“The Running Man” is the second big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel of the same name. As many know, the first was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 action thriller which was set in the far distant future of 2017. This latest spin on King’s dystopian science-fiction comes from Edgar Wright, although fans of his might have a tough time finding his fingerprints. That’s not to say they aren’t there. But this feels much more like a studio product than a filmmaker’s unique vision.

The biggest strength of “The Running Man” is easy to spot. It’s found in its star, Glen Powell. The sudden everywhere-man oozes charisma and throws in splashes of maniacal charm that make the film easy to watch. He’s also an actor who fully commits to his movies which makes everything better, from the emotional family moments to the wild and crazy action set pieces. Yet while Powell puts in the work, he can’t make up for the frustrating script which oscillates from entertaining to kinda boring.

Pulling more from King’s novel than Arnie’s movie, “The Running Man” 2025 sees Wright leaning heavier into the dystopian setting, stuffing his story with as many sociopolitical issues as he can. The healthcare system, class division, wealth gaps, corporate corruption, labor unions, media misinformation, television violence, authoritarian control, government propaganda, and more. It’s a lot to cover and most of it has to settle for lip service rather than any worthwhile consideration.

Powell plays Ben Richards, a loving but frustrated husband and father. He was recently fired from his job at a steel mill for upsetting his crooked employers by exposing a life-threatening yet costly work hazard. At home, his 2-year-old daughter has been sick with the flu leading Ben’s wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson) to work double shifts and two jobs in hopes of affording medicine. It’s a brutal situation which throws gas on the already burning fury inside of Ben who just wants to take care of his precious family.

Desperate for money, Ben travels to the upper-class district to try out for one of several reality game shows ran by a corporate media organization called The Network. He’s offered a spot on their most popular and most dangerous show, “The Running Man”. It’s a violent and deadly event where contestants known as “runners” are released into the city. They try and stay alive for thirty days as crowd-pleasing “Hunters” track them down to kill in front of a television audience. Any runner who can survive the thirty days will win a billion “new dollars”. Of course, no one has ever won.

To add incentive, runners can earn bonus “new dollars” by killing Hunters. But adding to the peril, citizens sighting the runners can earn cash prizes for reporting their whereabouts. So Ben and two throwaway runners are released into the city, wrapping up what is a really solid setup to the story. The early scenes are aided by several entertaining side characters. More specifically, Josh Brolin’s amusingly shady Dan Killian, the show’s creator and producer, and Colman Domingo as the show’s flamboyant host.

From there “The Running Man” falls into a pretty simple formula as Ben is ushered from one action set piece to another. At each stop he’s aided by some sympathetic soul who helps pave the way for him to become a reluctant revolutionary who will take the fight to the oppressive system. Unfortunately his unexpected allies add more to the sociopolitical landscape than to progressing the story in a meaningful way.

Among Ben’s newfound allies is Bradley Throckmorton (Daniel Ezra), an underground influencer who secretly posts videos exposing the truth of “The Running Man”. Ben also encounters Elton Parrakis (Michael Cera), a quirky guerrilla activist who is secretly building his own solo revolution against The Network. Then there is Amelia (Emilia Jones), a 37-year-old realtor who essentially comes out of nowhere. None are especially important story pieces outside of reciting anti-establishment monologues and adding a little humor.

Wright drags things out a little too long before finally wrapping it up with a cobbled together ending that doesn’t quite deliver the payoff it needs. It’s unfortunate because the action scenes are a lot of fun and Powell brings more than enough to the table to be entertaining. But “The Running Man” gets stuck in between being thematically overstuffed and playfully action-packed, while lacking that extra pizzazz we’ve come to expect from Edgar Wright films.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

In “Relay” a terrific Riz Ahmed plays John, or is it James, or is it Ash? Either way, he is an off-the-radar New York City fixer with a very specific clientele. He specializes in helping whistleblowers who are being threatened, and in some cases terrorized, by big corporations. Ash brokers deals between his clients who desperately want to be left alone and the companies who desperately want his clients silenced.

In exchange for any damning evidence, the companies agree to leave Ash’s clients alone. If they don’t, he will send the media a copy of the evidence that he alone keeps for leverage, ultimately exposing their corruption. More interesting, Ash communicates exclusively through a dedicated telecommunications relay service. Originally designed for the hearing impaired, the service lets Ash type his words to an operator through an analogue keyboard. The operator then verbally relays them to the client or the company on the other line. It allows Ash to operate undetected while hiding in plain sight.

