The Long Walk Review (2025): A Survival Film That Proves Less Can Be More

Genre – Thriller
Director – Francis Lawrence
Writer – JT Mollner (Screenplay) – Based on The Long Walk by Stephen King (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman)
Cast – Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill.
Runtime – 108 Minutes
My Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Where To Watch/Stream The Long Walk

This film made me feel exhausted, anxious, and inspired all at once

Who knew watching people walk could be so tense, where by the end of the film I’d be asking myself questions about life and survival.

But, The Long Walk is that kind of movie.

Plot Summary of The Long Walk (Spoiler-Free)

The Long Walk follows fifty young men who are forced into a grueling contest called, you guessed it, the Long Walk, where the rules are simple yet slightly horrifying: keep moving forward, no matter what, at least three miles an hour.

If you slow down or stop, you get a warning, and if you ignore the warnings, the supervising soldiers will execute you on the spot, and the last person left walking wins anything they want.

The story focuses tightly on their journey, the friendships they form, the conflicts that arise, and the psychological toll of being forced to keep moving under threat of death.

The Long Walk Review: Is It Worth Watching?

The Long Walk is a tense, uncomfortable film in all the right ways, and also oddly human.

You get attached to the characters quickly, even though the story is basically fifty people walking endlessly. Don’t underestimate it, as it’s not just a “survival game” movie, it’s more about people under pressure and the choices they make when pushed to the edge.

I really wasn’t sure this could work as a film. Ninety-five percent walking? That’s not exactly blockbuster material, but director Francis Lawrence does something clever, as he focuses on the personal, the emotional, and the physical in ways that make every step feel heavy.

You see exhaustion etched on faces, muscles trembling, clothes soaked with sweat and rain, and you feel it. You get frustrated, you cheer silently, you feel panic rising when someone slows down and gets a warning, and you end up invested caring. Somehow, this simple premise becomes quite gripping because of the stakes.

Cooper Hoffman shines as Ray Garraty, and he is incredible. The guy carries a quiet determination that made me root for him instantly – just a kid who wants to survive and maybe prove something about himself.

David Jonsson plays Peter McVries, his companion and friend, and he is charismatic and steady, though at times I had to lean in to catch his dialogue, and their friendship was the only thing keeping me sane at times during the monotony of watching fifty people walk for hours on end.

Then we have the villian, the Major, played by Mark Hamill. He’s fairly brutal, but his character could have had some more depth, and while he’s a walking embodiment of evil, which is sometimes fine, here it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity, as he is way too one-dimensional, and more depth would have been nice.

I also have to mention the cinematography, as Jo Willems does an amazing job making a nearly static activity like walking look very cinematic and intense, where rain, mud, sweat, exhaustion, and the occasional gunshot all come together to create a visual texture that makes you feel like you’re part of the march.

There is also a recurring motif of backward tracking shots in the film that at first felt repetitive, but by the third time, I realized it reinforces the hopelessness of the walk, as there’s no way out, and no shortcuts – just forward, forward, forward.

The pacing is another surprising strength, as you would think watching people walk could be boring, but the film manages to maintain tension by varying the dynamics, where moments of camaraderie, subtle rivalries, despair, and hope pop up like unexpected beats in a musical score.

Some characters you like die, while some you love survive, and some are morally ambiguous enough to make you question your own instincts, and the film doesn’t spoon-feed you answers, and that’s always refreshing.

I also loved was how the film is incredibly grounded in its setting. The dystopian United States is unnervingly familiar, with hints of fundamentalism and authoritarian tendencies, but it’s not overblown, as you see it in little touches—how the crowds react, how the military operates, how the boys interact, and it’s all very subtle, but it works well.

The ending to the film did feel a bit anti-climactic though, and I personally wanted more closure or some payoff for the tension that builds for nearly two hours, and I found myself craving just a touch more resolution. Still, this doesn’t diminish the emotional punch of the rest of the film.

But overall, The Long Walk is an exhausting film in all the right ways, and while it’s certainly not flashy, nor glamorous, it is a gripping, emotional, and thoughtful film, where the tension is constant, the performances are strong, and the story is both disturbing and oddly inspiring.

If you like character-driven thrillers with social commentary baked in, The Long Walk is worth checking out.

What I liked (And What I Didn’t like)

Pros

The Structure Actually Rewards Paying Attention

I love a film that makes me work a bit, and in The Long Walk, every chapter adds something new, and recontextualizing earlier scenes is very satisfying when you realize you were being set up the whole time.

The Emotional Core is Powerful

The friendship between Garraty and McVries is quietly heart-wrenching. You care because it’s real, messy, and earned.

Cinematography Turns Walking Into Drama

The shots of rain, mud, and sweat make a simple act of walking feel epic and exhausting.

Tension Without Explosions

The movie keeps you on edge almost entirely through character choices and stakes, and not CGI or stunts.

Dystopia Feels Plausible

Small touches make the world feel unsettlingly familiar and believable.

Moral Complexity

Characters make hard choices, choices that will make you think about what you’d do in their shoes.

Suspense

Even with repeated walking scenes, the pacing and small conflicts keep it going. It could have easily been a dullfest, but it all works really well.

Cons

Villain Lacks Nuance

Mark Hamill’s Major is disappointingly one-dimensional.

Ending is Anti-Climactic

I wanted a stronger payoff after all the tension built, although I understand why it ended how it did.

Dialogue Issues

Sometimes Jonsson’s lines were hard to catch, but perhaps that was just me?

Who Might Like The Long Walk

• People who enjoy dystopian thrillers
• Anyone who appreciates character-driven stories
• Fans of psychological tension and survival stories
• Viewers looking for morally complex narratives
• Those interested in social commentary on authoritarianism
• People who like slow-burn, suspenseful films

Who Might Dislike The Long Walk

• People who need clear, neat endings
• Viewers looking for strong, well-developed villains
• Those easily frustrated by ambiguous plot points
• Audiences who dislike repetitive visual motifs

Final Verdict: Did I Enjoy Watching The Long Walk?

The Long Walk is a film that leaves you mentally drained.

It turns a fairly simple premise into something emotionally draining, and by the end you fully understand why friendships matter, and why even small acts of kindness are sometimes heroic.

Some might find it a bit too tedious, but I enjoyed it, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller about real people, survival, and the dark mirror of society.

The Long Walk Trailer

Simon Leasher

A lover of cinema for over 35 years, I have watched many films from around the world in many different genres, yet I still normally always come back to trashy slasher horror films when in doubt. More

And yes, The Godfather 2 is better than The Godfather.