The Long Walk

 

       Based on a short story by Stephen King, this could have easily been a boring tale of guessing who survives a "long walk". Instead director Francis Lawrence and screenwriter JT Mollner, create an atmosphere of dread and suspense as we watch characters we have come to care about die one by one as they stop walking. Last man standing wins the prize, cash and a wish granted. For the audience a well as the actors, it's an exhausting exercise.

        The film stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, and Jordan Gonzalez as the walkers with the most fully realized personalities. Co-starring are Joshua Odjick, Roman Griffin Davis with appearances by Judy Greer and Josh Hamilton. There is also a surprising performance from Mark Hamill as "The Major".

        Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Jonsson's characters form an early bond and easily become the favorites to last the longest but other characters are worth watching as the walk continues for hundreds of miles. Deaths are horrific and some come in surprising ways which only increases the suspense as we watch the toll this takes physically and mentally on all the walkers.

         It's a well done and intense experience if you are up for this sort of thing.