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Summary A group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as The Long Walk, where they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot.
Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Written By: JT Mollner, Stephen King
The Long Walk
71
6.8
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Summary A group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as The Long Walk, where they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot.
Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Written By: JT Mollner, Stephen King
Where to Watch
Coming Soon
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
71
82% Positive
28 Reviews
28 Reviews
15% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
71
82% Positive
28 Reviews
28 Reviews
15% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Sep 2, 2025
The Long Walk is not for the faint of heart, but it is one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made, and one of the best dystopian sci-fi movies to hit the big screen in a really long time.
By Lauren Milici
FULL REVIEW
Sep 11, 2025
Attempted but abandoned by filmmakers from George A. Romero to King regular Frank Darabont, six decades after completion and 40 years after publication, now it crosses the finish line as one of the best King adaptations.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 198 User Ratings
6.8
70% Positive
139 Ratings
139 Ratings
18% Mixed
35 Ratings
35 Ratings
12% Negative
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 198 User Ratings
6.8
70% Positive
139 Ratings
139 Ratings
18% Mixed
35 Ratings
35 Ratings
12% Negative
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
Sep 4, 2025
Jonsson, despite some worrying initial forays into a twangy accent, is the stand-out as Peter, with his crumpled smile and his insistence on solidarity, however much it goes against the spirit of the competition.
Sep 11, 2025
The concept, in classic King fashion, is simple but alluring, and designed to explore the kind of adolescent male bonding the author honed in works like Stand by Me and IT.
Sep 2, 2025
The Long Walk offers a gripping premise, a lot of characters who feel more like loose sketches than fully-realized personalities, and a narrative that maybe has some minor pacing problems towards the end, but is pretty impossible to turn away from.
Sep 10, 2025
The result comes across like a cross between a buddy movie and a horror movie – a war movie without the war. Ultimately, it all comes down to the core relationships, so it’s just as well that Hoffman and Jonsson are both terrific; their stars are certain to rise further off the back of this.
Sep 12, 2025
The resolution’s both predictable and perfunctory. “Unsatisfying” comes with the package, and that goes for the movie itself — lazy pop psychology, underdeveloped sociology and psychology and an allegory that never comes close to sticking the landing.
Oct 20, 2025
The best Stephen King adaptation of all time. The characters and the environment feel like they are ripped straight out the pages and inserted onto the big screen, the changes are welcome as in my opinion they bring out more of the characters. The brutal reality really hits when they "Get Their Ticket Punched". If you dont mind gore i recommendhighly checking out "The Long Walk" as i think its worth mentioning it has cracked into my top 5 movies of all time.
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Nov 5, 2025
Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk reimagines dystopia through stillness rather than spectacle. It isn’t a story about blood, rebellion, or power — it’s about the quiet exhaustion of existence. Set in an alternate 1970s America where 100 teenage boys volunteer to walk until only one remains, the premise might sound like a game of endurance, but the film slowly reveals itself as something far more meditative.
The survival here isn’t physical alone — it’s emotional, ideological, and deeply human. As the boys walk, conversations replace confrontations. They discuss fear, memories, love, and the meaning of choice in a world where choice has already been taken from them. The idea of a “contest” becomes secondary to the relationships formed on the road — fragile, fleeting bonds that resemble brotherhood without reason.
The dystopian commentary, therefore, comes not from the mechanics of the world but from the vulnerability of the participants. Lawrence’s restraint allows space for reflection — how systems break people not just through violence, but through endurance.
The screenplay is grounded and character-driven. It doesn’t chase procedural tension — no countdowns, no grand eliminations — instead it focuses on the humanity of the walkers. Every conversation between Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson) feels like a breath stolen between exhaustion and awareness.
The writing balances minimalism with introspection. The rules of the walk are never overexplained; instead, the emphasis is on how each boy interprets them. Their reflections — on purpose, futility, and the strange comfort of companionship in despair — drive the narrative forward more than the walk itself.
Even the pacing mirrors the act of walking — steady, rhythmic, deliberate — where long silences carry more meaning than words. It’s a screenplay that resists dramatization, preferring emotional realism to cinematic urgency.
Cooper Hoffman’s Ray Garraty anchors the film with a performance that’s both gentle and raw. He brings empathy to a character burdened by choice — not a hero, not a rebel, just a boy walking toward understanding.
But it’s David Jonsson’s Peter McVries who becomes the film’s emotional compass. His calm intelligence, layered vulnerability, and slow unraveling make him the standout presence — he outshines most of the ensemble with effortless emotional control.
The rest of the walkers, though sketched briefly, feel real in their exhaustion and fear. The chemistry among them, the camaraderie in silence, and the inevitable goodbyes lend the story its emotional gravity.
Francis Lawrence trades the high-energy spectacle of The Hunger Games for something stripped-down and meditative. His direction treats every step as a confession — every silence as a statement. The tone remains consistently somber and reflective, occasionally drifting into spiritual territory.
The cinematography complements this vision — the endless road, the fading daylight, the quiet desolation of rural America — each frame grounding the narrative in harsh beauty. The visual motifs of dust, worn shoes, and the horizon serve as quiet metaphors for fatigue, mortality, and acceptance.
There are no grand set-pieces, only the intimacy of exhaustion. Yet that’s what makes The Long Walk haunting — it doesn’t demand your attention, it earns your empathy.
At its core, The Long Walk is about vulnerability disguised as endurance. It questions the price of survival and whether brotherhood can exist without agenda in a world ruled by systems of control. Themes of mindfulness, grief, and emotional honesty bleed through every step.
The “Raakshas” here isn’t the system alone — it’s the quiet acceptance of it. And yet, there’s hope in how these boys find connection amidst despair. The ending — both hopeful and ambiguous — feels earned, inviting reflection rather than closure.
The Long Walk isn’t designed to thrill; it’s built to linger. Its greatest strength lies in its performances and emotional restraint — the way it uses minimalism to say something profound about humanity.
Francis Lawrence delivers a slow, meditative adaptation that understands the power of silence. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson breathe life into Stephen King’s grim world, transforming a death march into a story about companionship, vulnerability, and the small, defiant act of continuing to walk.
It’s not about who wins — it’s about who still dares to care.
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Sep 28, 2025
Love the book but a lot was changed or didn't work in this adaptation. I recommend watching Battle Royale instead.
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Nov 8, 2025
Adapting Stephen King is clearly a tricky business, and one wonders why some filmmakers keep trying. Certain novels work only in written form for specific reasons — in this case, because the entire story revolves around people walking and talking. That makes for an engaging book but a disastrous film. The movie loosely follows the novel, changing many deaths and even the ending under the pretext of adding surprise — yet viewers came for an adaptation, not a reinvention. While changes can be necessary when adapting a book to film, they should serve a purpose; here, the real opportunity would’ve been to explore what happens outside the walk and expand the lore. In short, the book wasn’t great to begin with, and the movie is even worse — a shame, considering Mark Hamill delivers a strong performance.
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Production Company
- Lionsgate
- Manitoba Film and Video Tax Credit Program
- Media Capital Technologies
- Vertigo Entertainment
- about:blank
Release Date Sep 12, 2025
Duration 1 h 48 m
Rating R
Tagline The task is simple: Walk or Die
Website
https://www.thelongwalk.movie/
Awards
Astra Creative Arts Awards
• 3 Nominations
Astra Film Awards
• 2 Nominations
Elegant International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination