Kaleidoscope Film Review presents its latest on Lionsgate’s & Vertigo Entertainment’s production of The Long Walk.  Directed by Francis Lawrence with a screenplay by J. T. Mollner, the film stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang Tut Nyuot, Judy Greer, Josh Hamilton, Mark Hamill, among others. The film has a running time of 108 minutes & is rated ‘R’.  

Although not fully explained, the film opens in a dystopian America after a catastrophic conflict known as the Big War has devastated the nation’s economy & left most citizens destitute.  Additionally, the government has become an authoritarian, fascist, military regime designed to subjugate its citizens into total compliance.  Nineteen years post war, an officer, known as The Major, leads a yearly contest, facetiously called an ‘annual sports event’, named The Long Walk.  Cloaked in an aura of patriotism & working to improve the spirits of the poverty-stricken populace, one boy from each state is chosen to participate.  The 50 boys must walk & maintain a speed of at least 3 mph accompanied by The Major & vehicles containing armed guards.  If any of the boys falls below the 3-mph threshold, the individual is given 3 warnings before being summarily executed by gunshot.  During the walk, their exploits/executions are televised to the nation. The walk ends when there is only 1 survivor; he is gifted with a cash prize & 1 wish. At the beginning of the film, Ray Garrity is driven to the starting line in Maine by his mom; she begs him not to participate.  Ray, however, is determined to participate & complete the walk.  He bonds with several other boys, namely, Billy Stebbins, Art Baker, Collie Parker, and especially, Peter McVries.  The boys are led by The Major.  Act I ends as the first kill, graphically presented, occurs to a boy who develops a ‘charley horse’ in his leg.  The film’s title is then emblazoned across the screen. 

After at least 4 previous attempts to get the film started, Lionsgate finally signed director Lawrence, whose resume includes Constantine, I am Legend, Water for Elephants, The Hunger Games series, & Red Sparrow, to helm the production.  As a veteran of dystopian films, he has fashioned a bleak, relentless odyssey that relies on superb performances from his young cast & a screenplay that is very ‘talky’ but is NEVER boring.  Screenwriter Mollner is unknown to me, but he has captured the essence of Richard Bachman’s 1979 novel.  Stephen King wrote several novels under the Bachman pseudonym including 1977’s Rage (taken out of print by King since it focused on a disturbed HS student who brings a gun to school & shoots several teachers after being suspended because of his violent outbursts.  Columbine’s Garris & Klebold cited the novel as an inspiration), 1982’s Running Man, & 1984’s Thinner.  Jo Willams’ cinematography is spot-on as it disturbingly captures the bleakness & desperation of the boys & their quest for a type of redemption.  Jeremiah Fraites’s score effectively echoes the screenplays’ & cinematography’s bleakness & dystopian themes.  As the pianist & co-songwriter for the alternative folk band The Lumineers, he has successfully “spread his wings” into film scoring.  The young, relatively unknown actors are very good throughout, especially Cooper Hoffman as Ray & David Jonsson as Peter.  Hamill (Luke Skywalker) is fine in a one-note performance as The Major.  Apparently, his previously stated stance of being against numerous killings in a movie was waived for this one.  Greer & Hamilton are wasted in roles that amount to no more than 5 minutes & 1 minute of screen time, respectively. 

I give The Long Walk 8 out of 10 film nuggets.  This is a mostly successful Orwellian film that is especially prescient.  If one can stand the occasional violent & a scatological moment, I recommend this film.