Known for his work on the Hunger Games young-adult franchise, director Francis Lawrence treads a similar thematic path in his latest feature. Based upon the novel of the same name by iconic horror writer Stephen King, survival thriller The Long Walk takes place in an America dystopia ravaged and in financial ruin after a second Civil War.
Under a totalitarian regime, the plot follows a group of fifty young men, namely Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson) who each represent their state in an annual event whereby they walk for miles until only one remains. If participants fails to follow a set rules outlined by military leader ‘the Major’ (Mark Hamill), after three warnings they are mercilessly executed by an army of soldiers. The winner will be awarded a significant cash prize and granted one wish.
Eerily timely in the current climate of political unrest and economic hardship, the film’s desaturated aesthetic compliments the narrative’s austere outlook. Competitors walk a vast landscape underneath colourless skies, an existential inevitability of dread diminishing their hope as they march into nothingness. “I hope that gets easier” says Peter to his newfound ally in the wake of the first brutal gunshot. “That’s what I’m afraid of” replies Ray, coming to terms with the gravity of the perilous road ahead. The constant movement within the frame lends the film’s pacing a relentless momentum, and though the first few kills are shocking, it’s somewhat haunting how desensitised to the violence you become as more characters are picked off along the way.
Early camaraderie between the men soon transforms into something deeper as cliques and rivalries develop within JT Mollner’s smart script to form something resembling a societal microcosm. The story is taken from the very first book in King’s illustrious body of work, there are shades of Shawshank Redemption’s central pairing within this tale’s protagonists; Ray is thoughtful and compassionate whilst Peter possesses a calm presence and wisdom beyond his years. Hoffman and Jonsson are brilliant in the roles, listening to and understanding one another whilst ultimately knowing upon meeting that their friendship is destined to be short-lived. Their close bond gives the piece emotional impact as bodies drop until the film’s powerful final act.
There have been countless adaptations of Stephen King’s oeuvre across cinema and television, and Francis Lawrence’s compelling retelling of The Long Walk ranks amongst the highest in recent times; a bleak yet thrilling endeavour. Unlike their on-screen aliases, the future is bright and full of hope for Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson and this fraught journey is a great showcase of their talents.
Cinema Perspective 