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What if your world had been rocked to oblivion? There’s no money, very few jobs and what you knew (or your parents knew) of the past world was illegal to talk about and you damn sure better not have any relics of this era if you want to keep your life. Poor, destitute, the bare essentials.
However, there is salvation: The Long Walk.
The novel of Walk was written under famous horror novelist Stephen King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman and published in 1979, five years after King’s debut Carrie. However, it was the first novel King had begun writing in 1966-67 while studying at the University of Maine. Set in a dystopian 1960s America, The Long Walk is to somewhat symbolize the Vietnam War and drafting of soldiers to fight communism overseas. One man per state is selected in a self-administered draft (in the book, it’s 100 men total), numbered off, and all they need to do is maintain a speed of 3 miles per hour (4 mph in the book) until only one is left. If they drop below that, a warning is given. If the speed isn’t picked up in 10 seconds, a second warning is given and then a third and final warning. If speed still can’t be maintained, a “ticket” is given and contestants are shot in the head. Warnings are reset every three miles. If the men step off the path, they receive their ticket without warning. Every man has their reason to walk, their story and eventually realizes that creating friendships are meaningless as all must die but one. There is no end; just walking. The “winner” receives riches beyond their wildest dreams and granted one wish for anything.
And they walked until there was one.
Raymond Garraty #47 (Cooper Hoffman, Licorice Pizza and Phillip Seymour’s son) has been drafted for the long walk. After being dropped off by his tear-filled mother, Ginnie (Judy Greer, Blumhouse’s Halloween), he makes a quick friendship with Peter “Pete” McVries #23 (David Jonsson, Alien Romulus) who has a wicked scar across his face. The men quickly bond and we see who is the “good guys” and who is the “bad guys”. Although, as is pointed out later in the movie: Everyone is here for the same reasons.
The Major (Mark Hamil, The Wraith) drums out the do’s and don’ts while being as encouraging as a hammer to the head. The men must walk. You signed up, you got drafted and now it’s your time to shine. So the men walk. The Major comes back at all hours to keep the camaraderie up, but after a few days, his voice sounds more like a death call than a pat on the back.
McVries is quick to be the friendly one, encouraging everyone to see the lighter side of things. When everyone is falling over and bullets take out other contestants, “Hey, it’s a beautiful morning, let’s all go for a walk,” he says. One by one, each of the men start falling into madness, cramps, hunger, anger and insanity over this walk. What’s the point in all this walking? Richard Harkness #49 (Jordan Gonzales, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin) plans to document the long walk, until he breaks his foot. He begs and pleads, but is ultimately given his ticket. So much senseless violence. Why fight? For money? For “things”? This man next to me has his own life, family people who love him like they love me and I’m supposed to be happy he dies?
Raymond Garratty #47 (Cooper Hoffman) being convinced to live by Peter McVries #23 (David Jonsson).
Co-writer JT Moller with King craft realistic characters (although Arthur Baker #6, Tut Nyuot: Southerners don’t sound neutral to Foghorn Leghorn in a sentence) to give an insight on 60’s dystopian culture. There are items and food, but do you like them? The men cast insults to each other, encourage fighting and ultimately square off in groups. When the groups dwindle, those left over want to join other groups. Should they be trusted? Actors play off one another in an angered mix which makes sense when you want everyone else to die. You think this game is nuts? Try being the person who wants to do it. Mark Hamill gives a powerhouse performance that made me forget he was the same doofus who forgot to wear a belt at the BAFTA’s earlier this year. As The Major, he’s as hated as admired. He wasn’t born to be this way: He was made. Jonsson playing the happy-go-lucky Pete fits like a nice glove in the mix of insanity. When the plane is in flames, we all need a laugh.
The Major (Mark Hamill) is a kick in the pants when you want to take a break.
It takes a filmmaker like Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay movies) to truly show how ugly the violence is. His unstylish filmmaking shows the gritty reality of this world in a way superhero movies just can’t grasp. If you do wind up “winning” what is the cost? Did you actually “win” or are you haunted for the rest of your life over “what if”? At least you’re rich.
Personally, I’m thrilled Stephen King’s work is finally getting the movies they deserve. Although I’m not a die hard King fan, I have read several of his older books recently and was blown away. The world building he creates is not of this universe and it is really impossible to translate most of his work to film. For example: IT is a masterclass of writing. I think the length is wildly unnecessary, but after finishing the novel, you know everyone in the town of Derry. That’s his specialty, though: no loose ends.
Walk takes you on a journey one step at a time. All the men you meet have their purpose, their anger and view on the world. They all signed up for the same thing and now they’re here.
In our instant society we have grown so accustomed to, walking for riches while surrounded by immediate death seems so foreign and we can’t relate unless on a romanticized level. Which is likely the reason why co-writer Mollner decided not to update the movie for modern times. Our comfortable lives, drooling at a blank screen for that dopamine hit, sitting in a padded chair with an endless supply of food without a care or wonder in our minds. This sounds incomparable to scraping for survival, never having enough of anything and fight fight fight …
The idea is terrifying, yet at the same time, all you need to do is walk.
The Long Walk is now playing in theaters.
Director: Francis Lawrence
Writers: JT Mollner, Stephen King
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Mark Hamil
Genre: Horror/dystopian thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 108 mins
Classic American Movies 
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