Francis Lawrence, the director behind nearly all of «The Hunger Games» films, is returning to the young adult dystopian genre with an adaptation of Stephen King’s debut novel, «The Long Walk.» We explore how a story King conceived in the mid-1960s has become eerily resonant with our current times.
«The Long Walk» isn’t even among Stephen King’s top ten most famous novels, and the dystopian genre is hardly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the so-called «King of Horror.»
That makes it all the more interesting to remember that «The Long Walk» was the author’s debut novel, written when he was a college student barely in his twenties. He was essentially the same age as his fictional characters, showcasing a remarkable insight. Some fans have even gone so far as to credit his talent to Stephen King’s natal chart. At first, a film adaptation seemed doomed. The legendary «Night of the Living Dead» director George Romero was initially attached to the project, followed by Frank Darabont, arguably the best cinematic interpreter of King’s work. For various reasons, neither panned out.
It’s as if the book was waiting for its moment and the right director. Now, it seems the wait was worth it. More importantly, reality itself has caught up with King’s old fantasy with chilling accuracy.
Whether you live in the States, Europe, the UK, the Middle East, or any place where war is raging or ideas of militarism, valor, and self-sacrifice for some grand cause are flourishing (and the number of such nations is growing), you will recognize the world you see on screen.
Set either in the future or an alternate present, America’s favorite pastime is «The Long Walk.» Fifty teenage boys set off on foot along an endlessly long road, a journey that will only end with their death. There will be a single survivor who gets a pile of money and his heart’s desire. They must maintain a speed of at least three miles per hour; stopping for sleep or even to use the restroom is forbidden. Slow down or step off the road, and after three warnings, you get «ticketed»-a bullet to the head. The walkers are flanked by armored vehicles carrying soldiers, each contestant kept in their sights. The show is run by The Major. The Major shouts slogans and encourages the walkers, unfazed by their aggressive responses–even when directed at him. The angrier the cannon fodder, the better the spectacle.
It’s not that the character is guaranteed slam-dunk on the page; the script relies heavily on pure charisma, and the lines are written a bit dryly. That’s why casting Mark Hamill was such a brilliant move. Luke Skywalker has inspired young people to pick up a sword for half a century, and in «The Last Jedi,» the actor matured into the role of a wise mentor–a figure The Major could be seen as a parody of.
The backstory seems to be that the U.S. has endured a devastating war that crippled its economy and civil institutions, leading to a military junta taking power. Dissenters are shot without trial, censorship and military drills are the norm, and boys from all over the country volunteer–how else?–to become the new gladiators.
You can read The Long Walk 2025» as a metaphor: a psychological study of growing up, separating from parents, and overcoming paternal authority. Or you could see it as a philosophical meditation on life as an endless road ending in death, an inevitability one must come to terms with along the way. But the sociopolitical context is laid on too thick to be considered merely decorative or secondary. No, this is first and foremost a collective portrait of a generation doomed to die for vague ideals at the behest of adults.
What brings this concept to life is the cast. Ray Garraty, a self-aware and focused native of Maine where the event takes place, is played by new Hollywood star Cooper Hoffman; his character is the son of an executed dissident. Alongside him is the unflappable Pete McVries, an orphan whose parents died in the war. The stately Texan, Garrett Wareing («Ransom Canyon»), plays Stebbins, a silent loner who only reveals his true self at the very end. The distinctive blond Charlie Plummer plays the jerk and provocateur, Barkovitz. All the other contestants hate him until they realize that the villain in their drama isn’t Barkovitz, but the system that has taken them all hostage.
The response to a dictatorship that uses fear to divide people is a paradoxical decision not to turn on each other. Instead, the walkers form a fragile but genuine alliance, its strength lying in their surprising compatibility. It doesn’t matter that it might only last a couple of days, or perhaps just a few hours. They jokingly call each other «the Musketeers» and, against all odds, bet on mutual support and solidarity. This situational decision won’t help them overcome oppression or change the rules of the game, but it’s enough to break the inevitable monotony of the road and the deaths that accompany the «walk.»
Lawrence–a smart, skilled director without any pretensions of being an innovator–finds himself inadvertently reinventing the classic «road movie» genre. Here, the structuring element isn’t the changing landscape or weather, but physical and psychological exhaustion. And Stephen King once again cements his status as one of the most important living American writers, one who, even in his lesser works, foresaw far too much.