The Long Walk (2025)

​“The Long Walk” stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Joshua Odjick, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill.  Released on September 12, 2025, the film has a group of teens competing in a dangerous walking contest.

The film was directed by Francis Lawrence, who also directed films such as “I Am Legend”, “Water for Elephants”, “Red Sparrow”, and the “Hunger Games” installments.  It is based on the 1979 novel by Stephen King under his pseudonym Richard Bachman.  Many of us take walks for various reasons, including getting some cardio and taking a break from our endless workloads.  Yet, more often than not, we step outside to bask in the fresh air.  While moving our bodies is beneficial, there is a limit to how long we can engage in this seemingly harmless exercise before we risk exhaustion or worse.  Of course, nothing can make this scenario more intense and even deadly than a dystopian society that pushes individuals to their physical and mental limits.  

Stephen King is famously renowned for his mastery in the realm of horror, but his stories don’t solely rely on monsters and the supernatural to shake his readers to the core.  He also delves into the darker aspects of the human condition, especially within dystopian or alternate reality settings.  A prime example is his first novel, written during his college years: “The Long Walk”.  This gripping tale portrays an annual walking contest with fatal consequences and has been praised for its chilling themes and material, making it a worthy candidate to receive the cinematic treatment, akin to King’s other novels.  After undergoing numerous development phases, it was recently brought to life by filmmaker Francis Lawrence and writer JT Mollner, who aim to deliver this evocative and harrowing narrative.  Is this long-awaited film adaptation worth walking over to see, or would we be better off sitting down at home?  Let’s find out.

The story unfolds in a dystopian United States, ravaged by a second civil war and dominated by a totalitarian military regime.  The country is also known for its annual contest, known as the “Long Walk”, where fifty teenage boys walk endlessly along a predetermined route, with the prize going to the only walker remaining.  Among the contestants is Raymond “Ray” Garraty (Hoffman), a young man from Maine who enters the contest and is driven by an unknown motive.  While the contest seemed simple by design, it eventually becomes a grueling nightmare when the participants learn that those who fall below the required speed face execution at the hands of soldiers commanded by The Major (Hamill).  As Ray and his fellow competitors struggle to stay alive, they find themselves pushed to their physical limits, prompting them to question how far they are willing to walk to earn the prize.

It bears repeating that my experience with Stephen King’s works has primarily been through the film adaptations.  Regardless of the varying quality of each version, watching these films deepened my admiration for the author’s ambition in storytelling and his incorporation of horror elements.  This was one of the reasons I was eager to check out “The Long Walk”, which is yet another King adaptation that introduced me to the source material.  Another reason was Francis Lawrence, who has been making a name for himself in successfully adapting young adult novels to the screen, notably the “Hunger Games” series, and is also a talented filmmaker.  Given my positive experience with “Hunger Games”, I was on board with Lawrence helming another YA adaptation, as his ability to portray bleakness and terror seemed to align well with the novel’s intense concept.   

You might be wondering what I mean by “intense”.  Well, to put it slightly, the film revolves around teenage boys who are tormented by what appears to be a simple cardio exercise.  They find themselves in precarious scenarios where a simple misstep could be fatal.  It’s also worth noting that “The Long Walk” evokes a tone that’s depressing and violent, but mostly depressing, which is why it received an R rating.  I’m not exaggerating when I say this film will shatter your spirit emotionally.  It’s not just because of the tragic fate of the young characters, but also because of the deep bonds they share that make their plight so dang heartbreaking.  Combine that with its exploration of contemporary America and isolated settings, and you get a grim insight into the deadly contest that’ll make you wary of walking for more than ten miles.  This is certainly not the type of film you’d choose for your date night because it will make you and your partner feel very depressed by the time the credits roll.  However, the depression aspect is precisely what makes “The Long Walk” another terrific Stephen King adaptation worth participating in.

It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted, especially those seeking a hopeful resolution, and its changes may or may not bode well for the novel’s fans, particularly concerning the ending.  Nonetheless, “The Long Walk” faithfully captured the dread, suspense, and shock of a totalitarian-controlled contest, while highlighting the warmth of human connections that shine amidst the darkness.  Although Francis Lawrence isn’t quite consistent with his previous non-YA adaptations like “Red Sparrow” and “Slumberland”, the filmmaker knows how to skillfully deliver the gut-wrenching pain and sorrow of the characters within a dystopian future.  While some may have mixed feelings about “Mockingjay” and “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”, I appreciate Lawrence’s ability to balance a bleak tone with thrilling and sentimental elements.  I wouldn’t say they’re cinematic masterpieces, but as far as young adult adaptations go, “The Hunger Games” series strikes a riveting balance between storytelling and crowd-pleasing young adult elements.

