Francis Lawernce’s “The Long Walk,” adapted from Stephen King’s novel, is less a traditional horror film and more a slow burn of psychological dread. Released Sept. 12, the film follows 100 teenage boys forced to walk without stopping. If they do, they’ll meet the barrel of a gun.
Leading the cast, Cooper Hoffman, from “Licorice Pizza,” balances vulnerability with quiet resolve, while David Jonsson and Garret Wareing bring intensity to the march. Mark Hamill and Judy Greer add gravitas, embodying the adult forces orchestrating the ordeal.
The film’s power comes from its simplicity: a never ending road, the threat of collapse and the looming presence of authority. Lawrence, best known for directing “The Hunger Games” film trilogy, leans on long tracking shots and stark landscapes to emphasize monotony and despair. The result is hypnotic, something’s punishing in its pacing.
“The Long Walk” is more than a genre exercise, it’s a meditation on competition and conformity. Its tension comes not from monsters or gore, but from the quiet horror of watching how far people will go to outlast one another.