Movie Review: The Long Walk

For many of us, walking is a great way to get fresh air and exercise—to improve both our physical and mental health. But for the young men in The Long Walk, walking isn’t just a healthy option—it’s a matter of life and death.

The Long Walk finds a group of men, each representing his home state, gathering to compete in the country’s annual Long Walk. The rules are simple: stay on the road and maintain a speed of at least three miles per hour. Those who drop below the required speed are given three warnings before being shot and left behind, while the last man walking receives untold riches and is granted one wish. And as the competitors pass mile after mile, day after day, they build friendships that change their perspectives on life and the walk.

While the premise here feels incredibly Hunger Games-like (and the film was even directed by Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence), the competitors who meet up at the starting line aren’t dreading the experience; they’re excited to get started. They’re all sure that they’re going to win—that they’ll finish the walk and inspire the nation and also become incredibly rich while the rest of the country is experiencing extreme financial hardship. They’re fired up by the growling Major (Mark Hamill), who runs the competition. They make friends and talk about how they’ll use their wish. It’s almost as if they’re just out for a walk with some buddies. But once the first walker is killed, everything takes a very sharp turn.

As the miles pass, there’s a lot more talk—a lot of revelations and camaraderie and stories that will give audiences a lot to think about along the way. Viewers get to know main character, Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman), and his lovable band of walking buddies—as well as some of the others. Yet, despite all of the characters’ conversations, there’s a very real feeling of dread underneath it all. Just one of these men will make it out alive—which is stressed more and more with each chilling death. And when it all comes to an end, its conclusion will leave viewers speechless.

More than just another horror flick about a bunch of guys in life-or-death competition, The Long Walk is both dramatic and haunting—dark and chilling but thought-provoking, too—the kind of film that will leave you with a whole lot to unpack as you leave the theater.

Pros:
– Lots and lots of walking!
– Interesting characters
– Gives viewers a lot to think about

Cons:
– Dark and violent and sometimes graphic

The Long Walk is currently playing in theaters.

(Pssst! Did you know that I review movies every week? You can find my reviews on Reel Discovery.)