What would you do to earn the spoils of the world? How far would you go? Would you break your body? Would you break your mind? Would you take… “The Long Walk?” Directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games’ franchise) and based the novel of the same name by legendary author Stephen King (which was written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman), the film follows Raymond “Ray” Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) as he enters a competition known as “The Long Walk,” where contestants must walk a grueling distance at a speed of at least 3 miles per hour or risk death, all for a prize to the one to survive it all. The film also stars David Jonsson as Peter “Pete” McVries and Mark Hamill as The Major. It also features Charlie Plummer, Tut Nyuot, Ben Wang and Judy Greer in supporting roles. To many, “The Long Walk” may seem like another drop in the barrel in a Hollywood inebriated by franchise filmmaking and star power, a film destined to be washed away by blockbusters galore, especially after such a franchise-filled summer, a film like this almost seems inconsequential compared to something like a “Superman” or a “Jurassic World: Rebirth.” The film is also yet another adaptation of Stephen King’s treasure trove of literature (a phenomena dating back almost 50 years to 1976’s “Carrie”). So why then, does “The Long Walk” deserve any attention?
Because it’s a damn good movie, that’s why.
Each and every kill in this film is blood-curdlingly horrifying. The film is swift and efficient at dispatching characters, and yet, as the characters note, it is impossible to become numb to each and every shot to the head. The film is not afraid to show audiences its wings of death, and they are only prisoner to stare back and watch the film’s visceral and brutal reality of a dystopian nature. The muted and dull colors are used to great effect, building a world that is both cruel and unforgiving. That, combined with a muted and lifeless camera, constructs the world into the hellish reality that they live through.
No element exemplifies the cruelness of the world more than Hamill’s Major, a role that is brief, yet all-encompassing, a dark shadow that looms over the story. He is no Luke Skywalker.
As aviator sunglasses cover his eyes, Hamill modulates his voice to a harsh growl, likening The Major to a beast rather than a man. An argument could be made that the movie
could have used more of his talents to its advantage, using more Hamill’s menacing performance to scare, but the film would rather let the brief moments with the Major go a long way, his performance hanging over the movie, like vultures hanging over the stench of death.
However, the heart and soul of the movie can be entirely summed up with one name: David Jonsson. If his standout performance in “Alien: Romulus” (which nabbed him the 2025 BAFTA Rising Star Award) was the ember that sparked his career, this performance shall define him as one of Hollywood’s next big players. Jonsson’s McVries is played with a jockish gravitas, instantly magnetic and lovable. As the film marches forward, however, and as the Walk eats away the rest of the pack, his magnetism remains, but the hidden humanity within him begins to leak away, leading to a truly magnificent climax, where all restraint is left behind, and nothing less than a tour de force is unleashed upon the audience to bear witness. It is a grueling, grueling performance that is heart-wrenching to witness.
“The Long Walk” is a cruel, cruel movie. It is a bitter pill filled with agony at every turn. The world is grey and dark, the kills are powerful and the performances are devastating. It is a harsh and uncomfortable parable of trying times and the lengths humanity is willing to go to survive every single step.
RATING: 4.5/5
“The Long Walk” is now playing in theaters.