The premise is a good one and director David Mackenzie (“Hell or High Water”) makes the most of it. He and screenwriter Justin Piasecki tell a story that calls back to the paranoid thrillers of the 1970s and early 1980s. From its earliest scenes we see flashes of De Palma’s “Blow Out” and Coppola’s “The Conversation”. But in just as many ways, “Relay” is also distinctly modern. Its story has an undeniable relevance and the characters feel stitched in from our current timeline.

Lily James plays Sarah Grant, a research scientist for a bio-tech company who was let go for sharing alarming concerns about the corporation’s new project. It turns out the food-based venture could have deadly side-effects. But the company is intent on keeping it silent, as the scandal could threaten their pending $3.2 billion merger. Armed with documents implicating her former employer, Sarah was initially prepared to go public. But the company’s intensifying intimidation and harassment has left her scared and wanting her old life back.

With no help from the cops and no law firm willing to take her case, Sarah tries more unofficial channels and reaches out to Ash. After a thorough investigation, he agrees to help (for a hefty $50,000 deposit). Ash immediately lays out the rules – they are never to meet in person, they will only communicate through the relay service, and she is to follow his instructions to the letter, no matter how strange they may seem. Failure to follow the rules could result in Ash walking away, leaving Sarah on her own.

Complicating matters is the company’s bulldog, Steve Dawson (Sam Worthington). He and his crew have Sarah in their sights and don’t appreciate Ash getting in the way. It sets up a whip-smart game of cat-and-mouse as Ash attempts to stay one step ahead of his crooked counterpart while keeping Sarah safe in the process. The simmering tension turns to a boil as Mackenzie works towards a whopper of a twist that we never see coming.

At the same time, the movie’s big twist makes us question several things that came before it. It’s an ambitious turn no doubt and one that yanks the story in an entirely different direction. And it’s admittedly fun. But fully making sense of it is a challenge, especially when it comes at the expense of the characters. Thankfully it doesn’t undermine everything Mackenzie and Piasecki had developed to that point.

The film’s world of corporate secrets, clandestine operatives, and hidden identities is visualized through the compelling lensing of DP Giles Nuttgens. His images, especially those shot at locations in and around a pulsing New York City, add richness and vibrancy to the events. But at its core, “Relay” is about more. Beyond its thriller dressing is an insightful character study about social isolation and the need for communication. And it registers through Ahmed’s finely calibrated lead performance.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

In its opening moments, “River of Blood” transports us to the jungles of Southeast Asia where a team of Australian loggers are savagely murdered by a mysterious tribe. That sets the table for this handsomely shot but frustratingly shallow horror thriller from director Howard J. Ford. It has all the ingredients for a good old-fashioned exploitation romp. But even with a few helpings of gory goodness, you can’t help but sense the movie playing it safe.

Written for the screen by Tom Boyle, “River of Blood” is built upon a simple yet promising premise. Filmed on location in Thailand, the jungle setting is as beautiful as it is threatening, with its dense green foliage, high canopy with rays of sun beaming through the cracks, and the narrow winding river cutting through it. And as the beauty gives way to the danger, Ford delivers some pretty gnarly violence which is perfectly fitting for the story he’s trying to tell.

But the problems almost immediately seep in through the thinly sketched characters and their paper-thin relationships. The movie outlines some history between them and attempts to build tension through the drama unfolding between them. But the jealousy, bitterness, and betrayal is all so superficial and borderline soapy. Meanwhile meatier themes regarding deforestation and native culture remain on the surface. Compound it all by their countless dumb decisions which may get the story to where they want it, but makes them look incredibly inept in the process.

Four good-looking and undeniably privileged friends are vacationing together in Southeast Asia. They are Ajay (Louis James) and his wife Maya (Ella Starbuck) and Ritchie (David Wayman) and his wife Jasmine (Sarah Alexandra Marks). Ajay and Ritchie have been best friends since college, but it’s clear the insecure Ajay is jealous of Ritchie’s financial success. Even clearer is the obvious affair between Ajay and Jasmine.

The four ‘friends’ decide to take a kayak river tour into the jungle led by their guide, Nick (Joseph Millson) who on a whim changes their day trip into an overnight adventure. Aside from Ajay’s eye-rolling machismo and natural douchery, things start off great as the group floats down the scenic river admiring the jungle’s unspoiled beauty. But that all changes after they set up camp for the night.

