By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"THE LONG WALK" TAKES ITS TIME AND YOURS
"The Long Walk," from director
Francis Lawrence ("The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,"), is adapted from
Stephen King's chilling 1979 novel of the same name.
The movie blends dystopian horror with psychological torment and plunges viewers into a brutal, survival contest featuring a group of mostly teen boys.
The rule is simple: keep walking--at no less than three miles per hour--or die. This nightmarish journey unfolds under the unyielding gaze of a cold, authoritarian figure known only as "The Major" (Mark Hamill, "The Sandman").
At the heart of the story are Cooper Hoffman ("Old Guy") as Raymond Garraty, aka, No. 47, and David Jonsson ("Rye Lane" and "Alien: Romulus") as the tough and guarded No. 23, Peter McVries.
Both actors initially capture the confusion, camaraderie, and quiet terror of their characters. However, as the film progresses, their dialogue--and that of the rest of the group--becomes increasingly repetitive and rather tiresome.
What starts as intriguing philosophical banter quickly turns into shallow back-and-forths that add little emotional depth or narrative momentum.
"The Long Walk" is undoubtedly disturbing, both in premise and execution. The parade of teens walking toward their inevitable doom is shocking and unsettling, but the film's insistence on visualizing every grim detail, especially the frequent, graphic kill shots feel less like an artistic choice and more like emotional bludgeoning.
The violence is relentless, and instead of reinforcing the horror of humanity and the world, it nearly numbs the audience to it. Rather than drawing you deeper into the characters' suffering, it often pushes you away.
There are also extended scenes of the boys relieving themselves--defecating and urinating along the road--which are meant to highlight the physical toll of the walk. But these moments come across as more gratuitous than gritty. There is a sense that the film wants to immerse audiences in every degrading and brutal aspect of this journey, but it does so at the cost of pacing, character development, and emotional engagement.
Instead of amplifying the tension, these scenes simply drag along.
Judy Greer (TV's "Stick") brings a brief but welcome emotional grounding to the film in her role as Raymond's mother. Her scenes, although limited, offer a glimpse of the world left behind and the personal stakes involved. Still, it's not enough to balance the film's heavy-handed bleakness. Despite her strong presence, the movie doesn't fully capitalizes on its quieter moments or on the emotional potential of its characters.
Although I haven't read the original Stephen King novel, this adaptation has made me somewhat curious to see how closely it follows the source material.
While "The Long Walk's" premise is undeniably intriguing, the film becomes a slog both figuratively and literally.
What should have been a thought-provoking psychological thriller ends up as an emotionally exhausting, repetitive trek with little reward at the finish line.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the
Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station
KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Look At This Trailer For
"THE LONG WALK"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards).
