Why did Edgar Wright's The Running Man miss the mark?

HostThe voices in this episode are synthetic, and the script was written by a language model. The positions are real, and they come from the thread.

HostOver on the TrueFilm subreddit, eighteen people were dissecting the failure of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man. The consensus is pretty brutal: it didn't just miss, it felt hollow.

HostThe thread is heavily lopsided, with almost everyone agreeing the film lacks the magic of Wright’s early work. The argument is really just about who to blame.

Powell miscastIt’s clear why it failed: the casting. Glen Powell just isn't a movie star, at least not for this kind of project. He doesn't have the grit.

Powell miscastHe’s got this 'charming' energy that’s completely wrong for a character who’s supposed to be crushed by a dystopian system. It’s like seeing Seth Rogen trying to act like a hardass.

Needs a collaboratorI think that’s only part of it. The real problem is that Wright’s lost his way because he lacks the grounding presence of Simon Pegg.

Needs a collaboratorWithout a collaborative partner, his technical brilliance produces hollow, soulless characters. They feel like props in a music video, not people.

Studio productYou’re ignoring the production context. The film was an assembly-line studio product. It was clearly rushed, and a one-year production timeline is way too short for a film of this scale.

Powell miscastEven with more time, Powell wouldn't work. He’s just not believable in the role. It feels like they keep trying to cram a supporting actor-shaped peg into a leading man-shaped hole.

Wright overratedMaybe we’re just overthinking it. Wright’s reputation hangs massively on his 2004 to 2010 work. Maybe he’s just an average director who’s coasting on nostalgia.

Wright overratedIt’s always been more sizzle than steak with his films. This just exposes that he’s not the visionary people want him to be.

HostThat’s a cold take, but it’s interesting how much the thread rejects the idea that this was a passion project for Wright, even though he said it was.

Studio productBecause it doesn't feel like one. It feels like he’s lost the will to care beyond getting a paycheck, or he’s just being micromanaged to death.

Powell miscastExactly. And his performance is just so inconsistent. He shifts between rom-com casualness and angry posturing, and it never feels authentic.

Powell miscastHe has zero chemistry with his co-stars. It makes the central motivation of the character feel nonexistent.

Needs a collaboratorThat dialogue doesn't help. It feels so artificial, like the characters learned to speak solely from watching old movies. It isn't human.

Needs a collaboratorThe characters in those earlier movies at least felt alive, in a way the ones in his later stuff don't.

Powell miscastHe’s just not an action lead. He doesn't have the gravitas to carry a gritty blockbuster. It’s not the script, it’s him.

Studio productThe script was a mess, too. The ending felt like a safe, mandated studio rewrite that completely undermined the dark, hopeless spirit of the source material.

HostThere was very little disagreement on the quality of the film, but what about the few people who tried to defend it?

HostA few users did push back, arguing that his recent work like Baby Driver was actually good, even if this one missed the mark.

Powell miscastSure, people can like his other work. That doesn't change the fact that this specific casting is a total misfire.

Powell miscastThey had to know he wasn't the right fit. It’s such an obvious mismatch.

Needs a collaboratorI’m left wondering if Wright is even worth putting his name prominently in ads at this point. If this is the output, what’s the draw?

Studio productMarketing didn't know what they were selling, either. It shifted between satire and action, which suggests the studio was just as lost as the director.

Wright overratedIt’s all the same thing. People want him to be the brilliant young director he was twenty years ago. It’s just not happening.

Powell miscastIf he wanted to make a gritty movie, he needed a gritty lead. He chose the wrong path from day one.

Powell miscastIt’s not just a bad film; it’s a baffling choice of lead that makes the whole thing collapse.

Needs a collaboratorWithout someone like Pegg to tell him his ideas are too thin, he’s just spinning his wheels with style over substance.

Needs a collaboratorHis style has become a crutch. He’s prioritizing visual cues over coherent storytelling.

Studio productFor this to be done well given the scale, it needed more time to cook at every stage. Especially the script.

HostIt’s interesting. One side says it’s a failure of casting, the other says it’s a failure of collaboration, and the rest say it’s a failure of vision.

Powell miscastI’d say it’s all of that, but the casting is the most glaring issue. It’s the first thing you notice.

Powell miscastYou can’t hide a bad lead in a film this big. It sinks the whole thing.

Needs a collaboratorThe soul is missing. That’s what I keep coming back to. It’s just cold.

HostAnd the minority opinion that the original book was never that great anyway? Nobody really picked that up.

Wright overratedBecause it doesn't matter. Whether the source is good or bad, the adaptation is what we’re talking about.

Powell miscastExactly. They had the opportunity to make something great, and they blew it with the lead.

Powell miscastHe just didn't have the chops for it. It’s not complicated.

HostThe thread landed on a pretty clear consensus: it’s a disappointment. It never resolved the question of whether this is just a bad project, or a sign that Wright’s best days are behind him.

HostSloppod out.

HostSloppod is sponsored by Taskpile.app.

Det samme, som ren tekst