A Non-Spoiler Review of “The Long Walk” by Chris “Boogie” Brown.

The Long Walk is the most recent Stephen King adaptation, directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, The Hunger Games franchise). Led by Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Ben Wang and Mark Hamill, the story follows 50 males chosen for a brutal annual strolling competitors enforced by a fascist authorities.

The guidelines are ruthless: preserve a tempo of no less than three miles per hour or be executed on the spot by an armed militia. Contestants obtain three warnings for slowing down or stopping earlier than they’re killed. With no end line in sight, the final man standing wins a want of his selecting and a fortune.

For transparency, I’ve by no means learn King’s novel, so I can’t communicate on how correct the difference is. But as a movie, I discovered it totally engrossing from starting to finish. Bleak and relentless, The Long Walk succeeds as a tense and claustrophobic survival drama that locks the viewers into the agony of the walkers’ journey.

At one hour and 48 minutes, Lawrence ensures viewers really feel each step, each emotion and each bond shaped among the many opponents. The dread is unshakable as survival grows more and more pricey, each bodily and emotionally. The violence is unflinching, executions and accidents are depicted with graphic depth that simply earns the movie its laborious R score.

Despite the darkness, screenwriter JT Mollner weaves in glints of humanity, humor and resistance. Though the timeline is ambiguous, the setting is an alternate dystopian America beneath authoritarian rule. The script layers commentary on energy, survival, class and the resilience of the human spirit.

The forged is powerful throughout the board. Mark Hamill is chilling as The Major, the militia chief. Ben Wang brings comedian reduction as Hank Olsen, whereas Tut Nyuot delivers heat and humor as Arthur Baker. Cooper Hoffman grounds the movie as Ray Garraty, giving a efficiency filled with quiet ache. But it’s David Jonsson as Peter McVries, who emerges because the movie’s powerhouse. Jonsson delivers wit, compassion and heartbreak in equal measure, constructing on the promise he confirmed in final yr’s Alien Romulus. His presence right here is magnetic.

As for critiques, the movie’s unrelenting bleakness could alienate viewers on the lookout for a extra uplifting or historically entertaining journey. This is just not a film that leaves you feeling good when the credit roll—it’s designed to unsettle. The conclusion, whereas definitive, may strike some as muddled in execution. Without figuring out the supply materials, I can’t say whether or not that’s a flaw of adaptation or intent.

Overall, The Long Walk is a standout in a yr of robust cinema. With its stripped-down premise, sharp course, immersive sound design, haunting rating and stellar performances, it stands as probably the most riveting psychological horror movies of 2025.

The Long Walk opens in theaters Friday (September 12). Highly really helpful for followers of dystopian thrillers or Stephen King variations.

Rating: 4/5

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