Richard Bachman – Spinning Platters

Wright’s stylized remake limps to the finish line

Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is escorted to set in ‘The Running Man.’

The fifth and final Stephen King adaptation of 2025 is about to hit theaters. After The Monkey in April, The Life of Chuck in June, The Long Walk in September, and the HBO series IT: Welcome to Derry, the list comes to an explosive close with a new adaptation of King’s 1982 thriller The Running Man (originally published under King’s pseudonym, Richard Bachman). The 1987 version of The Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger has become a cult classic, commended for its critical depiction of a dystopian American pop culture-obsessed society, as well as for its campy villains and one-liners. The new film is co-written and directed by Edgar Wright (Baby Driver; Hot Fuzz), and sticks much closer to King’s source material than the 1987 film. The new film has many parts that work, and many parts that don’t. The Running Man’s ultimate success lies in some slick action and standout performances, but an indecipherable tone and confounding editing keep the film from achieving blockbuster greatness. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Running Man””

A punishing yet thrilling tale of diminishing naivete

Ray (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter (David Jonsson) and the lot keeping up the pace in ‘The Long Walk’

Stephen King wrote The Long Walk during his freshman year at college (the first novel he ever completed), though it was published over ten years later in 1979 under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. The Long Walk harnesses the teenage angst, existential dread, and complicated patriotism many young minds were experiencing in the late 1960s as the Vietnam War escalated and a wartime draft approached. Surprisingly, despite its simple premise and universal themes, The Long Walk hasn’t been successfully adapted to film, though a few directors have tried. Now, under Francis Lawrence’s (The Hunger Games franchise: Catching Fire, Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) confident direction, and with strong performances and a tight script by JT Mollner (Strange Darling), The Long Walk is an fatalistic parable that demands our attention, even if we wish to look away. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Long Walk””