The Long Walk, directed by Francis Lawrence, is in cinemas now.
Stephen King’s 1979 novel, a grim tale of teenage boys on a death march, is brought to the screen by The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence, who knows a thing or two about children being killed for sport.
It’s a sad and seemingly nihilistic story set in the dystopian future of a totalitarian America. Each year, 50 young men are invited to walk non-stop through day and night for as many miles as it takes for their number to be reduced to one. The winner gets a large sum of money and is granted any wish they like.
Two boys compelled to compete are Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman, son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who appeared in the Hunger Games trilogy) and Peter McVries (played by Alien: Romulus star David Jonsson). The only son of a widowed mother, Ray has personal reasons for making the trek, while McVries appears more carefree – an orphan with an eye on the prize and nothing to lose.
The trek is overseen by Mark Hamill’s sadistic major and his squad of soldiers, with slow-rolling armoured cars. There’s a minimum walking speed and those who falter face execution. Published under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, The Long Walk feels like YA literature of the Stand By Me era, and there’s a certain charm to the film’s olden-times banter and period costuming.
Screenwriter JT Mollner is mostly faithful to the book until there’s a significant departure as the boys are whittled down. This doesn’t disadvantage the film, but it does seem too old-fashioned for the youth of today, who could really do with hearing the script’s messages about loyalty, regret and the need for friendship.
That said, this wordy story told on a one-road location is engrossing, thanks to assured performances from Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) and British actor Jonsson. Unlike The Hunger Games, Lawrence doesn’t pull the camera away from showing young people being shot at point-blank range for unjust reasons. Although this is startling and often feels too much, it’s a brave illustration of the fruitless task these desperate teens are undertaking.
Rating out of five: ★★★½
