150 Word Review: 'The Long Walk' (2025)
The firing squad
The gun violence in The Long Walk is graphic and gratuitous: multiple heads are blown away at point-blank range. At first, it's shocking. After an hour, you'll go numb. Maybe that's the point? This adaptation of an early Stephen King short story, about a near-future lottery where young men volunteer to hike until they collapse or stumble — and are then summarily executed —is high-concept and melodramatic.
The worldbuilding is sparse. Here's what we know: Americans are suffering economically, but once a year, the government offers riches to the survivor of The Long Walk.
Director Francis Lawrence keeps the movie marching forward. The ensemble is exceptional, especially our heroes, played by Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson. Mark Hamill is The Major, a gruff gameshow host in military garb. The boys are confident they'll win despite the odds. It's surprising, though, how surprised they are by the stakes—it's a national event.
So, it's kind of a Hunger Games for hikers? Without JLaw. And gee, who could ever get the idea that the good ol' US of A gummint would become a compassionless, mercenary force?