9 Underrated Stephen King Movies
5. The Running Man
Like The Lawnmower Man, The Running Man took the basic concept of a King story and did something completely different with it. The book – which was released under his pseudonym Richard Bachman – was written by King in less than a week, and finds a desperate man taking part in a lethal game show where he’s pursued across the US by relentless Hunters.
It’s a bleak read with a depressing ending, but the movie pretty much ignores it. Instead, we get Arnold Schwarzenegger in a tight leotard, running and punning his way around some campy villains. It's incredibly silly but a lot of fun too, and it does manage to sneak some biting satire in amongst the one liners.
Arnie was at the peak of his powers at the time, and while The Running Man hasn’t exactly aged well it’s carried by the considerable charms of its leading man and a great premise.