The Running Man (2025)

The Running Man parents guide

What we could confirm fits an R: some innuendo or implied sex and brutal violence.

Scare

Mildly scary

A few tense or eerie moments.

Jump scares

Not rated yet

We were not sure enough to call this one.

Gore

Graphic gore

Blood and wounds shown clearly.

Violence

Brutal violence

Our top level for violence.

Sex and nudity

Mild

Mild means innuendo, or sex implied off screen, with no nudity.

Language

Moderate

Some strong profanity, a few f-words.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is The Running Man scary?

Only a little. The Running Man has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is The Running Man?

Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

What is The Running Man rated, and is it OK for kids?

It is an R, with brutal violence, some strong language and graphic gore. Keep it for adults.

What is The Running Man about?

Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards is convinced by The Running Man's charming but ruthless producer to enter the deadly competition game as a last resort. But Ben's defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite — and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.

Cast and crew

More like The Running Man

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• Upgrade (2018)Gritty · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA paralyzed man's AI implant grants superhuman abilities for relentless, gritty revenge in a pulpy, high-octane thriller.
• RoboCop (1987)Gritty · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA brutally murdered cop becomes a cybernetic law enforcer in a brisk, darkly satirical, and pulpy thriller.
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• War Machine (2026)Gritty · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA combat engineer leads his unit against a giant otherworldly killing machine in a relentless, high-octane battle.
• Prey (2022)Tense · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA Comanche warrior faces off against an invisible, technologically advanced alien hunter in a brutal fight for survival.
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The Running Man is on our New releases, Thriller on Paramount+ and Sci-fi on Paramount+ lists.

More like this feeling

Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “scary but not gory”
• “a horror movie that's actually scary”

Lists with the same feel: Most violent and Edge of your seat.