Unsurprisingly, I found myself feeling glad and emotionally broken when I saw that Lawrence didn’t miss a single step in bringing Stephen King’s gripping yet heart-wrenching novel to the screen.  Jo Willems’s wide-angle cinematography and the film’s production designs vividly portrayed a country brimming with sorrow and loneliness, as well as the characters’ walking sequences, reflecting the feel of walking alongside them myself.  Of course, it also had its share of graphic violence, which isn’t over-the-top, but sufficiently unsettling enough to capture the squeamish and heartbreaking depiction of the characters’ “final warning”.  If you’re not a fan of seeing teenage boys get shot in the head, you’re better off skipping this competition.  The true standout, however, was Francis Lawrence’s careful intertwining of emotional heartbreak with a somber tone and compelling character moments without making it too manipulative.  While some may dismiss it as a melodramatic soap opera, many, including myself, will regard it as an emotionally driven and thought-provoking roller coaster that maintains tension from the beginning of the contest to the last two people standing.  I found myself crying a few times throughout the entire film, and I haven’t even read the book.  If I wound up shedding more tears than usual, it was a surefire sign that Lawrence did something right.

Regarding emotional depth, somber essence, and suspense, “The Long Walk” further exemplifies Francis Lawrence’s capabilities of adapting the sentimental core of dystopian young adult novels amidst the depicted thrills and violence.  Additionally, the somber musical score by Lumineers co-founder, Jeremiah Fraites, gently complemented the film’s range of bleak emotions without overpowering them.  However, those weren’t the only reasons I appreciate it as a movie, as its screenplay effectively conveyed the novel’s straightforward premise, themes, and likable characters.  The writer responsible for the script was JT Mollner, who’s widely known for his work on the surprisingly great “Strange Darling” two years ago.  While there aren’t any twists and turns in “The Long Walk”, Mollner still made a remarkable effort in reflecting totalitarianism and hope in a simple yet engaging manner.  With a 108-minute runtime, the film focuses solely on the life-threatening competition and nothing else.  It would be nice to see more of the characters and the movie’s world-building before and after the contest, but then it would’ve made the film more exhausting than emotional with its length.  Sometimes, a basic and restrained narrative is just as effective as one that tries to explore too much, and Mollner’s screenplay exemplified this approach wonderfully, despite some structural repetition.

Given the young adult appeal, “The Long Walk” is another opportunity for the young, emerging actors to shine in their roles.  Of course, that includes an offspring of a renowned actor who left us too soon.  These young stars faced the challenge of maintaining their characters’ chemistry through their performances that convey the physical and mental toll of continuous strolling in a haunting yet poignant manner.  Based on my experience, I thought they accomplished that task exceptionally well, with some strong standouts that make this nightmarish competition worth competing in.  Cooper Hoffman, known for his Golden Globe-nominated debut in “Licorice Pizza”, tackles the role of Ray Garraty, who enters the contest seeking revenge for his father’s (Hamilton) death.  Considering Hoffman’s personal experience with the loss of his father, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, this role seemed tailor-made for him.  Whatever the case, Cooper Hoffman did a phenomenal job capturing Garraty’s emotional range that came from his character navigating a dark path.  

David Jonsson has been receiving a lot of praise for his performance as Peter McVries, one of the walkers who befriends Garraty, and deservedly so.  After impressing me with his role in “Alien: Romulus”, Jonsson utilized his talent to portray Peter’s kindhearted nature, which played a crucial role in highlighting the film’s theme of embracing life’s fleeting moments.  With him providing a soul within Peter’s generosity and vulnerability, Jonsson further showcased his potential to join the big leagues with his career-best performance.  Charlie Plummer was impressive as the brash yet guild-ridden Gary Barkovitch, while Ben Wang followed up his solid role in “Karate Kid: Legends” with a terrific portrayal of Hank Olson.  Another actor worth mentioning is Mark Hamill, who is well-acquainted with villainous roles, having voiced characters like the Joker from “Batman: The Animated Series” and Fire Lord Ozai in “Avatar: The Last Airbender”.  That alone was enough for me to see him as a fitting choice to play The Major, and, to the surprise of no one, he was outstanding.  The Major is characterized as a callous general who sees the beauty of this grueling competition, and Hamill utilized his villain playbook to suitably capture the essence of this despicable human being.

Overall, “The Long Walk” walks a near-perfect line between sentimentality, dystopian dread, and heartbreaking suspense to effectively bring Stephen King’s tragically captivating novel to the screen.  The narrative structure may feel somewhat repetitive, and the film’s alterations from the book may not resonate with some of the source material’s fans.  Fortunately, these minor flaws were easily overshadowed by its engaging young leads and their chemistry that combines warmth with poignancy and heartache.  It’s simple to a fault and heavily somber, but it presents a well-crafted and emotionally gripping portrayal of hope amid despair and totalitarianism.  The cast was fantastic in their roles, particularly Hoffman and Jonsson.  Additionally, Lawrence’s direction adeptly handled the emotional weight and distressing atmosphere, while JT Mollner’s screenplay effectively leveraged its straightforward premise to explore its themes.  This is a worthy cinematic gut-punch that ranks among my favorite Stephen King film adaptations to date.  If you’re not a fan of depressing movies, there’s no guarantee that you’ll survive the grueling nature of this walking contest.  Yet, for those who cherish Stephen King and his novels, especially “The Long Walk”, it is definitely worth running out to see.

A-