Year of Release: 2025
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Roman Griffin Davis, Josh Hamilton, Noah de Mel, Daymon Wrightly
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon
Synopsis and Review
Director Francis Lawrence has coined the world of young adult film adaptations since he started directing the adaptation of the various books which comprise the "Hunger Games" series. To date he has directed 4 films of that series, with the 5th, "Sunrise of the Reaping" premiering in the last quarter of 2026. "The Long Walk", even though isn't part of that universe, has some interesting ties to it, namely the dystopian reality in which the characters live, and also the fact that young adults are targeted in the events taking place. The film is an adaptation of the 1979 book by Stephen King, and follows the story of Raymond Garraty, a young man (18) who has volunteered to be a part of the Long Walk, not only to win the monetary prize, but also to get his chance at the "Wish fulfillment" that comes with it. In this version of North America, there's a totalitarian regime in power, and this is an annual competition where boys have to continuously walk along Route 1 and maintain a pace of 4 miles per hour. If they fail to do so, they get three warnings, and if they continue to fail, they're shot and killed by soldiers who are monitoring the event. Raymond has his own agenda about enrolling in the Walk, even if it means shattering the life of his mom. His dad was brutally murdered in front of them both, just for sharing forbidden books and teaching him the meaning of critical thinking. Raymond quickly becomes friends with Peter McVries, whom we come to find out, had a very challenging upbringing, and who views this Walk and its prize, as a means to secure a freedom that he has never experienced before. As the group starts the walk, with young men from all areas of the country, some of them start experiencing physical issues related to exhaustion, or physical constraints, but the military is brutal in their reaction, killing them instantly, something that only strengthens the conviction of Raymond and Peter, who want to finish the walk.
For a book written in 1979, and considering the reality of the US in 2026, one can fairly say Stephen King was spot on when he wrote this narrative. Francis Lawrence opts for a fairly visually stripped down view on the events that he's capturing: most of the places these young men walk through, look and feel very downbeat, depressing, lackluster, and devoid of hope. The walk itself is meant to symbolize the survival of the strongest, but it mostly illustrates how despots eliminate opposition, or even a semblance of critical thinking. These young men all have a very unique agenda to enroll in this competition, and as their motivations become clearer, the sadder the situation becomes, because one soon realizes most of them are going to be brutally murdered, just so the regime can continue to bully, demoralize, and destroy anyone or anything that questions their decision making process. It's a film that makes a lot of sense for the current state of affairs across various countries in the world, though where the film falters a bit, is in its ability to provide these characters with a bit more of an arc, of a background. The brief moments where they become truly alive, right before they get murdered, is just not enough. Interesting detail: Mr. Lawrence, who is a stylistic and visually gifted film-maker, opts for a muted palette for the film, which illustrates the decrepitude of the country, with the clothes of the young men, and of the people they cross paths with, at times representing the glimmer of hope it still exists, that this reality can be turned around. The cast is uniformly solid, particularly Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Judy Greer, and Charlie Plummer. The production team is equally solid, though I personally found the cinematography from Jo Willems, a bit underwhelming, particularly during the day-time scenes. Heather Neale's costumes were spot on, as was Nicolas Lepage production design. It's a film that is very relevant for our days, and a warning call for how quickly dehumanizing individuals and brutality can become a standard if we don't pay attention and fight back tyranny. Worth watching.
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