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
