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Stephen King’s first novel hits the big screen in all its dystopian, depressing glory

“Roads? Where we’re going, we’re definitely going to need roads.” Ray Garrity (Cooper Hoffman, center, with arms folded in white t-shirt) makes the endless trek until one man remains standing alongside his fellow contestants. (Pictured from left to right): Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer), Stebbins (Garret Wareing), Hoffman, Peter McVries (David Jonnson), Art Baker (Tut Nyuot) and Parker (Joshua Odjick).

CAST:
Cooper Hoffman (Ray Garrity)
David Jonnson (Peter McVries)
Tut Nyuot (Art Baker)
Ben Wang (Olson)
Garrett Wareing (Stebbins)
Joshua Odjick (Parker)
Charlie Plummer (Barkovitch)
Judy Greer (Ginny Garraty)
Mark Hamill (The Major)

WRITER: JT Mollner (screenplay by); based on the novel by Stephen King

DIRECTOR: Francis Lawrence

THE PLOT: Based on the first book Stephen King ever wrote and later published under his Richard Bachmann pseudonym, THE LONG WALK is set in a dystopian world of the 1950s/60s where, after a war, America now hosts an annual competition. The premise? Fifty boys – one from each state – compete to see who can walk the longest. The winner receives a prize of riches beyond their wildest dreams. Seems simple right? Not quite.

there are several stipulations. First, each walker must maintain a speed of 3 miles per hour. Second, they cannot leave the confines of the road. Third and most importantly, if they stop walking and/or fall under the required speed, they will receive a warning. Then a second warning. And then a third and final warning.

If they don’t start walking again within 10 seconds of that third and final warning, they have “their ticket punched” – a.k.a. they are shot to death right on the road. That means no sleep, no bathroom breaks. Nothing – just walking on the open road until their is only one last man standing.

The Long Walk has brought out many contestants this year. Among them are Art Baker (Tut Nyuot), a religious teen who wears a cross around his neck, Stebbins (Garrett Wareing), a seemingly perfect rabbit built for the long haul and Olson (Ben Wang), a wisecracking kid with a New England accent. There’s also Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer), who’s always got a foul wise crack ready and the silent and strong Parker (Joshua Odjick). But one young man, Ray Garrity (Cooper Hoffman) has a very specific reason to join The Long Walk, one that not even his loving mother Ginny (Judy Greer) knows, which is why she can’t talk him out of joining the contest. Also joining the contest is Peter McVries (David Jonsson), a young man with a very noticeable scar on his face that wants to win to change the world for the better.

But as the contest drags on, Ray and the rest of his fellow competitors will be tested in ways they never could have imagined … And the road is unrelenting, unforgiving and most of all, uncaring on THE LONG WALK.

THE REVIEW: A long time ago – college for me, specifically – I sat down with a group of friends to watch Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream. The story of four drug addicts living in 1990s New York City, it was gripping, unrelenting in its deep dive into the psychosis of each of its lead characters and easily one of the best done films I had seen of its type at that point in time. It struck such a nerve with me that any hint of ever wanting to do drugs, casually or other-wise, faded away much like the Sara Golfarb’s grip on reality in the film. The film was so well done, in fact, that a friend of mine dubbed it “the feel bad movie of the year,” a quote I revisit often and have previously in this very blog.

Given the captivating performances delivered by the film’s cast, Hoffman and especially Jonsson in particular, the unflinching violence executed throughout the film’s 108 minute runtime and themes explored – death, authoritarianism, vengeance, the good dying young, etc. – I may now have to update my reference. For THE LONG WALK, even in a form greatly altered from the source material, is everything Requeim was in 2000: Excellently directed, acted … And a film you’ll likely never want to watch more than once.

The novelization of THE LONG WALK was the first book Stephen King ever wrote. Having that reality sink in makes the story that plays out hit even harder in watching young men endure what they do onscreen, director Francis Lawrence drawing you into each of their worlds in excruciating fashion.

In one moment, you get to watch some of the boys enjoy true friendship, encouraging each other to stick together and survive a test with no cheat code. The next, you’re watching their worlds shatter as another one goes down, bringing them back to the reality of the inhumane task at hand. As the world watches them continue to trek the blacktop, it almost serves as a reminder for what often feels like modern life: No matter a person’s character, desires, intentions or will, all that awaits them all is death, save for one lucky one who gets to revel in the spoils of their fallen fellow man.

For those who enjoy acting, the art of bringing a character to life and the interplay between them, THE LONG WALK succeeds at every step. You will undoubtedly pick your favorites, be moved by their recklessness, their camaraderie and their desires … Only to time and time again be distraught by what unfolds. The ending may also leave those unfamiliar with the book a bit unenthused as Lawrence’s one mistake may be in not letting the symbolism be more blatant, especially after putting the audience through a grueling journey with his characters.

In short, if you are able to stomach the violence and hopelessness to enjoy the dynamic performances, THE LONG WALK is likely to captivate your attention … And make you say you can never sit through it again. If not, well, THE LONG WALK will feel like an even longer watch where, much like each contestant, the pain of the journey was not worth signing up for in the first place, no matter what the supposed prize may be.