The Long Walk
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5)
Stephen King has written over 65 novels/novellas in his illustrious career. Over the years, his stories have become a treasure trove for filmmakers. Many of these movies have gone on to become classics and stand the test of time throughout the generations. The Long Walk was a novella from 1979 that he penned under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, labelling it as part of the Bachman Books series.
A tale set in an alternative, dystopian future of the United States, reminiscent of The Hunger Games, which was ruled by a totalitarian regime. This era is characterised by its poverty and a yearning for the nation's past glory, which remains heavily influenced by the media. An annual event is created where young men are randomly chosen by applicants from each state. They all come to participate in a walk along the highways where they must maintain a minimum pace that cannot stop, or they will be violently ‘eliminated’ from the contest. Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) finds himself amongst this motley crew of young men who hope to win the competition and gain promised riches at the finish line. Yet, they are kept under the watchful eye of The Major (Mark Hamill) and his secret police force known as the Squads. This journey becomes a test of mental toughness, physical strength and sheer human will as contestants fall to the arduous brutality of The Walk.
Trailer contains confronting content.
As political tensions rise around the world, the ascension of alternative futures dominate cinemas. From Alex Garland's Civil War to The Hunger Games series, audiences are bombarded with dystopian narratives that expose the disheartened and hopeless visions of humanity's time on this earth. Director Francis Lawrence (Hunger Games series) delivers a story reminiscent of numerous other narratives that envision how power can oppress U.S. citizens, leaving them to destroy one another to escape their lives. Yet, within this bleak prophetic perspective, King manages to delve deeply into life's bigger questions and offers a glimpse of mankind's yearning for connection with their fellow humans.
Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Charlie Plummer, and Ben Wan lead this cast of diverse characters, representing the next generation of acting talent. Their banter and delivery prove to be heartbreaking, inspiring and confronting on multiple levels that may seem unexpected from a film set in this depressed future. Yet, the questions and situations that these young men must face at the end of most of their lives contain a depth that will surprise and captivate audiences, despite the need to look away constantly with each participant's fall. Interestingly, the most compelling role went to the one female lead, Judy Greer, in her portrayal of Ray Garraty's mother. Her emotional commitment depicts the tragic side of the loss that comes with raising a child who is most likely facing their own death.
The Long Walk is brutal, visceral, and confronting on all levels, and will not appeal to those with sensitive dispositions. Still, the quality of the performances, direction, and writing shows why this story, written over four decades, still resonates in this modern era. The questions it raises are worth pondering, the warning it offers about the treatment of our fellow humans is undeniable, and the hope it seeks is one worth discovering beyond the world created in Stephen King's mind.
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Pulling back the curtain on dystopia
Discovering the fine line between dystopian films and Revelation Delve into the Pulling Back the Curtain on Dystopia series with Reel Dialogue's Russ Matthews.
Dystopian literature and films have infiltrated all genres of the media. These storylines are prolific in dictating how we see the future, influencing our emotions, heightening our fears, and even dictating our beliefs. Are these narratives similar or different from what we can know from the book of Revelation? Be a part of this four-part series where Russ Matthews (Reel Dialogue) will describe the similarities between the book of Revelation and dystopian films. He will examine the separation of these two worlds and explore what we gain from their similarities and differences.
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