There was a long period where Stephen King’s dystopian novella The Long Walk was considered unfilmable. Failed attempts at adapting the story go back over 40 years; legends like George A. Romero and Frank Darabont have tried and failed at some point in their careers. Truthfully, the idea of a life-or-death walking marathon is not a story that easily lends itself to a cinematic form. However, not only did Strange Darling writer JT Mollner and Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence film the unfilmable, they completely knocked it out the park.
The story takes place in an alternate United States, where an unnamed war has left the country struggling economically. To motivate the population, the government decides to hold The Long Walk: an annual televised contest wherein 50 young men—1 per state—must constantly keep walking at a minimum of 3 miles per hour, no matter what. Any slower and they receive a warning. Three warnings (or any attempt to escape) and they are killed on the spot. The last one standing receives a substantial amount of cash and any wish of their choosing.
The Long Walk wastes little time introducing us to our central group of characters in this year’s Walk. We’re first introduced to Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman), a teenager who carries deep personal investment in entering and winning the competition, despite his mother’s (Judy Greer) desperate pleas. Garraty quickly befriends the kind Peter McVries (David Jonsson) as well as God-fearing Arthur Baker (Tut Nyuot), and wisecracking motormouth Hank Olson (Ben Wang), and you get endeared to the quartet’s Musketeers-like camaraderie immediately. Other notable contestants include quiet athlete Stebbins (Garret Wareing), obnoxious bully Gary Barkovich (Charlie Plummer), and nervous youngster Curley (Roman Griffin-Davis), to name a few.
The original novella was the first King ever wrote, albeit released later under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. The nihilistic tale reflected attitudes toward the Vietnam War, something that is well recaptured in the film’s 70’s-esque production and costume design, Jo Willems’ cinematography, and even in the characters’ personalities and dialect. You can place all these characters into Apocalypse Now and nothing would change. They even all carry their numbers around them like dog tags. It’s all about these young men being promised glory, only to be sent to a metaphorical meat grinder.
“And don’t get it twisted: The Long Walk is VERY bleak. Lawrence does not shy away from how unapologetically mean the deaths in the film can be.”
And don’t get it twisted: The Long Walk is VERY bleak. Lawrence does not shy away from how unapologetically mean the deaths in the film can be. Doesn’t matter if it’s due to broken limbs, allergies, fatigue or just a need to take a dump; there’s no reprieve whatsoever. When they die, they die horribly. It doesn’t revel in the graphic details, they’re just displayed as matter-of-fact as possible. There’s not even a point where the deaths have time to lose their impact, a sentiment echoed by the main characters. If anything, it becomes even more heartbreaking as their bodies and minds slowly begin to break down as the days go by. By the time the third act goes around, the earliest deaths feel like mercy by comparison.
What salvages this from being completely punishing, one of the film’s strongest attributes, is how every single one of these characters are compelling in their own right. The main group of walkers feel fleshed out but the film even gets you to emotionally invest in even the smaller nameless characters who only get a few scenes before getting killed off.
Garraty and McVries’ close bond in particular is the film’s emotional centerpiece, and their conflicting outlooks on the world they live in are both well-written and realized by co-leads Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson. Hoffman carries most of the film on his shoulders with his charismatic and layered performance but it’s Jonsson in particular that shows why he’s one of the best rising actors of his generation.
“The Long Walk is a film I haven’t stopped thinking about since I saw it.”
That’s not to discount the rest of the film’s ensemble cast. Ben Wang provides the film’s best doses of comic relief, especially in the first half. Charlie Plummer’s performance as the obnoxious Barkovitz feels significantly more humanized than a lot of King’s bully characters tend to be. Even Judy Greer managed to tear my heart to pieces in her few scenes.
The only particular weak link in the ensemble is Mark Hamill as a military leader only known as The Major. He isn’t awful, but his constantly barking delivery feels cartoonish and slightly out of step with everyone else.
The Long Walk is a film I haven’t stopped thinking about since I saw it. Even with how horrifyingly brutal it gets, its strong focus on character work helps the film never lose its humanity. It’s a movie I did not expect to feel so moved by. It’s one of the best movies of the year, bar none.
