MOVIE REVIEW: THE LONG WALK

 

Teens participate in a grueling high-stakes contest where they must continuously walk or be shot by a member of their military escort.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill

Release Date: September 12, 2025

Genre: Horror

Rated R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, suicide, pervasive language, and sexual references.

Runtime: 1h 48m

Review:

Francis Lawrence's adaptation of Stephen King's The Long Walk is a bleak trek into a dystopian landscape that manages to capture the humanity at the heart of the story thanks to excellent turns from Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson.  Lawrence takes a rather interesting approach to the subject matter by using a Stand By Me aesthetic, bathed in sepia tones to illicit a nostalgic feeling that's initially disarming.  This allows the audience to get to know the cast of characters before the stark reality of the game is put on graphic display.  There's no supernatural power at play here just the barebones simplicity of walk or die with warnings building up moments of tension throughout.  As the film goes on, it starts to feel more like a horrific war movie as we witness characters get killed off, often with an unflinching focus, in steady succession.  The script is filled with thoughtful dialogue as the characters discuss a variety of topics that leave its ultimate meaning open to multiple interpretations about death, rebellion and perseverance against unwinnable odds.  There are moments of poetic beauty amid all the brutal horrors that unfold which speaks to the effectiveness of the direction and performances by its cast.  Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson are given the lion's share of the focus as the central characters tasked with carrying the story.  There's very little actual action going on besides just walking so this serves as a wonderful showcase for both performers as they bring tangible sense of humanity to their characters that feels instantly authentic.  They ultimately elevate the film above simple terror porn by making these characters live and breathe which makes their trek engaging and painfully tragic.  Ben Wang, Charlie Plummer and Tut Nyuot all get their moments to shine in supporting roles with Wang and Nyuot being instantly likable.  Plummer's antagonistic but disturbed Barkovitch is fascinating enough that you are left wishing he'd been given a bit more screentime.  Mark Hamill is given the thankless role of The Major which doesn't require much outside of delivering orders in an imposing, gravelly voice.  The character serves as more of an idea than anything as he's written as generally as possible leaving him more of an enigma than anything.  In the end, The Long Walk gives you plenty to appreciate with it proving to be a top tier King adaptation that manages to capture his sense of character and ultimately our humanity even in the most extreme situations.   

A

MOVIE REVIEW: THE RETURN

 

After 20 years away, Odysseus washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. The king finds much has changed since he left to fight in the Trojan War. His beloved wife, Penelope, is a prisoner in her own home and hounded to choose a new husband. Their son faces death at the hands of suitors who see him as an obstacle in their pursuit of Penelope and the kingdom. Odysseus is no longer the mighty warrior his people remember, but he must face his past to save his family.

Director: Uberto Pasolini

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer, Marwan Kenzari, Claudio Santamaria, Tom Rhys Harries, Ángela Molina

Release Date: December 6, 2024

Genre: History

Rated R for violence, some sexual content, graphic nudity and language.

Runtime: 1h 56m

Review:

Uberto Pasolini's ultra grounded take on the back half of The Odyssey is powered by a pair of stellar performances from its central duo of Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.  Pasolini strips away all the Greek gods from the original text, focusing more on the human toll taken by the hero's search for glory.  This naturalistic take on the material focuses more on the mental state of central characters of Odysseus, Penelope and Telemachus as opposed to action or intrigue.  It makes for a film that's decidedly light on frills with Pasolini setting up scenes for performers to shine.  Ralph Fiennes carrying an emaciated and battered frame delivers a powerful but understated performance as an Odysseus haunted by the specter of war and the choices that led him there.  Fiennes has an ability to communicate volumes worth of emotional information with a single look or mannerism.  It’s not a particularly dialogue heavy role but he proves more than capable of giving the audience a real sense of the death and remorse his character has experienced during his long journey home.  Juliette Binoche is equally impressive as the ever-dutiful Penelope whom she imbues with quiet intensity and strength.   When Binoche and Fiennes finally share the screen, she delivers an emotionally powerful monologue that she imbues with a Shakespearean sensibility.  It serves as one of the most powerful moments in the film and a solid payoff for investing its occasionally ponderous pacing.  Fiennes and Binoche are thoroughly engaging every time they are onscreen, unfortunately the supporting cast never manages to match their work.  Charlie Plummer's Telemachus lacks the depth or nuance of his onscreen parents which gives the character more of bratty quality that feels off.  Marwan Kenzari's Antinous is more intriguing, but he's never given enough screentime to flesh out his character and singular focus on becoming Penelope's new husband.  It’s a shame because it would have given the story an interesting angle from one of the suitors who isn't an outright barbarian.  It’s the kind of thing that would have added to the effectiveness of the film but stumbles aside The Return succeeds on the power of its two stars.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: MOONFALL

 

The world stands on the brink of annihilation when a mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit and sends it hurtling toward a collision course with Earth. With only weeks before impact, NASA executive Jocinda "Jo" Fowler teams up with a man from her past and a conspiracy theorist for an impossible mission into space to save humanity.

Director: Roland Emmerich

Cast: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Michael Peña, Charlie Plummer, Kelly Yu, Donald Sutherland

Release Date: 2h 10m

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for violence, disaster action, strong language, and some drug use

Runtime: 2h 10m

Review:

Roland Emmerich's latest sci-fi disaster film is a campy busy mess of a film that never embraces it's overall absurdity and just have fun with it.  Emmerich's film feels more like a relic from the early 2000s with it's tired redemption arches and shoehorned product placement. Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and John Bradley do the majority of the heavy lifting with the main story thread.  Patrick Wilson does the best he can with the material but at least he doesn't phone it in like Halle Berry who looks like she's just a collecting a paycheck here.  John Bradley is likeable as the conspiracy nerd and he seems to be the only one who's having a good time.  A secondary story thread drags the entire film down with a pointless earthbound subplot dealing with the leads kids and some overly persistent thieves.  That subplot is as ludicrous as it is boring and could probably have been excised from the film altogether and streamlined the story.  A third act reveal is a goofy fun but thematically interesting even if the movie doesn't explore it in any sort of depth.  Moonfall is the type of film that will run on cable endlessly which will make for perfect background noise.  

C-