This submit accommodates spoilers for “The Working Man.”
“The Working Man” is lastly right here, with Edgar Wright adapting the ebook of the identical title by acclaimed author Stephen King, written beneath his Richard Bachman pseudonym. The film is about in a dystopian world dominated by companies, and is a takedown of capitalism and actuality competitors exhibits. It focuses on Ben Richards (Glen Powell), a hardworking blue-collar man who’s coerced into collaborating within the titular “The Working Man” TV present, a contest collection the place contestants attempt to survive for 30 days whereas being hunted down on nationwide TV by killers.
Although it wasn’t the very best Stephen King adaptation of 2025 or the very best Richard Bachman adaptation of the yr (that distinction goes to “The Lengthy Stroll”), the film does do fascinating issues with the supply materials that retains it contemporary and distinct from Paul Michael Glaser’s 1987 movie that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. The most important tweak, after all, is that Wright’s movie adjustments the ending to the story, combining the ending of the novel and the 1987 movie to create one thing new.
These adjustments make for a way more entertaining ending than the awful conclusion of the novel, however even when a few of /Movie’s most interesting suppose Edgar Wright’s model botches the supply materials’s message, there’s one ingredient the place the movie makes a grand addition to the textual content. That is as a result of the very best concept within the film is totally unique to it, nowhere to be discovered within the ebook.
I am speaking about Lee Tempo’s lead hunter character, Evan McCone, truly being a former Working Man contestant who took a deal to work for the community by killing new contestants.
Edgar Wright’s Working Man offers a merciless accident
Within the film, McCone isn’t just some ruthless, sadistic killer, however a performer who delights in placing on a present. As performed by Tempo, he is virtually a “Metallic Gear Strong” villain — not simply due to his masks and outfit, however as a result of he actually names his weapons. The man even has a catchphrase.
Towards the top of the movie, Ben is led to imagine that the hunters broke the sport’s guidelines and killed his household. Blinded by grief and rage, Ben goes on a killing spree and takes out the hunters, however when he faces McCone, the hunter reveals he was truly as soon as a contestant on “The Working Man” — and never simply any contestant, however the one from the present’s first season that had survived the longest. Like Ben, he was provided the selection of taking a contract to work for the community, turning into a hunter along with his personal crew and residing a cushty life.
This reveal is a merciless accident, talking to the central concept that nobody can ever win “The Working Man” as a result of that’d give an excessive amount of hope to these disillusioned with the community. Contestants can survive a very long time and even turn out to be non permanent celebrities, however the authoritarian regime cannot have a logo of hope reside lengthy sufficient to spark the hearth of rise up. What’s extra, as McCone reveals, whilst a “free” man, his household continues to be evaded him, basically hostages of the community so he always remember who he is working for.
Surprisingly, this was not in “The Working Man” novel, so for all of the speak about how the film adjustments issues, the very best concept in Edgar Wright’s adaptation is totally unique, but nonetheless feels completely becoming for this story.
