Dir: 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
This emotional and deeply affecting adaptation of Stephen King’s dystopian novel gruellingly explores the depths of human endurance, elevated by unforgettable performances from Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson
American author Stephen King, best known for his mastery of horror, stands as one of the most prolific and recognisable figures in modern literature. At 77, he has crafted 65 novels and more than 200 short stories over a remarkable fifty-year career. His stories seem almost destined for adaptation, often leaping effortlessly from page to screen. In fact, the sheer number of film and television projects inspired by King’s imagination is staggering, and while it is almost impossible to keep count of how much of his huge body of work has been adapted, some estimate it soaring well above one hundred. These include 56 feature films, excluding direct-to-video releases and enduring franchises such as “Children of the Corn”.
While King’s name conjures images of chilling horror classics like “It” and “The Shining”, some of the most beloved adaptations spring from his more heartfelt and hopeful stories. Prison dramas like “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile”, along with the iconic coming-of-age film “Stand By Me”, showcase the emotional depth woven into his work. King’s influence shows no sign of waning, with four new feature films arriving in cinemas in 2025 alone. Today marks the release of the third, “The Long Walk”, following the releases of “The Monkey” and “The Life of Chuck” earlier in the year.
Fans have long awaited a film adaptation of this novel, which King originally wrote under the name Richard Bachman. Over the years, acclaimed filmmakers like George A. Romero and Frank Darabont have considered bringing it to life. Although published in 1979, “The Long Walk” was actually King’s first novel, begun in 1966 during his freshman year at the University of Maine, nearly a decade before his first published novel, “Carrie”. Now, nearly sixty years after its inception, “The Long Walk” finally steps onto the big screen, guided by director Francis Lawrence, whose experience with dystopian worlds and life-or-death reality competitions, having directed five films in “The Hunger Games” series, makes him a fitting choice for the project.
As an avid fan of the novel, having read it in my youth, I have been highly anticipating the film’s release, particularly following the announcement that filmmaker JT Mollner had signed on to write the movie’s screenplay. Mollner, who has very few writing and directing credits to his name to date, had a major breakout in 2024 with the horror-thriller “Strange Darling”, one of the most narratively impressive genre pieces of recent years, assuring me that this adaptation of King’s novel, fifty-nine years in the making, was in safe hands.
“The Long Walk” treads a path similar to “The Hunger Games,” of which modern audiences may be more familiar, drawing from King’s chilling vision to portray a lethal reality competition crafted by a ruthless regime. In a bleak, war-ravaged America, the annual walk is broadcast as both a spectacle and a warning, designed to spark ambition while sowing terror. Young men, desperate for a future in an economically shattered nation, are almost compelled to volunteer, despite the walk not being compulsory. Fifty contenders, each representing a state, must keep moving at a pace of at least 3 miles per hour, knowing that even a moment’s hesitation could result in their execution. There is no finish line—only the grim certainty that the walk will end when a single survivor remains, rewarded with unimaginable wealth and the granting of one wish of their choosing.
Having successfully applied to compete in the walk, Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) arrives at the starting line in his home state of Maine, reducing his recently widowed mother (Judy Greer) to tears. Throughout the walk, Ray befriends a handful of his fellow walkers, including the sardonic Peter McVries (David Jonsson), the religious Arthur Baker (Tut Nyout), and the cocky Hank Olson (Ben Wang), who brand themselves the Musketeers. Other contestants include the mentally unstable Gary Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer), the enigmatic and physically intimidating Stebbins (Garrett Wareing), and Curly (Roman Griffin Davis), who has lied about being of age to compete.
The fifty young men set off on their journey buoyed by hope and bravado, but their optimism quickly fades as the grim reality sets in. One by one, walkers fall under the watchful eyes and rifles of the surrounding military patrol, commanded by the cold and methodical Major (Mark Hamill), who looms over the event as the Orwellian figurehead of the regime’s iron grip on the nation.
After being majorly disappointed by Mike Flanagan‘s TIFF People’s Choice Award winner “The Life of Chuck”, the last King adaptation to hit theatres, I am relieved and thrilled to report that “The Long Walk” is not only the standout King adaptation of the year, but also stands tall among the finest cinematic interpretations of his work ever made. The film’s unflinching bleakness and brutal bursts of violence may overwhelm some viewers, yet its political message, conceived six decades ago, still echoes with chilling relevance as we move deeper into the twenty-first century. King penned “The Long Walk” during a period of turmoil in America, as the nation grappled with the fallout of the Vietnam War—a conflict that, like the novel itself, saw countless young men sacrificed, lured under false pretences by American propaganda.
Today, even without a declared war, America finds itself locked in fierce battles over gun culture, religion, cultural identity, and the ever-shifting landscape of immigration. The nation’s most visible fault line runs through the figure of Donald Trump, whose presidency continues to spark heated debate and division. Recent events, like the stabbing of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska and the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, have only deepened the rift, leaving the country fraying at the edges. Some political commentators, sounding the alarm, warn of a looming civil war. While I doubt things will spiral quite that far, the nation feels battered and bruised, making the fractured, dystopian America of “The Long Walk” feel eerily close to home.
The film’s relentless darkness, the gut-wrenching executions, and the emotional toll of losing characters you’ve grown to care for make “The Long Walk” a harrowing, sometimes punishing watch. Yet, beneath the bleakness, the story pulses with a fierce sense of endurance and flickers of hope. The friendships that blossom among the competitors, even as they march toward inevitable heartbreak, offer moments of warmth and humanity. The young cast’s electric chemistry and camaraderie amplify the emotional stakes, delivering scenes that truly devastate. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, in particular, shine as the film’s co-leads, further cementing themselves as rising stars to watch.
Standing in stark contrast to the young cast’s emotional performances is Mark Hamill’s fascinating and rare villainous turn as The Major. Cloaked behind ever-present sunglasses, even when night falls and the air chills, Hamill’s character exudes a cold, calculated menace. He appears at ominous intervals along the walk, delivering the regime’s relentless propaganda to the exhausted, unravelling competitors, embodying the chilling face of authoritarian control.
The Verdict:
Bleak in both vision and theme, this harrowing adaptation of Stephen King’s dystopian novel lingers in the mind, its relevance undimmed even after sixty years. David Jonsson and Cooper Hoffman deliver riveting performances, anchoring “The Long Walk” as a hypnotic experience, even as the relentless march and the tragic fates of the young men unfold before our eyes.
The Long Walk is now showing in UK Cinemas
Dan Loves Film 
Great review as always…
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