Sorely underrated and dismissed at the time of its release, The Running Man can now be seen for what it it: a highly effective thriller. Director Carol Reed was said to be shaken after being dismissed from Mutiny on the Bounty, but it really doesn’t show. He conducts us deftly through a nicely conceived intrigue, with no time wasted. If a viewer can forgive a small handful of plot contrivances, this movie delivers in suspense, interesting characters, acting, and pleasing use of locations.
The cast is superb: Laurence Harvey might look underfed, but his character is richly drawn he seems to have a great time. Lee Remick has never been better: a woman who sees her husband for what he really is when he assumes a new identity. And Alan Bates, an actor who radiated charm, brings a lot of substance to his part. Watch for Fernando Rey and Fortunio Bonanova (the singing teacher from Citizen Kane –“Impossible! Impossible!”) as a bank manager.
The script has a good helping of humor along with the suspense. And William Alwyn’s music score enhances the film as well. It may not be The Third Man, but The Running Man is likely to satisfy most fans of thrillers, the director and the estimable cast. (IMDb)