The Long Walk Review: “Horrifying in all the Ways That Matter”

Contents

At a lookProfessional’s RankingOur Verdict Performances to die forThe extra issues change, the extra they keep the identicalOught to You Watch The Lengthy Stroll?

At a look

Professional’s Ranking

Our Verdict

The long-awaited adaptation of Stephen King’s The Lengthy Stroll isn’t excited by being a page-for-page remake of the supply materials, as a substitute counting on the tag group of director Francis Lawrence and author JT Mollner to contemporize the story in order that it stands by itself advantage. Buoyed by unimaginable performances by the complete ensemble, 2025’s The Lengthy Stroll isn’t to be missed.

Stephen King’s The Lengthy Stroll (revealed underneath the pseudonym Richard Bachman) has lengthy been thought-about an unadaptable story.

The novel — King’s first written however sixth revealed — has had its rights within the arms of prolific filmmakers like George A. Romero and André Øvredal, spanning all the best way again to 1988 earlier than ultimately touchdown within the arms of Francis Lawrence in 2023. It was solely then that the 2025 launch lastly began to type, finally leading to a harrowing however deeply hopeful piece of artwork that may each give long-time followers the variation they’d hoped for and entice audiences who’ve by no means heard of the story, the dystopian story of their gory nightmares. 

In terms of diversifications, the primary query on potential audiences’ minds appears to be whether or not or not they’re “trustworthy,” however I’ve all the time discovered that’s the mistaken query to be asking. The higher query is, as a substitute, whether or not or not it does the supply materials justice, of which The Lengthy Stroll does in spades.

Faithfulness to the supply materials doesn’t appear to have been on author JT Mollner’s thoughts, and for good purpose. There are many modifications to King’s authentic story within the movie, however almost each single one among them improved the novel not simply within the shift from web page to display screen, however for our present political local weather as properly. 

Performances to die for

That leap from the web page to the silver display screen implies that The Lengthy Stroll lives and dies by its performances, of which there’s not a foul one within the bunch. Cooper Hoffman takes on the lead position of Raymond Garraty — although he and all of his companions are usually solely referred to by their final names or respective numbers all through the majority of the movie — through which he delivers his justifiable share of heartfelt and rage-fueled monologues alike.

There’s one particularly the place he discusses the sweetness and artwork his father shared with him that makes it not possible not to consider Hoffman’s father, the late, nice Philip Seymour Hoffman. More often than not, The Lengthy Stroll diminished me to tears by itself advantage, however that particular second had slightly extra weight behind it than I’d anticipated when coming into the movie, regardless of realizing precisely which character Hoffman was portraying. 

Hoffman and all of his costars every ship impeccable performances from begin to end, nevertheless it’s David Jonsson’s Peter McVries that runs (or I suppose walks at a reasonable tempo for a really, very very long time) away with the movie. McVries was modified from the supply materials in each large and small methods, all of which you need to expertise for your self and gained’t be spoiled right here, however these modifications gave the actor the power to make McVries unequivocally his personal. It’s these modifications coupled with Johnsson’s presence and unwavering empathy that make his efficiency in The Lengthy Stroll a profession finest.

The extra issues change, the extra they keep the identical

There’s rather a lot about The Lengthy Stroll that may really feel prefer it was tailor made for at the moment’s political local weather however, in that regard, little or no is modified from King’s authentic textual content. It’s as much as you to resolve whether or not or not that notion makes you wish to curl up underneath your mattress or head out into the streets and do one thing about it and, in that examination, you’ll discover the very query that makes The Lengthy Stroll tick.

Are you a Garraty, whose sole objective is to take down The Main (Mark Hamill) it doesn’t matter what it prices him, his mom or his compatriots? Or are you a McVries, who is aware of this world has all the time been run by merciless oligarchs searching for to pit us all towards one another, and the one technique to conquer them is thru perseverance and neighborhood? 

The thoughtfulness of that examination is juxtaposed towards The Lengthy Stroll’s brutal nature. The premise of the stroll is easy: you stroll at a tempo of three miles per hour (altered from King’s authentic 4 miles per hour) till you may’t stroll anymore. Dip underneath 3 miles? You get a warning. Get 3 warnings? Thirty seconds later, you’re useless, in lots of instances through a gunshot wound to the top, which The Lengthy Stroll showcases in nice element alongside its different gnarly killings.

If brains make you squeamish, I like to recommend you skip the popcorn on this one, but when sensible results of every kind delight you, you’re going to have an amazing time watching the work of the visible and particular results groups. 

One of many solely elements the place the movie lacks is that there’s merely no shopping for that any of those full-grown males are youngsters. Roman Griffin Davis (enjoying Curley right here, however you possible keep in mind him from Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit) is on the youthful aspect of the solid at 18. Although it’s not unusual for Hollywood to go along with adults for teen roles, a giant a part of what makes The Lengthy Stroll such a jarring story is that they’re a bunch of children who haven’t any enterprise collaborating in such a brutal affair.

The Starvation Video games franchise, in fact, did the identical factor (and is additionally directed by Francis Lawrence), however the fantastical and bombastic elements of the story permit for a broader suspension of disbelief, whereas the grounded nature of The Lengthy Stroll type of requires a bunch of kiddos. That’s garish, in fact, however the discomfort of that notion is the purpose. 

Nonetheless, given the performances delivered by The Lengthy Stroll’s exceptional ensemble, it’s laborious to get too caught up on the age factor. 

Ought to You Watch The Lengthy Stroll?

There are infinite diversifications of Stephen King’s many, many (many) novels. Some are nice, most are simply okay — as is the case for all artwork — and a few are absolute stinkers. Francis Lawrence’s The Lengthy Stroll falls underneath the “nice” class, securing itself a spot alongside IT (2017), Stand By Me (1986), and The Shawshank Redemption (1994).

It will not be horror in the best way that people new to King’s work might count on, nevertheless it stays horrifying in all of the ways in which matter. We are going to all be speaking about David Jonsson’s efficiency for an excellent, very long time. 

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