We will probably run out of helium, trees and clean drinking water before we run out of Stephen King stories to adapt to film. The guy has over 200 written pieces of work to his name, and there’s nothing Hollywood loves more than gobbling them up and spitting them out onto the screen. Heck, Carrie has three theatrical films, a musical and a television series currently in the works. 2025 certainly seems to be the year of Stephen King adaptations, as we’ve had The Life of Chuck and The Monkey earlier this year, with The Running Man getting ready to rip near the end of the year. But before that, we have The Long Walk, King’s first novel he ever wrote and the first adaptation of this work.

It’s a pretty simple premise. A dystopian United States ravaged by war and poverty holds an annual competition where young men can compete in a “last man standing” walking competition to win a huge cash prize and a wish of their choosing. If you fail to keep walking, you’re dead. We’ve seen countless films like this, where a destitute country engages in performative acts of brutality, like The Purge, Battle Royale and…oh yeah, The Running Man. But sometimes these kinds of films get too caught up in the grandeur of their situation, forgetting to find the real humanity underneath it all. Not The Long Walk though, as beneath all of its suffering and woe, it’s got a hell of a big heart.

Director Francis Lawrence, a director not all that unfamiliar with dystopian game shows, has delivered on an incredibly moving and effective story filled with comradery, reflection and brutality. Such a simple premise is given legs (no pun intended) thanks to a stellar cast composed of Hollywood’s future, a gripping sense of tension and a magnetic script that gives us the first Stephen King adaptation that has felt like a Stephen King work in a while. Its meditations on totalitarianism, masculinity and purpose may not be the most nuanced or earth shattering, but I think they’re no less poignant, especially for the world we live in today. These are one of my favorite happenstances in film; a movie comes out that I didn’t really have much of an intention to see that proves me dead wrong.

There’s a number of young men taking part in the walk, and the film does a great job at not only making them memorable and identifiable, but also giving them significant depth through enticing dialogue and sometimes shocking actions. The core of this film is wrapped around the relationship between Ray and Pete, played by Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson respectively. These two have been on the rise for a while now, and this acts as the perfect stage for them to show the world what they’re capable of. Both manage to be incredibly gripping with their words, while a genuine, undeniable sense of brotherhood begins to grow between them. Ray is more of a nihilist, but wishes to see change made in the world through the same way it ended up here: violence. Pete is much more optimistic, managing to see the beauty that still persists in a hellish world, believing these moments will be what saves everyone. Their differing views of the world and their intentions for the winnings are actually what ends up drawing them together, giving each different perspectives of the world, for good or for bad. It can’t be understanded how good these guys are, and I truly think they’ll be the linchpins to the future of Hollywood going forward. 

But you can’t just sell this thing on two great lead performances. Everyone else has to bring their A-game to fill out the rest of the roster, and that’s exactly what happens here. This thing is littered with memorable character performances that manage to replicate the same manner of speech and archetypes found in a lot of King’s works. Ben Wang, Charlie Plummer and Tut Nyuot are some of my favorites, with each feeling properly unique enough to inject some much needed variety into the discussions and events. Even the minor characters only meant to be canon fodder get their moments, making almost every death in this film capable of rattling your bones. As for Mark Hamill, who plays the authoritative Major who oversees the walk, I think he was just fine. He’s an obvious embodiment of the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps, pain is the best teacher” kind of mentality that surprisingly has very little presence in the film. He’s the orchestrator of it all and has a very personal connection to some of the characters, and I wish the idea of him felt a bit more haunting over the whole thing before being reminded that he’s more of a man than a symbol.

I was also not expecting this film to be as brutal as it was. Sure, I guess it was to be expected for a film where nearly everybody needs to die, but they do not pull punches at all. Kids are getting executed left and right, and the camera is making sure you see everything. I guess since the film is pretty cut and dry there’s not a ton of room or necessity for creative kills, so unflinching cranial destruction it is. That first kill sets the tone for the rest of the movie, and even though you know it’s coming, it doesn’t make it any easier to stomach. Definitely be prepared if you’re squeamish. Also, a lot of poop in this one. I guess the brain matter wasn’t gross enough.

Surprisingly enough, I think this is one of my favorite scripts of the year. While the story plays out more or less like you’d expect it to, it’s those character interactions that really sell it. Within the first few minutes, the film establishes everyone’s schtick and how they’re going to bounce off one another, and getting to see those characters grow and change is incredibly rewardingFor how bleak of a film this is, I was smiling through a whole lot of it, not just ‘cause I’m a sicko, but because the script is just so good at establishing comradery and brotherhood simply just through discussions. Ray and Pete are hosts to a lot of great back and forths that puts everything into perspective, finding a lot of universal feelings and ideas that aren’t exclusive to dystopia. Political change can happen in a variety of ways, from the selfish to the earnest. The film wants you to consider both, that hope will shine through the bleakness and that change can’t always come nobly. I’m not saying this is gonna radicalize anyone, but I think it’s still important to remember when people tell you change can only come through one avenue.

The Long Walk ended up being everything it needed to be; a tight, contemplative, harrowing journey across what it means to be a man. The cast can manage to make you smile as much as cry, while the haunting violence will stick with you throughout. It didn’t need to be anything more than this, and yet its handling with such care definitely hasn’t gone unnoticed. Better start doing those ankle raises now, just in case.

RATING

DREAMS OF GINNY

 If you plan on walking a casual few hundred miles for the good of your country, you want to make sure you’re staying hydrated. But this is a channel about drinking! Hydration and alcohol do not go hand in hand. But we can still stick with this theme by creating a cocktail that’s loaded with electrolyte-rich ingredients like orange, lemon and coconut water. So while I don’t recommend chugging one of these before your next marathon, you can at least be like me and sip this from your couch while saying “yeah, I could do that”.

INGREDIENTS

• 2oz gin
• 3/4oz orange juice
• 1oz coconut water
• 1/2oz lemon juice
• 1/4oz simple syrup
• 2-3 cucumber slices
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Pinch of salt
• Garnish: orange slice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add simple syrup and cucumbers to a cocktail shaker and muddle.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice.
3. Double strain into tall glass over ice.
4. Garnish with orange slice.