“Clerks II’s” Randall broke down the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy as “a bunch of people walking” for three long films.
It’s crude, but he has a point.
That’s essentially what you get with “The Long Walk,” the belated Stephen King adaptation that doubles as the year’s heaviest film sit.
You don’t enter a King yarn expecting fluff, but even by the horror maestro’s standards, this takes an emotional toll. That isn’t meant to chase viewers away. “The Long Walk” is a profound experience, thanks to a strong cast and a screenplay that honors King’s voice and imagination.
Young Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) leaves his grief-stricken Ma (Judy Greer, effective in limited screen time) to join The Long Walk. It’s a ritual where young men take a stroll with no end. No bathroom breaks. No time-outs.
The winner, or the last walker to quit, receives untold riches.
The loser, meaning every other participant, gets a bullet in the brain.
Gulp.
Yeah, this is Dystopia 101, yet the contestants are surprisingly chipper. They quickly form friendships, help one another when they stumble and mourn when a contestant succumbs to the rules.
Mostly.
The Major (an unnerving Mark Hamill) oversees the walk along with several armed guards who follow contestants every step of the way. His bark is as bad as his bite, and the veteran voice actor uses his gifts in a way that will haunt audiences.
The King source material dates back to the 1960s, even if it first hit bookstores a decade later. The Vietnam War parallels couldn’t be more obvious. So, too, are notions of income inequality and a steel-toed government that brooks no dissent.
TDS sufferers will pin some of the morbid themes on a certain world leader, but any ties to 2025 are purely imaginary.
The story of David Jonsson’s new film The Long Walk is timeless.
“Stephen King knew this would always be about the people [versus the state],” he tells Empire, “and as long as we have a state, this story will always be relevant.”
Read the interview: https://t.co/au3SD1fbs2 pic.twitter.com/E3bcbwKbl1
— Empire (@empiremagazine) August 14, 2025
Director Francis Lawrence (“The Hunger Games”) keeps the time period purposely vague. We get few distinct cues beyond brief world-building nods. The walk is shown on television and some Americans wait by the roadside to watch the walkers shuffle toward their doom.
Hamill’s impact is immediate, and his character plays a pivotal role in one character’s life. Yet “The Long Walk” spends far too much time with him off-screen. That’s a mistake. So, too, is downplaying how and why audiences flock to the contest.
No, we don’t need a “Running Man”-style commentary about why we love to see pain and suffering. Still, it might have added a visual component to a film that’s stripped down to its core.
Walking, with apologies to Randall.
That doesn’t make the movie any less engrossing, and Hoffman’s performance is the Everyman anchor we crave. The real standout here is David Jonsson (“Alien: Romulus”) as Peter McVries. He’s the unofficial heart of the story, a soul who sees the Walk as a chance to cherish every moment we have left on Earth.
That sentiment radiates from “The Long Walk” despite its bleak nature. Cherish the now. Be kind to your fellow man. Hug your loved ones. And, if you’re unlucky enough to star in a King adaptation, know that time is running short.
Always.
HiT or Miss: “The Long Walk” is life-affirming and dire, a contradiction that delivers a compelling time in the theater.