In a dystopian version of the late 1970s, an autocratic leader has seized power in the United States after a brutal civil war. One of the "circuses" he uses to keep the populace entertained is the Long Walk, a competition in which 50 young men must walk without stop at a pace of at least three miles per hour until all but one remains -- the others being executed along the way if they fail to heed "warnings" to keep pace. Contestant 47, Ray Garraty, has a deeply personal reason to participate -- and big plans with the "wish" he'll be granted if he wins. But he doesn't plan on the friendships he forges with other Walkers along the way.
With Stephen King's writing almost always a hit on page and screen, you should probably be wary of any of his stories that hasn't been adapted for film; there's probably a reason. As a book, The Long Walk plays mostly as internal monologue, with little variation and even less doubt about how it might all end. It's not the most "unadaptable" story in King's collection (Mike Flanagan got to that), but it's close. Though it may have worked out the way it was meant to, with this tale about a fascist regime normalizing the ghastly arriving in theaters in this particular moment.
In a way, the movie version of The Long Walk has it easier than the book. It has to sustain the premise not for hundreds of pages, but only two-or-so hours (and indeed, clocks in at 108 minutes). But at the same time, it has it harder, as it must also maintain visual variety in a story that's just set on mile after mile of endless road. Director Francis Lawrence is well aware of this (and knows a thing or two about dystopic competitions). The movie makes great use of location shooting, and makes sure to deploy every possible camera placement (at the right moments) in the telling of the story.
As for the "unadaptable" part, screen writer JT Mollner is well aware of the issues he faces. He's given the protagonist Ray an extra motivation here that wasn't present in the book, increasing the stakes and allowing for a few flashbacks to break up the story. But also, he doesn't feel obligated to put every passing thought that went through Ray's head in the book into his screenplay; instead, he seizes the opportunity to build up other characters, especially Peter McVries.
As for the feeling that you know how this story is going to end? Mollner takes that on too. Stephen King is famously slapdash with some of his endings, and his novel The Long Walk is decidedly meh in that regard: more poetic and thematic than satisfying. I really don't want to spoil the movie at all, but Stephen King has long been open to adaptations that end differently from his original material, and he was open to that again here.
Except... if I can take one paragraph to get a bit spoilery (so skip ahead if you want to), I'll say that the new ending definitely makes you think in a particularly topical way about how to oppose fascism. (The movie is specifically timely in a way its makers could never have known.) I'm reminded of a subplot from Saving Private Ryan that made a big impact on me. (Here's a link to the time I wrote about that, but seriously -- if you go read that, it will absolutely spoil the ending of The Long Walk, if you haven't figured it out already.)
The movie is anchored by several strong performances. You might say that Cooper Hoffman got this role as the "nepo baby" of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, but he's absolutely as natural on camera as his father was, and is a relatable anchor for the story. David Jonsson is excellent as Peter, a beacon of light in dark times, who makes clear the effort it takes to be a person like that. Meanwhile, Mark Hamill is giving a fun turn as the villainous "Major."
I give The Long Walk a B. It's a heavy but well-made tale, and does a credible job in adapting an "unadaptable" story.
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