A punishing yet thrilling tale of diminishing naivete
Stephen King wrote The Long Walk during his freshman year at college (the first novel he ever completed), though it was published over ten years later in 1979 under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. The Long Walk harnesses the teenage angst, existential dread, and complicated patriotism many young minds were experiencing in the late 1960s as the Vietnam War escalated and a wartime draft approached. Surprisingly, despite its simple premise and universal themes, The Long Walk hasn’t been successfully adapted to film, though a few directors have tried. Now, under Francis Lawrence’s (The Hunger Games franchise: Catching Fire, Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) confident direction, and with strong performances and a tight script by JT Mollner (Strange Darling), The Long Walk is an fatalistic parable that demands our attention, even if we wish to look away. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Long Walk””