The plot of “The Long Walk” is simple: a group of boys volunteer to do a long walk. But on this walk, if they stop walking, they die.The last boy walking wins prize money and a wish. This movie is not a traditional horror movie with jumpscares and a big villain; instead it is a psychological horror thriller.
Despite the plot being simple, the movie itself is stellar — and a huge part of that is the cast. Most of this movie is characters walking and talking while trying to survive. This could be a very boring concept for a movie, but the cast of “The Long Walk” does a tremendous job connecting us with the characters and keeping the audience interested.
“The Long Walk” movie is an adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name. The movie was released on Sept. 12, 2025.
Our two protagonists are Raymond Garraty, played by Cooper Hoffman, and Peter McVries, played by David Jonsson. Hoffman and Jonsson immediately connect us with their characters, and the on screen chemistry between the two is there from the start and grows throughout the movie.
One of the central points between the two characters are their motives for winning, as Garraty and McVries both have different ideologies about what they would do with their wish. Garraty has his own violent motive for his wish, and once hearing about it, McVries tries to convince Garraty to choose peace instead, going on a more pacifistic route. Both of their ideologies clash with each other throughout the movie, and as an audience member you can understand why each character has their motive.
Outside of the main protagonists, the supporting cast is great as well. Tut Nyuot, Ben Wang, Joshua Odjick, Garret Wareing and Charlie Plummer all do an outstanding job of portraying their characters and making them all feel different from each other. The legendary Mark Hamill is also in the film as the antagonistic The Major. While he does not get much screen time, it is not a downside as the aforementioned actors are able to hold their own and keep the story engaging when he’s not on screen.
The cinematography in the film is very impressive, especially for a film that’s mostly people walking. The movie is set in a dystopian world somewhere around the 1970s, and the shots convey that. The night scenes are easily the highlight of the cinematography, and one of the shots towards the end of the movie is so beautifully executed that it sticks with you.
On the topic of the ending of the film, it differs from the book completely and makes up its own ending. Personally I enjoy the books ending a little more, but the ending in the movie is still amazing. If you haven’t seen “The Long Walk,” I highly implore you to watch it, as the first watch of this movie is definitely an experience.
Rodney Prunty is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @rprunty05
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