The Running Man, Paul Michael Glaser’s 1987 sci-fi action movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, is on YouTube right now for free. It’s adapted from Stephen King’s 1982 novel, which he published under the Richard Bachman name.
That said, full movies on YouTube don’t always stay up, and they aren’t always official uploads, so this could disappear without much warning. The timing is interesting, though. Edgar Wright’s new adaptation, which is said to be much closer to the book, reportedly wrapped in early 2025.
Glaser’s version takes a pretty big turn from King’s bleaker setup. In the novel, the story follows a father trying to get medicine for his sick daughter. The film turns that into a campier 2017 police-state action satire. Schwarzenegger plays Ben Richards, a man framed after refusing to gun down civilians, then shoved onto a government TV show run by Damon Killian, where prisoners fight Stalkers for a chance at freedom.
If you’re into dystopian sci-fi, it’s still an easy one to recommend. The edited footage, the propaganda, the corporate spectacle, the fake televised narratives, all of it feels even more current now. That goes a long way toward explaining why a movie that made $38.1 million on a $27 million budget, after getting mixed reviews early on, has since been reappraised as sharp satire.
You can watch The Running Man on YouTube for now. Depending on your region and whatever the current licensing looks like, you might also find it on Tubi or Paramount+.
Author: Emmanuel Bosque
{
"social": {
"email": "",
"facebook": "",
"twitter": "",
"linkedin": ""
},
"ja-JP": "",
"de-DE": "Emmanuel Bosque schreibt bei Softonic über Videospiele: Neuerscheinungen, Updates, die aus einem Spiel still und leise ein anderes machen, und eine Branche, die ihre Schritte selten vorher ankündigt. Er schreibt für die, die spielen wollen, nicht für die, die diskutieren wollen: was heute spielbar ist, auf welcher Plattform und ob der Download sich lohnt. Er gehört zum Redaktionsteam von Softonic und arbeitet täglich mit KI-Werkzeugen in der Produktion.",
"en-US": "Emmanuel Bosque covers video games at Softonic: releases, the updates that quietly turn a game into a different one, and an industry that rarely announces its moves in advance. He writes for the person who is going to play, not the person who is going to argue: what you can play today, on which platform, and whether it is worth the download. He is part of Softonic's editorial team and works daily with AI tools in content production.",
"es-ES": "Emmanuel Bosque cubre videojuegos en Softonic: lanzamientos, actualizaciones que convierten un juego en otro sin decirlo y los movimientos de una industria que casi nunca avisa. Escribe pensando en quien va a jugar, no en quien va a discutir: qué se puede jugar hoy, en qué plataforma y si de verdad merece la descarga. Forma parte del equipo editorial de Softonic y trabaja a diario con herramientas de IA en la producción de contenido.",
"fr-FR": "Emmanuel Bosque couvre les jeux vidéo chez Softonic : sorties, mises à jour qui transforment discrètement un jeu en un autre, et une industrie qui prévient rarement à l'avance. Il écrit pour celui qui va jouer, pas pour celui qui va débattre : ce qui est jouable aujourd'hui, sur quelle plateforme, et si le téléchargement en vaut la peine. Il fait partie de l'équipe éditoriale de Softonic et travaille au quotidien avec des outils d'IA dans la production de contenu.",
"it-IT": "Emmanuel Bosque si occupa di videogiochi su Softonic: uscite, aggiornamenti che trasformano un gioco in un altro senza dirlo e un'industria che quasi mai avvisa in anticipo. Scrive per chi ha intenzione di giocare, non per chi ha intenzione di discutere: cosa si può giocare oggi, su quale piattaforma e se vale davvero il download. Fa parte del team editoriale di Softonic e lavora ogni giorno con strumenti di IA nella produzione dei contenuti.",
"nl-NL": "Emmanuel Bosque schrijft bij Softonic over videogames: releases, updates die een spel stilletjes in een ander spel veranderen, en een industrie die haar stappen zelden vooraf aankondigt. Hij schrijft voor wie gaat spelen, niet voor wie gaat discussiëren: wat je vandaag kunt spelen, op welk platform en of de download het waard is. Hij maakt deel uit van de redactie van Softonic en werkt dagelijks met AI-tools in de contentproductie.",
"pl-PL": "Emmanuel Bosque zajmuje się grami w Softonicu: premierami, aktualizacjami, które po cichu zmieniają grę w zupełnie inną, i branżą, która rzadko uprzedza o swoich ruchach. Pisze dla tych, którzy chcą zagrać, a nie dla tych, którzy chcą się spierać: w co można zagrać dziś, na jakiej platformie i czy naprawdę warto pobierać. Należy do zespołu redakcyjnego Softonica i codziennie korzysta z narzędzi AI w produkcji treści.",
"pt-BR": "Emmanuel Bosque cobre games na Softonic: lançamentos, atualizações que transformam um jogo em outro sem avisar e uma indústria que raramente anuncia seus movimentos com antecedência. Escreve para quem vai jogar, não para quem vai discutir: o que dá para jogar hoje, em qual plataforma e se vale mesmo o download. Faz parte da equipe editorial da Softonic e trabalha diariamente com ferramentas de IA na produção de conteúdo."
}
View all posts by Emmanuel Bosque
