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The Long Walk Opens to Praise for Performances and Punishing Brutality

Francis Lawrence’s adaptation keeps the camera on the walkers, emphasizing camaraderie over spectacle.

Overview

  • The R-rated Lionsgate release is now in theaters as of Sept. 12.
  • Director Francis Lawrence and writer JT Mollner adapt Stephen King’s Richard Bachman novel into a tightly focused, character-driven dystopia.
  • Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson lead as the film’s emotional center, with Mark Hamill portraying the commanding Major.
  • Reviews describe an endurance contest enforcing a three‑mile‑per‑hour pace under threat of execution, with graphic violence and close-quarters intensity.
  • Critics widely commend the leads and craft but cite thin supporting arcs, repetitive shock tactics, and a narrowed perspective that rarely shows the televised audience or wider world.