimpse at the TV studio dancers, conjuring flashbacks of the Arnie version’s outlandishly dressed showgirls. Even Arnie pops in for a cameo as the face on the $100 bill. So, are you ready to sprint with The Running Man?