The Running Man
Movie, 1987, The '70s and '80s, Set in 2017, a game show
The Running Man is #11 of 42 in release order and #7 of 42 in chronological order in the Stephen King Universe.
The story
By 2017, the global economy has collapsed and U.S. society has become a totalitarian police state, censoring all cultural activity. The government pacifies the populace by broadcasting a number of game shows in which convicted criminals fight for their lives, including the gladiator-style The Running Man, hosted by the ruthless Damon Killian, where “runners” attempt to evade “stalkers” and certain death for a chance to be pardoned and set free.
The Running Man recap
The Running Man (1987) is set in a 2017 police state where a convicted man must survive armed killers on a deadly TV game show. Paul Michael Glaser directs Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, a police helicopter pilot framed as the "Butcher of Bakersfield" after he refused to fire on food rioters. After breaking out of a labour camp, he is caught by Amber Mendez (Maria Conchita Alonso) and handed to host Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), who puts him on The Running Man. Richards and two fellow escapees are fired into a ruined zone of Los Angeles to face celebrity "stalkers" such as Subzero, Buzzsaw, Dynamo and Fireball, while Captain Freedom (Jesse Ventura) watches. Amber, who learns the Bakersfield footage was faked, is sent in after him. Richards kills the stalkers one by one, and the network fakes his death on air.
The Running Man ending explained
The Running Man ends with Killian killed by his own show. The resistance seizes the network's uplink and broadcasts the real Bakersfield footage. Richards fights his way into the studio and straps Killian into a rocket sled that fires him into a billboard, where he explodes. The audience cheers, and Richards and Amber kiss. The novel ends very differently, with Richards flying a hijacked plane into the network's skyscraper.
Post-credits scenes
No. The Running Man has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Running Man
The Running Man is streaming on fuboTV, Paramount+, Hoopla, YouTube TV, and YouTube (free) in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes 59%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Stand by Me, before Pet Sematary.
- Chronological order: after Firestarter, before Misery.
What to watch before The Running Man
In release order, the essentials before The Running Man (1987) are Carrie (1976), Salem's Lot (1979), Creepshow (1982), Christine (1983), Children of the Corn (1984), and Firestarter (1984).
Cast
- Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards
- Richard Dawson as Damon Killian
- María Conchita Alonso as Amber Mendez
- Yaphet Kotto as William Laughlin
- Jim Brown as Fireball
- Jesse Ventura as Captain Freedom
- Erland van Lidth as Dynamo
- Marvin J. McIntyre as Harold Weiss
- Gus Rethwisch as Buzzsaw
- Professor Toru Tanaka as Subzero
- Mick Fleetwood as Mic
- Dweezil Zappa as Stevie
Directed by Paul Michael Glaser.