The poorly concealed inter-couple drama eventually comes to a head, driving one member of the group to stupidly take off on their own. The others start searching for their missing member but end up crossing into land inhabited by a territorial tribe of violent cannibals. Suddenly the pampered vacationers find themselves being stalked by the tribe’s chief (Nelson Mahodi) who is hunting for his people’s next meal.

From there the story leans heavily into its predator/prey dynamic. To the film’s credit, it leads to several harrowing sequences although getting to them requires enduring some numbingly dopey character moments. The cast gives it their all, and their physical commitment is especially appreciable. They certainly seem up to handling deeper and more challenging material but never get it.

Even with its blemishes, “River of Blood” manages to pull off what some would argue is its most important task – to entertain. At a brisk 87 minutes, the movie never leaves us much time to dwell on its shortcomings. And for die-hard horror fans it’ll be even easier to look past the flaws. That’s because Ford hits his genre beats and doesn’t skimp on the blood. Still, I can’t help but wish the movie had pushed things further. A little more risk could have made a world of difference.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Warrior and swordswoman Red Sonja has a long history in the world of pop culture. The character as most know her was created by Roy Thomas in 1973 and was somewhat inspired by Robert E. Howard’s Red Sonya of Rogatino from 1934. Thomas – the man who brought the classic pulp character Conan the Barbarian to mainstream American comics – often teamed Red Sonja with Conan in his Hyborian Age adventures prior to her receiving her first self-titled dedicated comic series in 1977.

Those who aren’t comic fans may remember Red Sonja from the not-so-great 1985 film starring Brigitte Nielsen. It was a spin-off from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s popular Conan movies but ended up a critical and commercial failure. Nonetheless a reboot was in the works in 2008 and again in 2015, but both attempts crumbled early into their conceptions. By 2021 a script had finally been written, and one year later M. J. Bassett was in line to direct.

Now set for its official release, “Red Sonja” seeks to recapture the once popular sword and sorcery pulp from the 1980s. In many ways it’s very much a throwback action fantasy in line with that decade’s earlier (and notably bloodier) films. At the same time, it has no real connection to the 1985 film and is only vaguely in line with the more recent comics. Instead Bassett takes Red Sonja in a handful of new directions while mostly staying true to the essence of her character.

An inspired Matilda Lutz fully commits to her role as the eponymous central character. Her Red Sonja is a capable warrior who is not without her own vulnerabilities, many of which are traced back to her childhood. A series of flashbacks reveal she was separated from her people as a child after their village was violently ransacked by barbarians. Now, accompanied only by her fiercely loyal horse, Sonja roams the vast Dyrkania forest in search of her lost people, the Arkanians.

After pouring out some well-deserved vengeance on some shameless poachers, Sonja is taken captive by the film’s big baddie, Draygan (Robert Sheehan). He and his entourage are combing the forest for beasts to put in his arena. Sonja is immediately cast into his den of gladiators whose only purpose is to “die exceptionally“. The similarities to Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” are impossible to deny. Sonja is told she can win her freedom if she wins in the arena. And she can only win in the arena if she wins the crowd (sound familiar?). Meanwhile her courage wins over the other gladiators who determine to fight by her side.

As for Draygan, in many ways he’s a blend of several fantasy villain archetypes. But Bassett and screenwriter Tasha Huo add a few layers of backstory that give him a touch of his own identity. Draygan is a self-ordained emperor who seeks the second half of a sacred tome that he believes prove he is the fulfillment of a mythical prophecy. He’s the epitome of a megalomaniac, using his crude mechanical inventions and army of loyalists to crush anyone in his way. He’s also a coward, hiding behind those very same forces he wields.

To no one’s surprise, the story moves towards an inevitable showdown between Sonja and Draygan. As it does, we’re ushered through a violent world full of ancient gods, mythical creatures, and eye-popping natural beauty. At the same time, you can’t miss the moments of campiness and certain scenes where the film’s budget constraints are made pretty obvious. Still Bassett does a lot with what she’s given, unfolding an immersive story accented by beautiful landscapes, brutal violence, and a rousing heroine at its center.

For many (like me), “Red Sonja” is an entertaining callback to a nearly forgotten time in sword and sorcery cinema. It’s a movie that embraces the wonder (and at times absurdity) of the 1980s films with reverence. Yet it’s littered with lines of humor that keep it from taking itself too seriously. And while it has most of Sonja’s key ingredients including her fierce warrior tenacity, her fire-red hair, and even her signature chain mail bikini, it’s aware enough to poke fun at the old-school exploitation from her past. When all considered, “Red Sonja” is the worthwhile feature length adaptation the character has long deserved.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS