The Running Man
1987 · 101 min · Director: Paul Michael Glaser, Paul Michael Glaser
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
In the year 2019, the world economy has collapsed. The great freedoms of the United States are no longer, as the once great nation has sealed off its borders and become a militarized police state, censoring all film, art, literature, and communications. Even so, a small resistance force led by two revolutionaries manages to fight the oppression. With full control over the media, the government attempts to quell the nation's yearning for freedom by broadcasting a number of game shows on which convicted criminals fight for their lives. The most popular and sadistic of these programs is "The Running Man," hosted by Damon Killian. When a peaceful protest of starving citizens gathers in Bakersfield, California, a police officer named Ben Richards is ordered to fire on the crowd, which he refuses to do. Subdued by the other officers, the attack is carried out, and Richards is framed for the murder of almost a hundred unarmed civilians. Following a daring jail break months later, Richards is captured once again and forced to appear on "The Running Man" with three other convicts. With their help, he fights his way through a cadre of sadistic gladiators hunting them down through the ruins of a Los Angeles earthquake, but promising Killian that he'll return to settle the score when the show's host double-crosses him. In the meantime, the contestants must search through the ruins for the resistance in the hopes of finally broadcasting the truth about the government.
Emotional fingerprint
The Running Man (1987) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Excitement 35%, Tension 25%, Anger 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Excitement35%
- Tension25%
- Anger20%
- Fear10%
- Relief10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Excitement, Tension, Anger. Genres: Thriller, Action, Sci-Fi. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Excitement, Tension and Anger. Its IMDb rating of 6.6/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 70/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Tension
- Disturbing
- Humor
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Disturbing
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Relief
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Tension | Disturbing | Humor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Disturbing | 77 % | 72 % | 67 % | 10 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 8′ | Tension | 70 % | 65 % | 55 % | 18 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 13′ | Disturbing | 61 % | 55 % | 49 % | 24 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 18′ | Tension | 63 % | 59 % | 46 % | 29 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Tension | 68 % | 65 % | 46 % | 30 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 28′ | Disturbing | 65 % | 59 % | 51 % | 28 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 33′ | Humor | 63 % | 55 % | 54 % | 31 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 38′ | Disturbing | 71 % | 65 % | 61 % | 34 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 43′ | Tension | 76 % | 74 % | 60 % | 35 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 48′ | Tension | 78 % | 76 % | 54 % | 35 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 53′ | Tension | 78 % | 77 % | 53 % | 30 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 58′ | Tension | 80 % | 79 % | 49 % | 31 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 63′ | Tension | 78 % | 73 % | 49 % | 35 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 68′ | Sadness | 74 % | 65 % | 46 % | 31 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 73′ | Tension | 75 % | 69 % | 45 % | 31 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Tension | 72 % | 66 % | 44 % | 35 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 83′ | Tension | 67 % | 60 % | 39 % | 31 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 88′ | Relief | 73 % | 61 % | 40 % | 34 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 93′ | Relief | 71 % | 48 % | 39 % | 45 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 98′ | Humor | 60 % | 23 % | 33 % | 50 % |
Rags to riches
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about The Running Man. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Damon Killian
Dynamo
Buzzsaw
Mic
Stevie
Med Tech
Valdez
Details
- Directed by
- Paul Michael Glaser, Paul Michael Glaser
- Written by
- Stephen King, Steven E. de Souza
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1987
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Excitement
- Data updated
Where to watch
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