‘The Long Walk’ Review: Stands Out Among Recent Stephen King Adaptations

Seeing a “Based on the Stephen King” tagline in a movie trailer in 2025 is the cinematic equivalent of scrolling past yet another superhero spinoff on Disney+. You want to care, you may even let out an “Oooo” but then you remember the previous attempts at adapting his works and then you quickly forget about it.

“The Long Walk” is different, however. What begins as a familiar exercise in dystopian bleakness—territory director Francis Lawrence knows well—quickly finds its footing through the impactful character work and atmosphere that writer JT Mollner creates with an otherwise inexperienced cast.

The premise alone might evoke a snooze out of someone, 50 teenagers walk for their lives, for nearly two hours? I’d otherwise be good. 

Yet Lawrence’s direction with this challenging setup sharpens the dynamics, balancing the film’s bleak setting with moments of humanity that prevent it from sinking into monotony luckily. 

The two leads, Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, are the most experienced members of the ensemble, and both deliver. They inhabit their roles with such ease that it often feels as though we are walking alongside them. Their ability to draw the audience into their journey anchors the film’s emotional weight.

That’s not to say the supporting cast fades into the background. Garrett Wareing as Stebbins, Ben Wang as Olson and newcomer Tut Nyuot all deliver affecting performances that complement one another. Ben Wang specifically stands out in his role in playing a character that gets unearthed more and more as the movie goes on.

Despite relatively short resumes, the ensemble works seamlessly, erasing any notion of inexperience.

While the young cast shines, Mark Hamill’s presence as the Major feels more distracting than impactful. His role isn’t large, but his casting inevitably pulls focus when he takes centerstage. Knowing it’s Hamill makes the character harder to buy, especially when he begins to yell, I hear his other more famous roles. 

His performance is otherwise competent—sometimes towing the line between goofy to fearful—but his star power works against the immersive quality that defines the rest of the cast.

The chemistry among the characters is striking, at times reminiscent of 2003’s “Holes”—yes, that “Holes”—though obviously filtered through a darker, drearier and more dystopian lens. Where camaraderie in “Holes” felt playful and hopeful, here it underscores the harshness of survival and the fragile bonds forged under pressure.

The screenplay’s strongest element lies in the way it examines its characters’ coping mechanisms against the stark backdrop. The Long Walk itself as an event acts as a clear allegory for the myth of the American Dream, in a day and age where we are witnessing the cracks and foundation of it rotting in real time. The mere premise exposes how a system pits people against one another in pursuit of material success and we see that both literally in the walk itself and the reward the winner eventually receives.

The bleak setting in the film of dead trees, empty roads and lifeless onlookers amplifies the uneasiness of the film which leaves an impression that lingers well after the credits.

Hoffman delivers a noteworthy performance, while Jonsson emerges as the standout that we knew he was capable of after his role in “Alien: Romulus” , grounding the film with sharp intensity. The supporting ensemble brings a lived-in quality to the narrative, with Wang in particular shining during the 108-minute runtime. Even Hamill, for all the distraction his name brings, remains a worthy addition.

“The Long Walk” stands out above the rest of recent Stephen King adaptations and hits audiences with a wave of emotional gridlock as the credits roll all the way into the car as you drive home.

The Long Walk releases in theaters on September 12.