2025 has seen big screen takes on two lesser-known Stephen King works with a third higher profile King property on the way in the form of Edgar Wright’s upcoming spin on THE RUNNING MAN. Just earlier this summer, we saw Mike Flanagan’s LIFE OF CHUCK, an effectively earnest film that, despite trying a little too hard to be life affirming and profound, still emerged as one of the stronger films of this year. Now comes Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of THE LONG WALK, an early-career Stephen King effort (the beloved horror novelist initially penned this particular story in the 60s) that would go on to influence many similarly themed properties through the years including THE HUNGER GAMES, which is fitting because Lawerence would also go on to direct a couple of the big screen adaptations of the beloved Suzanne Collins books.
THE LONG WALK takes place in a desperate post-apocalyptic totalitarian society (fueled in part by a villainous military man played by Mark Hamill) in which a group of young men volunteer to be part of an annual contest that finds them engaging in a 300-plus mile walk until only one of them is left standing. The rules are pretty simple; These men must stay the course at a certain pace, or they’ll be executed in front of their peers. Whoever makes it to the end of this most brutal competition will be blessed with a wish, various riches, and bragging rights but more importantly, they’ll be blessed with that precious thing called life.
Along this long and arduous trek, fatigue, exhaustion, cramping, and a handful of other hurdles only add to the complications that arise during this most disturbing and seemingly horrific voluntary rite of passage. Even something as simple as going to the bathroom becomes a life-or-death struggle.
Perhaps the strongest aspect of this dark and unflinching tale is the character work. In fact, THE LONG WALK really does have more in common with King’s more grounded efforts (think STAND BY ME and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION). Among the more striking bonds that take place during this often bleak experience is the one that happens between Raymond Garraty (Cooper Hoffman of LICORICE PIZZA) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson of ALIEN: ROMULUS). Both of these men come from completely different walks of life and both are brought to this competition under completely different circumstances but what unites them is their humanity.
THE LONG WALK certainly benefits from an outstanding cast of ensemble players with the standouts being Hoffman (son of Phillip Seymour), Jonsson, Judy Greer, and Ben Wang (who appeared in KARATE KID: LEGENDS earlier this summer.) Each of these actors are so effective that the film ends up being something much more than its high concept premise.
This isn’t to say that THE LONG WALK isn’t without its flaws. As was the case with certain parts of LIFE OF CHUCK, there are moments here that feel as if they should have hit just a little bit harder, particularly the end of the film which feels a little surreal and under-explained. Additionally, there’s a reveal in the final act of this movie that feels a tad uneventful. It should also be noted that some characters feel a little less fatigued than others by the end and given the number of miles these guys are walking, that will require a bit of suspension of disbelief. In terms of the overall physicality aspects of the movie, Wang digs deepest. You can feel his exhaustion in a big way. He’s also pretty damn funny and that’s a big plus because there isn’t a lot of other humor to speak of here.
Lawrence and screenwriter JT Mollner (STRANGE DARLING) do a good job building tension and keeping a focus on character. And in fact, while the brutal tone of the source material can’t be denied, there’s a real sense of hope and empathy here. Much more so than one might expect. King’s original story puts an emphasis on the aforementioned humanity. This is to say that even though the premise of this story all but dictates that we can’t possibly have a happy ending, it’s admirable that the characters that populate this world, bond and look to help one another. It doesn’t matter that only one of them is going to make it through alive. Lawrence and crew wisely retain this key aspect of the original story and it’s a good thing otherwise, this would be an entirely different beast.
We’re currently living in aggressive, divided, and often ugly times and because of that fact, it stands to reason that this is the kind of movie that might scare some audiences away. There’s something eerily timely about certain aspects of THE LONG WALK, but here’s hoping that those who do go to see it (and I do recommend it) will look at the goodness that this story’s central characters are capable of, even when everything around them appears to be suggesting otherwise.
