Edgar Wright’s imaginative and prescient for The Working Man lastly will get a Rotten Tomatoes rating, and it could be sufficient to set an ideal file for Stephen King. The upcoming dystopian thriller is predicated on King’s 1982 novel, which was printed below his pseudonym Richard Bachman. Whereas loads of King novels have been tailored to the display screen, The Working Man was solely made as soon as earlier than, within the 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
With Wright’s model set to launch on November 14, the primary evaluations have been launched. Based mostly on 64 evaluations on Rotten Tomatoes, The Working Man debuts with a 64% essential rating, which is simply sufficient to be designated “Recent.” The result’s a slight enchancment from the Schwarzenegger model, which landed at 59%. Nevertheless, it additionally marks the lowest-rated film for Wright, who’s the mastermind behind essential darlings like Shaun of the Useless, Child Driver, and Sizzling Fuzz.
Though the Rotten Tomatoes rating is simply hanging above the 60% threshold, it is sufficient to set a clear sweep for King, who had 4 of his tales tailored into motion pictures this yr, in addition to two collection. The 2025 film schedule was full of a number of King variations, beginning with Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey and now ending that run with The Working Man.
|
Stephen King Diversifications Launched In 2025 |
Rotten Tomatoes’ Essential Rating |
Rotten Tomatoes’ Viewers Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
The Monkey |
77% |
55% |
|
The Life Of Chuck |
80% |
88% |
|
The Lengthy Stroll |
88% |
85% |
|
The Institute |
64% |
71% |
|
IT: Welcome To Derry |
78% |
80% |
|
The Working Man |
64% |
N/A |
If The Working Man rating holds, which means that all of the King variations in 2025 had a “recent” designation, sustaining a uncommon excellent file for a single launch yr. The best-rated film of this yr was Francis Lawrence’s The Lengthy Stroll, which earned a excessive 88% essential rating.
However, The Working Man is the lowest-rated King film of 2025, and critics are very blended in regards to the remake. Glen Powell, who portrays the protagonist Ben Richards, is the clear standout among the many evaluations, commanding him for his charms and solidifying his standing as an motion star.
Nevertheless, the issues appear to lie within the story’s execution, with some critics arguing that the message feels misplaced, particularly in makes an attempt to deal with its relevance in as we speak’s local weather. Others criticized the pacing, whereas the mix of violence and storytelling was sloppy.
ScreenRant‘s Alex Harrison, roughly, shared comparable views in The Working Man overview. Whereas Wright takes full benefit of Powell’s charisma, he additionally agrees that the dystopian side “suffers from a sure softness.” He additionally notes the next within the constructing as much as the tip, saying:
When Wright tries to return to a few of King’s weightiness within the final act, it feels pressured and awkward.
However, Harrison nonetheless loved the viewing expertise, awarding a 7 out of 10 stars. As well as, King and Schwarzenegger additionally had very optimistic reactions to the 2025 remake. The long-lasting creator referred to as the variation “unbelievable” and described it as “DIE HARD for our time.” Schwarzenegger praised Wright’s imaginative and prescient as “unbelievable and artistic” after sharing that “The one film that I at all times wished to have redone of my motion pictures was Working Man.”
The dystopian thriller follows Powell’s protagonist, who enters the titular recreation present with the prospect of successful $1 billion if he manages to outlive a crew of hunters for 30 days. Along with Powell, The Working Man forged consists of Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Lee Tempo, and William H. Macy. Wright co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Bacall.
The Working Man shall be launched in theaters on November 14, 2025.
- Launch Date
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November 14, 2025
- Producers
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George Linder, Nira Park, Simon Kinberg