Film Review: The Long Walk

Stephen King, the master of horror, is known for his horror films but he has delved into other genres before. Some of which have been translated to the big screen such as the recent The Life of Chuck and then you have the classic The Shawshank Redemption. King has a library full of material and his latest work to be adapted for the big screen is ironically then his first story he ever came up with, but not the first one published. The Long Walk is a dystopian look at a group of young adults forced to walk until only one of them is left walking. The winner gets a wish and a cash prize. The concept is ripe for invention and promises a gripping story, but does it translate well to the big screen?

Filmmaker Francis Lawrence has a keen eye for dystopian fiction. I Am Legend and The Hunger Games series prove this. In fact The Long Walk shares a lot of elements from The Hunger Games series. In a military controlled future, the government attempt to give a sense of freedom to the young public by promising untold riches and a hefty wish to the one who succeeds on this three-hundred plus mile walk. Lawrence has a great cast behind his back as well. Mark Hamill revels up the screen as the Major, the man leading the walk and making sure those who can’t walk suffer the price of defeat, which equals death. It is these moments that make you reflect on Squid Game, which could have possibly been influenced from the original novel King wrote. David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang and others play the young cast walking.

Walking is not an exciting thing to watch on the big screen and that soon becomes apparent within the first ten minutes or so. The whole film is rooted in dialogue and exposition that you can’t help but feel like a film version of this story was rather pointless. The character development comes in pretty late in the film, there is very few diversions, shocks or side stories to focus on and the result is a very middling marathon. It is a shame to see an author such as King and a filmmaker like Lawrence bring out a film with little energy or excitement, but yet that is what has happened. The stakes aren’t raised too high and it sometimes feels like you’re watching paint dry.

There is plenty of heart involved and when we get into learning about the characters we soon find out the reason why some of these boys have taken this painful pilgrimage. The reveals are nothing too exciting and the backstories feel more exciting than the central conceit. The result is a film that ironically goes nowhere. The ending is satisfying but not unexpected, and the outcome makes you feel a tad underwhelmed. It is a bold attempt and maybe some extra padding or elements could have helped the story but this is one King story that fails to meet the standards or expectations as his previous ones.

★★☆☆☆

2/5

Final Verdict:

The Long Walk definitely feels better as a novel than a film. A movie about walking just doesn’t entice enough excitement. It is ironically slow and the characters take too much time to develop, and by the end you don’t really feel that attached to anyone despite some strong performances. Filmmaker Francis Lawrence does his best but the material is just too thin to visualise on the big screen. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson excel in their roles and Mark Hamill plays a convincing Major. It looks like Stephen King should stick to horrors and fears for his stories, for what was meant to be a dystopian allegory turns into a muddling misery.

Thanks for reading today’s blog!

Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions