- Date of Release: 12 September 2025
- Genre: Horror
- Language: English
- Watch On: Theatres Only
The Long Walk
Introduction
I am admittedly a fan of cinematic parallels and the cold open of the new English film The Long Walk felt like a successor to the Iranian film Hit The Road (2021) in many ways, ofcourse in an alternate universe and setting. Just like how the character of the mother reluctantly bids her son a goodbye with a sense of an uncertain future, you are introduced to Mrs. Garraty (Jude Greer) who quietly holds on to her sentiments while bidding her son Garraty (Cooper Hoofman) a goodbye. It is revealed that Garatty’s name has popped up through a lottery system, much like 49 others to represent their state in an Annual Walking Contest hosted by The Major (Mark Hamill), who now forms the core of the Totalitarian regime of the United States Of America. It is implied that the country has been to war, probably a reference to the Vietnam War that saw most of the young officers being martryed. And this remains The Major’s way of shrugging the laziness amongst youth – by organizing a walking contest with a twist – the participants need to maintain a pace of 3 miles per hour or more failing which each of them would get three warnings before being given a ‘ticket’. And here, the ticket is a headshot across the face, a process that would continue until only one participant survives for a cash prize and a wish for himself!
Story & Screenplay
Based on the 1979 Stephen King novel by the same name, one of the early themes showcased in the drama remains that of the totalitarian government that in turn has its roots in capitalism. The fact that the character of The Major remains an unopposed entity in the political climate of the country that is reeking with poverty, paints a rather grim picture of the real-life scenarios of various countries in today’s times. And the same can be equated to capitalism – a la Squid-Game coded system wherein the rich pour in the money for brutal entertainment at the cost of the lives of the poor. And the other side of the story paints a haunting picture too – the poor are left with no choice but to oblige, and participate in the rat race with fatal consequences, just for the sake of a handful of money. It resembles the life of the corporate employees who indulge in the rat race until they are fired and replaced by newer folks, just like the annual walking contest here!
The dangers of the game are kept hidden for almost 20 minutes in the narrative, until a character named Curley (Roman Griffin Davis), a young teenager who had enrolled himself for ‘fun and games’ is given three warnings. The core trait of survival is represented in the form of a psychological horror given as the camera pans on his face as a closeup, before he is brutally shot through it. It is the kind of the spike in the narrative that keeps you engaged with the core theme of survival with the characters – even while providing no remorse to the viewers or the characters in the same breath. You witness a character defecating in the middle of the road, just before surviving a shot, another heckling his peer who ultimately is shot, and several who keep walking against the odds of hammy limbs.
One of the key aspects of the drama remains the characterization that drives two of the important themes of the film – survival and friendship. Here, we see Garraty befriending his peers in the race – an affable Baker (Tut Nyuot), a geeky but pleasant Olson (Ben Wang), and the ever so caring and empathetic Peter McVries aka Pete (David Jonsson). In fact, one of the driving aspects of the screenplay remains the bond that Garraty shares with Pete – with the former being a motivator for the group, often shouldering the drooping and tangled gait of his peers, and the latter being an emotional support for Garraty.
In a moving scene, it is revealed on how Garraty had decided to take part in this contest with a source of vengeance for the murder of his father at the hands of The Major – a character who was far too vocal in preaching anti-establishment sentiments to folks around him. In the same breath, it is Pete who tells him to take the money and quietly live a peaceful life with his mother, while putting his revenge sentiments to rest. You also see Pete telling him to live in the moment given what life is for, and if given a choice – to always choose love over hate (an interesting plot point that has an interesting recall value at the end). It is interesting how the long walk for the participants can be viewed as a metaphor for life too, or even a coming of age story with a timer too – with the participants knowing that death is evitable, and the strife of hand-picking the moments of joy in between!
The entire drama unfolds as a marathon episode of psychological horror with traces of compassion and humanity. The number of miles displayed only adds to the psychological and physical struggles of the participants that are preceded by a bout of helplessness. The only form of strength is the company of each other, something that results in a searing watch. So if Pete nearly saves Garraty from being shot right in front of his mother, you notice a sense of loneliness on the part of Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer) who continues to walk through the guilt of a fellow peer being shot because of him.
You also see Baker revealing early on, on how he would sit and await his turn to be shot when his body gives up – a plot-point that circles back at a later point in the race. There is Stebbins (Garrett Wareing) too, who holds a secret about the race and how he is repeatedly used as a ‘rabbit’ as opposed to a dignified human. This, whilst moments of suicide and failed counter-attacks riddle the narrative at regular intervals, even as you are emotionally invested in the characters.
It is interesting how the personalities of Garraty and Pete are interchangeable by the end of the race. Given that most of the race unfolds through the gaze of Garraty, you realise that he is a rebel of sorts with a strong sense of vengeance. In a sharp contrast, Pete has lived a hard life himself so much so that he understands the value of it in the smaller moments of conformism. And yet, these traits reverse at the end for both the characters in a shocking finale of sorts that is emotionally driven while steering away from the original ending of the book. Both characters meet with contrasting endings given the nature of the competition, but the metaphor for death finds come ground amidst a reversal of traits with respect to revenge and compassion. It is the sort of ending that stays with you long after the film has ended!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
This is a conversationally heavy film wherein the lines are used as a medium for building on the emotional core of the characters. So in a scene, when a character who is about to die tells another on whether he would give a cross to his grandmother, you feel the emotions in the scene. The same is true for the bond that Garraty and Pete share in the narrative too – one that builds over a period of time and the miles walked on the path of life. The core element of horror can be linked to the sound design – mostly reducing it to the sound of gunshots that are frightful and psychological in many ways.
The cinematography contributes to the immersive trait of the drama – with the use of close-up camera angles involving characters with gunshots, or the wide-angle shots of the terrain. In many ways, The Long Walk can also be labelled as a war film without the actual presence of war, where war itself remains a metaphor for an internal conflict or a psychological impact, that is ably represented through the frames. So you witness characters walking through extreme conditions of rainfall and physical exhaustion, whilst having to deal with psychological trauma of the loss of lives – even as the contrasting frames exhibit both facets of the drama brilliantly.
The editing pattern is immersive too – at times never shying away from the violence and gore in the narrative, while balancing it with out of focus gun-shots that allow you to stay in the moment and revel in the psychological impact that the drama caters to. Director Francis Lawrence who had previously directed the films of the Hunger Games franchise, is in top form here. He creates a simplistic setting of the race while accounting for the emotional core of the characters, something that leads to an immersive watch in many ways. Along the journey, you feel for the characters and their struggles while also being infuriated with the themes of the totalitarian regime. But it is interesting on how the you and the characters, both are helpless in the moment, something that is a huge victory for the director.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the members of the cast. Roman Griffin Davis as Curley is supremely impactful despite a limited screen time. Joshua Odjick as Parker and Jordan Gonzalez as Harkness have their moments to shine. Ben Wang as Olson and Tut Nyuot as Baker are wonderful to witness given how they use their physicalities to good effect in the narrative. Charlie Plummer as Barkovitch had to internalize his guilt and the loneliness of his character, and he does that to great effect. Garrett Wareing as Stebbins is a layered character who is aware of the BTS of the race along with a secret, and he maintains the dignity of his character really well. Judy Greer as Mrs Garraty constantly serves as a reminder for the emotional core of the drama, in a supremely moving performance. Mark Hamill as The Major is slightly one-dimensional but I felt it was deliberately done to represent the face of a totalitarian government that itself believes in the supreme power while coming across as a caricature.
David Jonsson as Peter McVries is such an affable character filled with compassion, and there is a sense of positivity lacing the proceedings, every time he appears onscreen. He is genuinely a character that will make you ponder on the smaller beauties of life, while putting forth a commendable act. Cooper Hoffman as Garraty is endearing and sincere with his act, a character driven by vengeance but also accounting for the humanitarian traits of his character. There is a sense of assertiveness in his demeanor along with a hint of softness that results in compassion, even as you witness a terrific coming of age drama with respect to his character. He was wonderful to witness in a character that stays with you after the film has ended.
Conclusion
The Long Walk is a brilliant psychological horror trudging the themes of a totalitarian regime, friendship, compassion and capitalism that results in an immersive watch. And because the emotional core of the drama is intact, the drama has a lingering impact on your psyche, something that stays with you, long after the film has ended. Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!