The Long Walk
The latest Stephen King adaptation makes no sense whatsoever but under the direction of Francis Lawrence is still a gripping stroll through dystopian territory.
An Unlikely Pilgrimage: Joshua Odjick, Jordan Gonzalez, David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman and Charlie Plummer.
Photo by Murray Close, courtesy of Lionsgate UK.
Stephen King has come up with some pretty novel concepts in his time. The Long Walk, based on his 1979 novel, is certainly a unique addition to his canon, even though it makes no sense whatsoever. If one is willing to buy into it as an allegory, the film makes for a compelling dystopian thriller, aided by strong central performances and a sure directorial hand. Francis Lawrence is back in familiar territory with this – the story of young adults following the twisted rules of an authoritarian regime – having steered the Hunger Games franchise to enormous commercial gain.
A body of young men “accepted through lottery” take on “the ultimate challenge” to walk several hundred miles to win an unspecified cash prize. The mother of Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) echoes our own misgivings when she says, “I still don’t understand.” Let’s call her the voice of reason. Even so, young Ray sets off at 8.00 am on May 1 to the prospect of quite a physical workout, that mysterious cash prize and a wish of his own asking. “I’ll be OK,” he reassures Mom (Judy Greer) – “I’ll see you in a few days.” Has Ray never read a Stephen King novel before? We do know he’s perused Nietzsche, Camus and Mark Twain, writers now banned under the new administration.
As Ray befriends his fellow perambulators – there are no women among them – JT Mollner’s script drip-feeds notes on the state of the nation and the lives of the walkers, who are forced to maintain a pace of at least three miles per hour. Soon, a loose camaraderie sets in, along with a lot of coarse talk, and one wonders how the sight of guys walking for almost two hours will hold our attention. The carrot at the end of the stick is the prospect of how this will all pan out.
What we learn as the hours turn into days is that non-stop walking is not good for your health. There’s the danger of cramp, constipation and madness, although, amazingly, nobody suffers from blisters. The real downside is that you can’t stop for an instant, otherwise an accompanying gunman will blow a hole in your face. Even after the first unfortunates hit the concrete, the remaining ensemble seems to sustain a surprising cheerfulness (maybe it’s the endorphins from all that exercise).
Quite what is the point of the enterprise – from the authority’s perspective – is unclear, other than what is explained by the initial pep talk from ‘The Major’ (Mark Hamill) who extols the entrants’ “work ethic” while berating his country’s “epidemic of laziness.” As a sort of bloodthirsty Stand by Me (also from a Stephen King story), the film spotlights some engaging turns from its young cast, some of whom are destined to become star names. Cooper Hoffman, son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, has already proved his mettle in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza (2021) and is a solid presence here as Ray, while David Jonsson (Rye Lane, Alien: Romulus) matches him stride for stride, with maybe a step ahead in the charisma stakes. Jonsson has already been signed up to play Sammy Davis Jr in Colman Domingo’s upcoming Scandalous!, and here he holds the heart of the film in his hands. If one is willing to overlook the logic, it's a gripping parable, beautifully lit by the Belgium-born Jo Willems. But you will need a really strong stomach.
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Cast: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Daymon Wrightly, Jack Giffin.
Dir Francis Lawrence, Pro Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Francis Lawrence and Cameron MacConomy, Screenplay JT Mollner, from the novel by Stephen King, Ph Jo Willems, Pro Des Nicolas Lepage, Ed Mark Yoshikawa, Music Jeremiah Fraites, Costumes Heather Neale, Sound Jeremy Peirson, Dialect coach Tom Soares.
Vertigo Entertainment/About:Blank-Lionsgate UK.
108 mins. USA. 2025. UK and US Rel: 12 September 2025. Cert. 15.
