Film Review: The Long Walk

The Long Walk
Director: Francis Lawrence
Vertigo Entertainment, Lionsgate
In Theaters: 09.12.2025

When I saw the trailer, bought my ticket, and took my seat, I thought I knew exactly what to expect. And still, bracing myself with all that, I left completely and utterly devastated. 

The Long Walk takes place in an alternate dystopia of 20th century USA. The country is under a totalitarian military regime and in the the midst of a depression, leaving most people impoverished. To reinvigorate that good ol’, hardworking American spirit, the network televises an event known as the Long Walk. 50 teenage boys, one from each state, competing each year to walk the three miles per hour at a standard military pace.

If they fall below that pace, officials give them a warning. They then erase it if they can keep pace for the next hour. After three warnings, the officials give the walker his “ticket.” The last walker still going wins a cash prize and receives a wish. There is no finish line — only those who are left behind.

The Meaning Behind the Long Walk

Stephen King began writing this novel in his freshman year of university around the late ‘60s. The metaphor of the “Long Walk” reflecting the Vietnam War is impossible to miss. However, why release the film adaptation now? Of course, development, licensing and production play a part, but still. Has someone finally destroyed the veil of the American Dream? We walk and walk and walk.

They leave others behind, and they punish us for going back for them because they weren’t strong enough. All because we want to make it to the end. Finally, grab hold of that thing that we so desperately need. But the truth is, there is no end and it is probably more painful to look back, so you just keep going. 

Directed by Francis Lawrence, whose name is now synonymous with the YA dystopian genre, the film does an excellent job of immersing you in the world. Not through overdrawn backstories or exposition dumps, but by simply following these boys. The naturalistic, muted color palette makes the audience feel the environment the boys are in. We feel the unrelenting heat of a cloudless day and the stiffening chill of the rain.

Friendship and Heartbreak on the Road

However, it’s the chemistry between the main group, the Musketeers, that simultaneously warms your heart and all at once, leaves you a sobbing mess. Ray Garraty #47 (Cooper Hoffman, Licorice Pizza, Saturday Night), Peter McVries #23 (David Jonsson, Rye Lane, Alien: Romulus), Hank Olson #46 (Ben Wang, Karate Kid: Legends, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping) and Arthur Baker #6 (Tut Nyuot, Steve) form a sweet and strong friendship. Reminiscent of other King classics like Stand By Me and the Losers Club in It. 

Still, it is Jonsson who steals the show in every scene he is in. The chemistry he and Hoffman share makes you fully believe in their deep bond. Their performances make the characters identifiable and feel like the audience knows them. It is that quality that makes the film all the more heartbreaking. They aren’t hardened, they aren’t a chosen one, they aren’t special, they are just boys.

Wide-eyed and naive, rambunctious, foul-mouthed, thoughtful and unserious. They are normal everyday boys who had hopes of finding a better life. Seeing them wail and breakdown as they cry out for help, for home, for any sort of comfort as they  realize the truth that they were never going to make it is film’s  the true horror. 

The score by The Lumineers co-founder, Jeremiah Fraites is everything a great score should be. It blends into the movie unnoticed up until it is necessary and elevates the scene. Using strings and piano to highlight the more horrific moments, the score shines brightest in the softer, somber moments, becoming the final twist of the knife.

Critiques and Final Thoughts on The Long Walk

If I had to give a critique, it would be that the film is mercifully short at only a 108 minute runtime, including the credits. This in turn leads to less development of the cast and certain twists feeling underwhelming. The spectator aspect that played a big part in the novel is also completely non-existent, which does takeaway from the themes and world building. 

The dialogue can also be cheesy and obvious at times. For some, this may come off as YA dystopia 101, but it is definitely better than all those 2010s Hunger Games rip-offs. Also, anyone looking forward to seeing Mark Hamill in something other than Star Wars should know that he is barely in this film, which I can respect, as it helps to highlight these up and coming actors.

There is so much more I can say about The Long Walk, point out specific masterful scenes, gush more about Jonsson’s performance, discuss the themes and talk about how my eyes still well-up when I think back to certain scenes – but that would be futile. The truth of the matter is, nothing I say or write can capture the emotional wreckage I felt leaving that theater. —Angela Garcia

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