Movie Review: The Long Walk

The Long Walk is a 2025 American dystopian survival thriller film co-produced and directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by JT Mollner. Based on the 1979 novel by Stephen King (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman), the film stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill.

In a dystopian America under a totalitarian regime, a brutal annual walking contest known as The Long Walk is held. Fifty boys must maintain a speed of at least three miles per hour or face execution if they slow down. The contest continues until only one remains, rewarded with “The Prize,” granting them anything they desire.

First of all, I have to say the movie really lives up to its title, it is one long walk. To be honest, not every novel should be adapted into a film, and this is a prime example. I can imagine reading the book would be far more engaging, as the premise allows your imagination to fill in the tension and despair of these boys walking endlessly until only one survives. But on the big screen? There’s really not much to see beyond a group of boys walking and getting shot when they fall behind.

The movie attempts to build emotional weight through the friendships between the main characters, but beyond that, there isn’t much to keep you hooked. Sure, the kills were brutal and sometimes shocking, but nothing that stood out in a meaningful way.

And then there’s the ending. After walking through this long journey alongside them, I felt underwhelmed by where it all concluded. Honestly, this one should have just gone straight to streaming, it doesn’t quite justify the big screen treatment.

I’m giving The Long Walk a 4/10, and that’s mostly because the deaths were cool.