The Long Walk

Story: Set in a dystopian future, this film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel centers on an annual marathon with a deadly twist. A group of boys voluntarily compete in the Long Walk, where slowing down or stopping means being shot. The race must go on until only one survives. Who can you rely on when you must not only compete against each other but death?

Review: A future where laziness is an epidemic, young men choose to participate in a walking contest. There's a catch though. If victorious, they will be granted whatever they wish for. If not, they must die. A future devoid of hope—one that preys on the vulnerable and monetizes their misery—is a concept well explored in The Hunger Games and Squid Game. The Long Walk takes a similar road but focuses on deeper conversation over the obvious bloodshed. A slowburn survival saga, it largely works on a psychological level and gets you thinking. The walk gives the boys a clearer picture of what they wish for and what they actually need. It reminds them about their past and the choices that led them to the race. Themes like living in the moment and vengeance not being the answer, lie at the heart of the movie.

Young boys seem pretty upbeat about their arduous march at the start line, well aware of the consequences, versus their state as they approach the finish line -- the walk works as a metaphor for life itself. The conversation between the boys as they struggle to maintain their pace and risk being shot in the head, forms the story. Expect a lot of talk on the walk. So it's gruelling and monotonous but never static. Subtitles would've helped given the constant movement on camera and sound of their collective footsteps softening the dialogue.

Brotherhood and friendship are as integral to our survival as money, food or water. The conversation and friendship between Raymond Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson) as they hope to make it to the finish line is heartfelt. Atmospheric and bleak but captivating, The Long Walk, stays with you long after the credits roll.

With democracies turning dictatorial and the world facing economic crises, this film’s relevance goes beyond the surface. Witnessing this journey, which is open to interpretation, is as gruelling and intense for the audience as it is for the participants.