Stephen King's The Long Walk (2025) | Film Review

Stephen King's The Long Walk (2025) Film Review

In a dystopian future, 50 teenage boys must compete in ‘The Long Walk’. A challenge which tests their body and mind, but there can only be one winner. The one who survives.

Adapted from Stephen King’s 1979 novel of the same name, The Long Walk is a gruelling, haunting watch that forces you to bear witness as young men bravely walk into their final days.

Like lambs to the slaughter, you know what the ending is going to be, but it’s the journey that matters most.

The Long Walk is a gripping tale of friendship that reminds us how companionship and connection are our most important form of currency in this world. When you have nothing left, friendship is worth its weight in gold. This feature was emotionally exhausting, from the physical endurance but mostly because of the genuine connections made along the way. Knowing that only one can win makes the sacrifice all the more disturbing.

It was haunting to watch the decline of characters, as they steadily accept their fate and one by one give up hope. This film is hard to shake; the performances were truly magnetic and hypnotic through the screen.

A film of this nature poses the threat of becoming repetitive or monotonous, but The Long Walk (2025) was full of humanity and heartache; it was able to remain utterly entertaining in slower moments of reflection and sadness. At its core, The Long Walk is about resilience and self-belief, the concept of hope, and what that inspires us to do. The Long Walk has lighthearted glimmers of comedy melted between the disturbing shadow of death; it was cleverly written and adapted for the screen.

Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson brought charm and believability to their roles of Ray and Peter. They were the leaders of the pack, conducting themselves with raw likability and genuine charisma. Jonsson, in particular, was a driving force through the film. His performance was heartbreakingly strong and utterly commendable. Throughout the course of the feature, we get close encounters with most of the men walking. We get a moment to understand their vulnerability and intentions.

This was one of the most upsetting realities of the film. Each of these characters was performed brilliantly and was instantly memorable, but only one can win. The reality of the film was a constant foreboding question of, who will be the last one standing?

Each supporting character was distinct in their own right and added a layer of deep sadness yet light-heartedness to the intensely depressing narrative.

Overall, The Long Walk (2025) is intense. It made my palms sweat and my toes curl. The Long Walk (2025) is deeply disturbing, the looming reality of a totalitarian society and the unavoidable ending to each of those boys’ stories. I was invested in the chaos, I was engrossed in the drama, and I was impressed by the variety of performances.

On top of that, the film was able to keep my attention visually. Despite this film lacking in bold colours or grand locations, it retained my full attention throughout. The Long Walk is a dull film, a reflection of the narrative itself, but some moments were shot beautifully and are engrained in my memory. Particularly at night when the boys were backlit and shown as silhouettes.

After leaving the Lionsgate screening, all I could think was, The Long Walk is The Hunger Games on steroids. It’s darker, it’s tougher, and it’s undeniably more disturbing. A harsh landscape of the future, a brutal depiction of persistence and forcing yourself to look reality in the face and walk towards it.

This film begs the question, how far could you go? 

Probe Points

★★★★

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I was fortunate enough to be invited by Lionsgate to see The Long Walk early. Please note my review is based solely on my experience and my opinions. No payment was received for this review.