“The Long Walk”
Running time: 1h 48m
Genre: Dystopian thriller, horror-drama
Trigger Warning: Graphic violence, death of minors, psychological trauma
First released: 09/12/2025

Rating: 3.5/5

Brutality, brotherhood, and the weight of endurance, “The Long Walk”  directed by Francis Lawrence, is a film moviegoers might sit down expecting a simple dystopian thriller, but will leave viewers unsettled in ways that linger. 

Based on Stephen King’s earliest novel, the story unfolds around a chilling premise: 50 boys compete in a deadly contest where the only rule is to keep walking. Fall behind or break the rules, and the penalty is swift execution. On its surface, the concept feels stark, almost barebones, but viewers will find that what the adaptation brings out is how much humanity and horror can exist in repetition.

What makes “The Long Walk” compelling is not just the violence—though it is graphic and unflinching—but the strange quiet in between. The movie strives in its stillness, when the camera lingers on faces rather than death. 

Watching Ray Garraty (Copper Hoffman) struggle with exhaustion or McVries (David Jonsson) offer a moment of fragile camaraderie that reminds viewers that, beneath the spectacle, there are kids simply trying to keep going. Their bond is the heart of the film, grounding the narrative in moments of tenderness that contrast with the unrelenting march forward. 

Mark Hamill’s performance as The Major deserves a mention as well. His mix of dark charisma and parody of military bravado is almost too believable, turning cruelty into a kind of spectacle. Hamill embodies the unnerving way authority can justify violence as entertainment and is  one of the film’s most memorable notes.

What struck hardest was how quickly the violence became ordinary.

The first “ticket” comes as a shock, but soon enough, both the boys and the audience fall into a numb acceptance. That creeping normalization is where the film’s real horror lies. Moviegoers will dread each stumble or cough, knowing what it might mean, yet realizing too, to expect it. The discomfort is exactly what makes  “The Long Walk” stand out.

That being said, viewers will have some criticisms. 

The film is undeniably repetitive, and while the monotony reflects the walkers’ own ordeal, it sometimes drags the pacing. There were moments where viewers wished the narrative had opened up more, or when outside forces could have added attention. 

As it stands, the film is a closed system, and whether that works for moviegoers will depend on how much you can tolerate its endurance test structure. 

The ending was mixed. While it offers closure, moviegoers may long for the ambiguity of King’s original, which led the horror echo in the unknown.

What elevates the movie Beyond its flaws, however, is the elasticity of its metaphor. 

On one level, it’s a survival story. On another, it’s a sharp critique of how societies exploit youth, normalize violence, and turn suffering into a spectacle. Moviegoers might find some resemblance to “The Hunger Games,” stripped of glamor and reduced to its most primal form. The fact that the story still feels timely decades after King wrote it spoke volumes about its resonance.

Ultimately, “The Long Walk” is not a film you enjoy so much as one you endure— and that’s precisely why it’s worth watching. 

Its power lies in the way it forces you to share the walkers’ exhaustion, to sit with the monotony, and to question why you keep watching. 

Moviegoers will leave the theater drained but thoughtful, still turning over what it says about cruelty, resilience, and the human cost of spectacle.

 Overall, “The Longalk” is a 3.5 out of five. It’s well-acted, beautifully shot, and deeply unsettling. 

While its pacing may frustrate some viewers, and its final act may divide opinions, it is a faithful and affecting adaptation of King’s earliest nightmare. 

If you’re willing to take the journey, it’s a film that will walk with you long after the credits roll.