The title “The Long Walk” is about as perfectly named as a movie can be. Not only does it indicate what the story is about, but it also shows off the blunt and simple nature of the entire film, which is its greatest strength.
Based on the novel by Stephen King, “The Long Walk” follows a group of 50 teenage boys in a dystopian United States, who each represent a state. All that they have to do is walk until they can no more, with the winner receiving life-changing riches and the 49 losers being killed.
The simplicity of the concept is what makes the movie so effective. Just about the entire runtime is following teenage boys walking and talking, which sounds like it could be redundant and boring. However, it’s anything but.
Much of the reason for that is because of the expert filmmaking of director Francis Lawrence. Having directed movies like “I Am Legend” and the “Hunger Games” franchise, Lawrence is no stranger to dystopian-set dramas. That experience makes itself apparent, as his ability to capture this post-war United States is what makes the movie so immersive.
Lawrence’s direction also allows for a film that is mostly the same concept for the entire runtime to not feel repetitive. His way of shooting the different run-down and barren environments changes dramatically throughout the film, keeping the audience’s eyes and brain fresh.
Likewise, there are naturally only so many ways to shoot a group of people walking. However, Lawrence consistently finds innovative ways to portray such a large batch of characters. As the movie goes on and both the amount and morale of the remaining walkers dwindles, his direction coincides, creating isolating atmospheres for the contestants simply using his filmmaking expertise.
The movie’s ability to stay interesting for almost two hours is also a testament to the writing of JT Mollner, mainly because the dialogue remains interesting and engaging the whole time. This is important because for a movie about people walking and talking, the script acts as the crutch upon which the story leans.
Mollner’s screenplay is fresh and different, but most importantly brutal. He never shies away from depicting the most disturbing and gruesome moments associated with such a twisted contest, and that gives the audience a window to share in the discomfort of the walkers. Every kill is hard to watch and the high stakes never wane, creating a level of immersion that thrillers like this rarely achieve.
Despite the mastery both in direction and screenplay, the single best part about “The Long Walk” is its cast. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, who play the leading roles of Ray Garraty and Peter McVries respectively, both knock it out of the park.
Despite their newcomer status, Hoffman and Jonsson continue to establish themselves as rising Hollywood stars. They both get a lot of screen time together, and their relationship feels like the backbone of an already strong film.
The supporting cast is also great, as not only do almost all of the walkers get a chance to shine, but Mark Hamill steals the show as the Major when he’s on screen. Acting as the film’s antagonist and overseer of the competition, Hamill embraces the character’s chilling, cold-blooded nature and perfectly casts a looming shadow over the entire film with his performance.
Overall, there are a myriad of factors that turn “The Long Walk” into what it is. Whether it’s the direction, writing or performances, it all comes together in the end to create a final product that’s one of the best films of the year thus far.
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