It’s been a long road for “The Long Walk” to make it to the big screen. Adapted from the first novel legendary author Stephen King ever wrote (and eventually published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman), while studying at the University of Maine, it’s been languishing in various stages of production for several decades. But finally, “The Long Walk” has crossed the finish line under the stewardship of “Hunger Games” director Francis Lawrence. And the final result is one of the best King adaptations ever.
“The Long Walk” is a brutal dystopian thriller, presenting a world overseen by a ruthless totalitarian regime, and where adolescent hope is in such short supply that its cast of young men willingly volunteer for a death march marathon. The comparison between this and the wide-eyed optimism of “The Life of Chuck,” another King adaptation that landed in theatres over the summer, could not be more stark. Yet, for all its nihilism, “The Long Walk” is never anything less than utterly compelling and shows just enough heart to keep you marching on.
Returning to the novel, King wrote it in the 1960s as an allegory for the ongoing Vietnam War. Although that conflict has now been confined to the pages of history, in 2025, “The Long Walk” remains frighteningly relevant and reflective of the troubled and divided world around us. But even putting its important message aside, it’s just a darn good movie.
‘The Long Walk’ is bleak, bold and truly brilliant
Set in a grim future vision of the United States, “The Long Walk” centers on the eponymous contest, which sees a group of 50 young men, all volunteers, compete in the ultimate test of endurance. Under the watch of The Major (a rarely better Mark Hamill), the boys are tasked with walking, not to a finish line, but until only one of them remains. Drop below the set speed of three miles per hour (changed from four miles in the novel) or stop walking for any reason, and they will receive a warning, accumulate three warnings, and the walker will be executed on the spot.
It’s a gripping concept for a dark thriller story, and considering its focus on a televised death game, current "Hunger Games" steward Francis Lawrence was certainly a smart choice to helm the project. Our protagonist is Raymond Garrarty (Cooper Hoffman), who willingly enters The Long Walk for personal reasons, explained in a series of brief (but impactful) flashbacks. These insights into Cooper’s motivations are the only time we cut from the walk itself; otherwise, the entire 108-minute runtime is spent on the road walking alongside the soon-thinning pack.
With nothing to do but walk forward, friendships are soon struck up. Garrarty becomes fast pals in particular with Peter McVries (David Jonsson). While Hamill, Hoffman, and “Karate Kid’s” Ben Wang as the gum-chewing Hank Olson are all excellent in their own right, Jonsson steals the show. McVries is the beating heart of the movie, and Jonsson manages to bring much-needed light to some of the movie’s truly dark scenes, and there are several that will turn your stomach.
Unlike in “The Hunger Games,” where tributes form alliances based on mutual survival, in “The Long Walk,” the walkers form friendships out of a need for companionship during an arduous ordeal. Because a long walk always feels shorter when you have a buddy at your side — even a walk without a finish line. The genuine friendships formed over the walk, which stretches hundreds of miles by the finale, send a powerful message about our need to connect with those around us and to find whatever motivation we can to keep moving forward in the most testing times.
But the movie isn’t just a group of men bonding as they walk through rural America; death is ever-present. Moments of extreme violence are used to great effect, and the constant awareness that all but one boy’s death is imminent casts a fittingly oppressive shadow. You could accuse “The Long Walk” of being a little repetitive. The back half of the movie effectively becomes a string of emotionally-charged eliminations, but each execution stings. JT Mollner’s script ensures that each walker's final moments are poignant and meaningful.
Novel purists may be disappointed to learn that the movie takes some big swings and seriously shakes up the source material. In particular, the ending is dramatically changed. I can’t say for sure what we get in the movie is better than the book, but the movie’s finale brings this sobering story of human endurance and societal hardships to a fitting close.
Verdict: Don’t wait for streaming to watch ‘The Long Walk’
“The Long Walk” is an uncompromising look at a bleak vision of the future, and for some viewers, the misery of it all may be too much.
Lawrence hammers home the story’s central point, showing blood, guts and even bodily fluids (the walkers are not permitted to stop for bathroom breaks, so when nature calls, there's nothing to do but keep on walking). But it offers just enough hope to encourage you to carry on, with much of its heart coming thanks to David Jonsson’s memorable performance.
The nuts and bolts of its thriller credentials are fantastic, but what really makes “The Long Walk” essential is how its central contest serves as a vehicle to comment on the damaged world we live in. The best dystopian fiction holds a mirror up to our current society, and “The Long Walk” does so with confidence and an unflinching commitment to its message.
The lack of big set-piece moments may have you thinking of waiting to catch “The Long Walk” when it arrives on one of the best streaming services in the near future, but I urge you to venture out to your nearest movie theatre. “The Long Walk” is a tough journey, but one worth taking.
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