Photo via imdb.com
By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Some bad acting, self-righteous and contradictory writing, and gross-out imagery mars what would otherwise be a great film. “The Long Walk” is a teen based dystopian thriller that draws understandable comparisons to “The Hunger Games” series. Lace up your boots and get to steppin’, let’s foray into this heavy dramatic horror based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.
America has become a police state with a heavy military presence led by The Major (Mark Hamill), a sadistic tyrant feared by everyone. He presides over an annual competition where teenage boys are randomly chosen by lottery from each state to walk as long as they possibly can. There is no finish line, and only one can win while the rest are systematically executed when they can no longer maintain the required walking speed.
Forced to endure hundreds of miles without sleep or even a break to relieve themselves, the group of boys form a bond to help each other as they walk through the relentless heat of the day or the chilling downpours of night. For Raymond Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson), that bond becomes a genuine friendship, opening up to each other to pass the time and revealing their deepest and darkest secrets. With the harsh reality of death facing them, all they can do to delay the inevitable is to keep walking.
Even though “The Long Walk” was originally published in 1979, it bears a striking resemblance to “The Hunger Games.” It’s also no coincidence that Francis Lawrence directs this adaptation, since he’s responsible for the last four “Hunger Games” movies in addition to the new one set to come out next year. This is an accomplished filmmaker who specializes in adapting books into movies, this one being his eighth, and he succeeds once again in capturing the essence of this story.
Francis captures the realism by filming these actors walking for 15 miles a day in the hot Winnipeg sun, which also generates the camaraderie and chemistry between these boys that translate well to the screen. He even includes multiple scenes of the boys expelling their bodily fluids and defecating in the middle of the street, but this becomes overly disgusting and takes realism a bit too far. This along with the visceral images of the executions display the violent brutality of the situation but the graphic visuals desensitize viewers from their dramatic impact.
There are multiple moments throughout the film where Lawrence dives into the philosophical nature the characters’ plight, which touch on some profound moments but the shooting and pooping continually distract, so he only skims the surface of this potential. It doesn’t help that the ending completely contradicts this philosophy, undoing the weighty messaging. The anxiety and tension building scenes are done well enough, but the predictability and monotonous tedium of constant walking is exhausting to viewers, undermining their impact.
Of this cast, only David Jonsson stands out in a positive way, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering his memorable performance in last year’s “Alien: Romulus.” He is immediately likable in this film with a natural charisma that invests audiences in his character. His easy-going line delivery, depth, and selfless nature towards the main character feels genuine. His cohort is Cooper Hoffman, the son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, and while he intrigues viewers with his concealed backstory, his reactions and line delivery are overly exaggerated, missing a hint of authenticity.
Mark Hamill is the weakest member of the cast with a performance fit for a cartoon. He uses a severe, gravelly voice that makes him sound like Michael Ironside if he had just smoked 20 packs of cigarettes. That along with his silly physical appearance and lack of character development makes him come across as a caricature that provokes absolutely no fear as the antagonist.
This feels like a combination of “Stand By Me” and “The Hunger Games,” except with much more grisly visuals and vulgarity. “The Long Walk” has some interesting moments of philosophical and emotional depth, but the walk proves to be too long a journey to fully appreciate. All in all, it’s better to get your steps elsewhere.
This movie earns
