Best Movies Like The Running Man (November 2025)

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Stephen King’s The Running Man (1987) has become a beloved cult classic, despite initially receiving mixed reviews. Its enduring popularity recently led to a remake. If you enjoyed the book, the original film, or the new version, here are some movie recommendations for your next viewing.

What are the best movies like The Running Man?

Although The Running Man touches on post-apocalyptic themes, its strong focus on action separates it from purely dystopian films like A Clockwork Orange. We chose movies that blend both action and dystopian elements.

The Long Walk (2025)

Published earlier this year, The Long Walk shares some similarities with The Running Man. Both involve a competition where participants are pursued, but The Long Walk is more subdued, and arguably darker. The story takes place in a dystopian future where fifty boys, each representing a different state, compete in a televised event called the “Long Walk.” This is a grueling walking marathon where the boys must maintain a pace of 3 miles per hour. Falling below that speed results in warnings, and three warnings mean certain death. The survivor wins a cash prize and has one wish granted.

Okay, so this film was directed by Francis Lawrence – you might recognize his name from the Hunger Games movies. The script was by J.T. Mollner, and it’s actually based on a Stephen King novel. Interestingly, King originally published it under the name Richard Bachman – a cool little bit of trivia for us book and movie nerds!

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Battle Royale (2000)

This Japanese film, directed by Kinji Fukasaku and based on Koushun Takami’s novel, is often considered a forerunner to The Hunger Games. While it’s unclear if it directly influenced Suzanne Collins’ series, the two share striking similarities. However, this movie isn’t geared towards teens like The Hunger Games and features much more graphic violence. The story takes place in a controlling, futuristic Japan, where a group of teenagers are forced to fight to the death on a deserted island. They’re given weapons, supplies, and a map, but also wear explosive collars that will detonate if they don’t follow the rules or try to escape. It presents a more brutal and frightening version of the battle royale concept than The Hunger Games.

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Minority Report (2002)

As a huge sci-fi fan, I have to say Minority Report is a must-watch! It’s a classic from the early 2000s, directed by Steven Spielberg, and it imagines a Washington D.C. in 2054 where the police can actually stop crimes before they happen. They do this with the help of these amazing psychics, called “Pre-Cogs,” who basically predict who will commit crimes. The really interesting part is that people are arrested and put into a coma before they even do anything wrong, which raises a ton of questions about free will and justice. The system works pretty well, except for crimes of passion that are hard to foresee. The story gets really exciting when the head of the department, played by Tom Cruise, is suddenly identified as a future criminal himself!

This brief summary doesn’t fully capture the quality of the film, or showcase Steven Spielberg’s skill in using new CGI technology. The movie was a major success with both audiences and critics. Even Roger Ebert, known for his honest and sometimes harsh reviews, called it the best film of the year. He wrote that, in an era where movies often choose between exciting action and thoughtful ideas, Minority Report brilliantly delivers on both fronts – appealing to both our intellect and our feelings, and we couldn’t agree more.

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The Hunt (2020)

Originally planned for release in 2020, The Hunt was a controversial satirical film that explored the political divide between liberals and conservatives. However, it came out during a period of heightened social and political tension, and the studio decided to postpone its theatrical release. They stated their support for the filmmakers and their vision, but acknowledged the timing wasn’t right. The film eventually became available to watch on streaming services.

The movie surprisingly upset people across the political spectrum, with both liberals and conservatives finding fault with it. Despite having a promising idea and initial expectations of success, its release was poorly timed. While it didn’t quite achieve its goals – a similar criticism could be leveled at The Running Man – most viewers probably weren’t seeking flawless perfection anyway.

I recently watched ‘The Hunt,’ and it was wild! It’s directed by Craig Zobel and written by Damon Lindelof, Nick Cuse, and based on a story by Richard Connell. The movie starts with a bunch of strangers waking up in the middle of nowhere, and it quickly becomes clear they’re being hunted – like, for fun – by some seriously rich people. It’s a really intense and unsettling premise.

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Strange Days (1995)

While ‘Strange Days’ fits comfortably with action-thrillers like ‘The Running Man,’ it stands out by delving into the more unsettling aspects of futuristic technology. The film tackles some truly thought-provoking and disturbing ideas, but it didn’t get the attention it deserved when it came out in the late 90s, getting lost in the buzz around movies like ‘The Matrix’.

The story unfolds in Los Angeles just before the year 2000, a time when crime and violence were rampant. People escape this harsh reality by using a virtual reality system called a ‘head-jack,’ which allows them to experience life through the eyes of others – though in a warped and distorted way. This technology can also record these experiences for later viewing. A key element of the story is a live recording of a robbery, shared with others – a concept that feels remarkably similar to modern platforms like Facebook Live and other live-streaming social media.

The film follows Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes), an ex-police officer who now makes a living selling virtual reality recordings. When he finds a recording of a murder, he gets caught up in a major conspiracy that reaches back to his former colleagues on the police force.

Buy it on Amazon

How we picked the best movies like The Running Man

Okay, so I was trying to come up with movies like The Running Man, and I really focused on finding stuff that blended the same kinds of vibes – action, that dark dystopian future thing, and a good thriller pace. I’ll be honest, nothing quite hits that same high-octane energy as The Running Man, but the films I picked all explore similar ideas and are seriously entertaining – some are even better, in my opinion!

While this list focuses on specific films, other great choices with more action or science fiction themes include Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Blade Runner (1982), and The Matrix (1999).

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2025-11-24 22:59