THE LONG WALK
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Ben Wang, Tut Nyuot, Garrett Wareing, Charlie Plummer, Joshua Odjick, Mark Hamill, and Judy Greer
Director: Francis Lawrence
NICK
The Long Walk is the first novel Stephen King ever wrote, and it might be among the best and most visceral film adaptations of his work. A departure from some of King’s more traditional horror, this is a story about brotherhood, camaraderie, and war. The reason this film works so well is the way it’s steeped in honesty and humanity. You’re instantly invested in the lives of many of the walk’s participants, especially Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson’s characters, and, most importantly, the killings are never glorified. Yes, Mark Hamill can be a little too cartoony, but otherwise this is a triumph.
AMARÚ
The Long Walk is a fever dream narrated by a voice you’d expect to hear in such a delirious state. Mark Hamill’s hyperbolic tones are a perfect sensationalistic backdrop to this darkly beautiful, if far from subtle, film about moments: heartfelt moments with friends, harrowing moments of death, and all those in between when confronted with the absurdist moments of fractured societies. Amongst it all are two of the best young actors working today, a warmly sincere Cooper Hoffman and the absolute powerhouse that is David Jonsson. Their performances, atop a killer ensemble, make the somewhat overdramatic, hammered-home messaging an afterthought to its genuinely dynamic emotion.
PAIGE
While The Long Walk is a bleak and daunting thrill ride (or shall I say thrill walk?), I walked away surprisingly moved and captivated by its sincerity and emotional depth. The story is a bit tedious and predictable, but the tender moments we get with this stellar ensemble, led by David Jonsson and Cooper Hoffman, elevate the experience to the next level. Director Francis Lawrence and writer JT Mollner clearly made every moment count, and despite the emotional journey these characters endure, it’s the bonds they make along the way that make this story stick with you. The Long Walk is yet another Stephen King adaptation worth seeing on the big screen.
ROBERT
When kids are battling for survival within a contest sponsored by a militaristic government in a dystopian future, who better to deliver it than the man responsible for helming most of the cinematic Hunger Games? Francis Lawrence was made to bring The Long Walk to the big screen, doing so with a cast of boys hardened in a dreary world like Stand by Me or It. The standout is David Jonsson, who always seems in control yet never confident, but everyone coalesces well and exudes a great balance of push and pull with each other. Make sure you run, not walk, to catch this one.
ADRIANO
It's hard not to find parallels to Trump 2.0 in The Long Walk. And perhaps I'm putting that on the film even if it wasn't intentional, but it did give it an extra weight. It also made the ending feel off. Yet and still, it had me contemplating, which I think is a success in and of itself. Aside from the politics, I was swept up in the character writing and intense brotherly horror, reaffirming Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson as two of our best young actors. This movie had no right to be as good as it was.
