Based on one of the first novels written by renowned thriller writer, Stephen King, The Long Walk takes place in a dystopian, alternate version of America and follows a group of fifty teenage boys that enter a competition where they must walk endlessly at a three mile per hour pace. Anyone who stops or slows down is killed, and there can only be one winner. The first thing I thought of when I first heard of this story was how similar this premise was to The Hunger Games. Ironically enough, not only is the director of the Hunger Games films also responsible for directing this film, but it also shares its theme of sacrificing human life for the sake of authoritarian entertainment/propaganda. Although the current political climate of the world The Long Walk takes place in is never explicitly stated, this film’s world building is masterfully done through the thought provoking dialogue between the characters, the grim set pieces throughout the film, and the environmental storytelling. Honestly, the fact that the winner of this deadly competition wins an enormous cash price along with any wish they desire is enough to show audiences how twisted this world is. Speaking of the dialogue and the characters, despite how extremely brutal and visceral the violence in this movie is, and despite every characters’ difference in upbringing and background, the comradery between these teenagers felt so genuine and heartfelt that every loss was more heartbreaking than the last. The performances from the entire cast were incredible, and the films message of resilience in the face adversity is extremely prevalent. I can’t stress enough how brutal this movie is. It gets pretty insane and hard to watch at times. I will also say that the ending fell a little flat in comparison to the journey we watched these characters go on. However, this is still easily one of the best and most emotionally resonant films I’ve seen this year and I can’t recommend it enough. Score: 8/10
