The Long Walk (2025)

 

The Long Walk (2025)

 

7/10

Starring           

Cooper Hoffman

David Jonsson

Garrett Wareing

Tut Nyuot

 

Directed by Francis Lawrence

 

The starting emotion from this movie is just amazing. Get ready for acting masterclass 101 by Judy Greer, who showed, and I practically felt it while watching, the pain a mother feels when she sees her child venture on a journey she is afraid he will never return from.

The moment you witness the first execution, you will understand her fear.

The Long Walk is a dystopian survival thriller film directed by Francis Lawrence, who did Constantine (2005) and The Hunger Games. The movie is based off a 1979 Stephen King (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman) book of the same name.

Now, the soulful, touching performance goes beyond the first scenes. Get ready for more amazing performances from Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, they made you feel the life-and-death pull. For someone who has not read the book, this is a wonderful invite.

The movie used wonderful effects, sounds, and beautiful cinematic shots to carry the eerie survival weight that it is trying to pass along.

In this dystopian world, there is an annual event known as The Long Walk, where fifty boys are selected at random from a group of volunteers to walk non-stop until only one remains.

Who determines the one that remains?

Well, walkers receive a penalty for dropping below 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h) and can receive three such penalties before they are shot dead. The last man standing is granted a cash prize and one wish fulfilled.

The main focus of the movie is Ray (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter (David Jonsson), who form a bond during this ordeal. The event is overseen by the Major (Mark Hamill), who monitors the contestants with military precision.

Ray’s motivation to enter is based on his family’s financial struggles, and as the movie develops Peter becomes the heart of the group. Despite the rule that only one can survive, Peter insists on making genuine friendships during the ordeal.

As the days progress and the body count rises, the boys face not just physical exhaustion but psychological exhaustion as well, dealing with the death of people around them, sleep deprivation, hostile weather, and the looming threat of their own death.

The film explores humanity and compassion as these men face this challenge, which is televised as entertainment.

As someone who has not read the book, I heard that the adaptation is very close to the original and that some changes happened in the ending.

Speaking of the ending, it is a bit off. There were some pacing issues toward the end, and then it just ends abruptly. I did not like that.

Even though I praised a lot of the performances in this movie, I think Mark Hamill’s was not that good.

I highly recommend you see this movie, it is worth it.