Stephen King fans have been waiting decades for a live-action adaptation of The Long Walk. Directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games), this 2025 dystopian horror-thriller promised a gritty, psychological deep dive into one of King’s most disturbing premises. But after finally seeing it, I have some thoughts—and they might be a bit of a “hot take” compared to the critics.

The Premise: Walk or Die

For the uninitiated, The Long Walk follows 50 young men selected by lottery for an annual endurance event in a bleak, post-war America. The rules are simple: stay above three miles per hour. If you slow down three times, you get “ticketed”—which, in this world, means a bullet to the head from the accompanying military squads. The last man standing gets whatever they want for the rest of their life.

The Problem with the Trailer: Spoilers Galore

One of my biggest gripes with this release isn’t even the movie itself—it’s the marketing. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve basically seen the whole movie. It literally shows you who is left at the end! What’s the point of a survival thriller if the “survival” part is spoiled before you even buy your ticket?

Relationships Over Plot?

In my view, this movie should have been called “The Long Talk.” While the book is legendary for its tension, the film feels like it relies too heavily on the dialogue between characters like Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson).

• The Good: The chemistry between the cast is solid. You can feel the camaraderie and the “brothers-in-arms” vibe as they realize they are all essentially walking to their deaths.
• The Bad: It feels like there could have been more to it. The movie is relentlessly linear—just walking and talking—which risks becoming monotonous after the shock of the first few graphic deaths wears off.

Changes from the Stephen King Novel

As with any adaptation, there were big changes. The movie halves the number of walkers from 100 to 50. More controversially, the “Major” (played by a gravelly Mark Hamill) makes constant appearances, whereas in the book, his absence made him feel like an untouchable, god-like figure who didn’t care about the boys.

Final Verdict: Is It Worth the Trek?

It wasn’t a “terrible” movie, but it definitely didn’t meet my high expectations. Maybe this is just another case where the book is way better than the movie. If you’re into character studies and don’t mind a bleak, hopeless atmosphere, you might enjoy it. But for me? It left me saying, “Okay… that’s it?”

Rating: 2.5 / 5 Stars