Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk, adapted from Stephen King’s dystopian novel, delivers a grim and unflinching survival thriller that follows 50 teenage boys forced to walk until only one remains. Starring Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, this R-rated adaptation confronts audiences with brutal violence and moral questions about totalitarianism while maintaining surprising emotional depth. With an IMDb rating of 7.2/10 and 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has emerged as one of 2025’s most discussed Stephen King adaptations.

Sources

📽️IMDb 🍅Rotten Tomatoes 📖Wikipedia 📰The Guardian 📊Metacritic 📰IndieWire 📰NY Times 📻NPR 🎬YouTube Trailer 📺Variety

Director, Writer, and Cast

Director: Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games franchise, I Am Legend)
Writer: JT Mollner (screenplay), based on the novel by Stephen King
Cast: Cooper Hoffman (Raymond Garraty #47), David Jonsson (Peter McVries #23), Mark Hamill (The Major), Garrett Wareing (Stebbins #38), Charlie Plummer (Gary Barkovitch #5), Judy Greer (Mrs. Garraty), Josh Hamilton (Mr. Garraty), Ben Wang, Tut Nyuot, Roman Griffin Davis

Ratings and Critical Reception

IMDb: 7.2/10 (based on user reviews)
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% Critics Score (Certified Fresh) | 85% Audience Score
Metacritic: 71/100 (generally favorable reviews)
CinemaScore: B

Plot and Premise

Set in a dystopian near-future America, The Long Walk follows 50 teenage boys competing in an annual state-sanctioned endurance test. The rules are brutally simple: maintain a walking speed above 3 miles per hour. Fall below that pace or leave the designated path, and you receive a warning. Accumulate three warnings in one hour, and you’re shot dead by accompanying soldiers. The last walker standing wins any prize he desires. The film focuses on Raymond Garraty (Cooper Hoffman), a fundamentally good person who forms deep bonds with fellow walkers, especially Pete McVries (David Jonsson), as they face this life-or-death ordeal overseen by the sadistic Major (Mark Hamill).

Performances and Direction

Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson anchor the film with soulful performances that critics widely praised. The Guardian noted their “natural charm” despite complex backstories, while Variety highlighted how the actors created “well-rounded and fully formed” characters. Mark Hamill delivers a chilling turn as The Major, bringing sadistic menace to the authoritarian overseer. Francis Lawrence’s direction maintains grim commitment to the material, shooting almost entirely on location in Canada to achieve stark authenticity, though some critics felt the pacing occasionally dragged.

Final Verdict

The Long Walk stands as one of the stronger Stephen King adaptations in recent years—brutal, emotionally resonant, and visually stark. While its deliberate pacing and bleak subject matter won’t appeal to everyone, the film succeeds through powerful performances, unflinching commitment to its dystopian premise, and surprising emotional depth. Recommended for fans of dystopian thrillers and those comfortable with graphic violence and dark themes.