DVD Corner

The Long Walk Blu-ray Review

“The Long Walk” is a top tier Stephen King adaptation.   

Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, “The Long Walk” is a survival thriller set in an alternate 1970s in the U.S. where a militarized Government rules. Each year a voluntary competition dubbed the Long Walk takes place. The walk involves one teen boy from each state being selected to walk as long as they possibly can until one winner is crowned. Each player gets 3 warnings if they stop walking below a 3 mile an hour pace or if they stop walking to take a break or what have you. If they reach 3 warnings or can no longer walk they are shot dead. The winner receives a large cash sum and has one wish granted. Given the bleak economic situation, nearly every boy signs up for the Long Walk with the hope of a better life. The story revolves around the camaraderie between the 50 contestants (namely Raymond and Peter) who embark on a horrifying journey filled with death.

2025 has been quite the year for Stephen King adaptations with the criminally underseen “The Life Of Chuck” and the haunting “The Long Walk.” One might think a thriller/dystopian nightmare about walking and talking would be hard to pull off cinematically, but writer JT Mollner and director Francis Lawrence pull it off with ease. Lawrence (who has helmed 4 and soon to be 5 “The Hunger Games” movies) seems the perfect choice for this material given that it is essentially a proto “The Hunger Games” and “Battle Royale” (“The Long Walk” novel was published in 1979). It’s a gut wrenching psychological thriller that is a clear allegory for the Vietnam War and the senseless deaths of young men that occurred. At its heart, it’s also a story about friendship, humanity and inhumanity, The American Dream (or lack thereof), and life and death. It’s a punishing, dark, grim story, but entirely effective in what it sets out to do.

The central reason “The Long Walk” works as well as it does is the ensemble cast. Cooper Hoffman and David Johnson are the heart and soul of the movie and they both give such spirited and assured performances. The two have wonderful chemistry together and you really see a friendship come alive before your very eyes. That is incredibly difficult to pull off for any actor. There are a host of other notable performances here including Mark Hamill as the villainous Major (the leader of the Long Walk), rising star Ben Wang, and Christopher Plummer.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? Expect a pristine print. It should be noted this title is also available on 4K.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? From the piercing sound of the gunshots to the dialogue, this Atmos track delivers.

Extras:
* Digital copy
* 2 theatrical trailers
* “Ever Onward: Making The Long Walk”- A 5 part making of documentary that covers the premise, the adaptation, influences, casting, the production, visual effects, and the themes. Cast and crew interviews and set footage are included.

December 9, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Ben Wang, Cooper Hoffman, David Johnson, Dystopian, Mark Hamill, Stephen King, The Long Walk Blu-ray Review, The Long Walk Movie