The Long Walk

The war has ended and with it, in this dystopian version of the United States, a shattered country, poverty struck and needing hope, inspiration, anything really.

As such every year there is a lottery in which young adults place their name, among thousands of individuals, in order to be chosen for a 3 day event called the Long Walk, coordinated by the slimy, underhanded and dictatorial man named The Major (Mark Hamill). The young adults are required to walk as far as they possibly can. If they fall below the speed of 3 miles an hour they get a warning, if they get a second warning they have 30 seconds to get back to walking or following the various rules in play such as helping carry someone, going toward the soldiers, going off the road, etc. … If they get a third warning, they “get their ticket” (they’re executed by a soldier). The prize if they make it to the end? All the money and riches you could ever want and one wish that MUST be fulfilled.

Everyone has their reason to participate in the Long Walk. For some, they want to better their current situation, for others its to prove something to someone, and for others, though, it is to taunt and tell the government they stink.

Raymond Garraty is one of these individuals. He has his own hidden reason behind participating in the walk. At least he’s not alone. Along the way he makes a few friends and begins to realize just exactly what he’s signed up for.

As time passes, 1 mile becomes 5, 10 miles become 100 miles and 100 miles become 300 miles. When someone walks that long, the body begins to shut down. Some participants begin hallucinating, some suffer psychosis, and some just lose the ability to walk any further. As each person that fails is executed, people begin to become less and less friendly and who knows where this will lead.

The long walk is always the hardest walk…

Does everyone remember the series “The Hunger Games”? Of course you do. The premise of the first film was that, due to a massive insurrection across the country (The United States) the rebellion was squashed and the country was divided into 13 districts. Each year, of course, one teen from each district was selected, by random lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, a contest in which these teens would kill each other for sport until there was one teen left. That book came out 2008 and the film following thereafter.

As each new entry into the series came out, the violence intensified, the stakes were higher and of course there was an increased body count (the contest itself, war, executions, etc.). We, especially those who were unfamiliar with the series, sat and said, “Wow is this as low as Hollywood’s gone? Killing children?”. We asked how much worse could it get.

What’s my point you ask? Before the Hunger Games was ever written (try 30 years), there was “The Long Walk.” Compared to the Hunger Games though, the Long Walk featured college-aged, adult and late high school (at worst) students (we’re talking 17 and 18 year olds), not young teens or tweens like in the Hunger Games. Does this give King a pass on his gratuitous violence in his books and films? Absolutely not.

While gripping and cinematically impressive (especially the camerawork), “The Long Walk” (the film) revels in the violence at times. At the same time though, I was confused as it felt like that though the characters felt each and every loss in the film. Sure every character had their own motives for winning the Long Walk: money, fame, luxury, revenge, and even honor (in a very twisted sense), the background and reasoning of the characters keeps the film from becoming dull or uninteresting. While you couldn’t sympathize with these characters (or at least I hope you couldn’t) you could understand what drove them.

But at the crux of the film lies the film’s central message: the vices of the world can cause us to behave and believe in the unspeakable and the unfathomable. There is no winner at the end of all of this, I mean not really. 49 young men (in the novel it was actually 100 young men) lose their lives (that doesn’t really spoil anything by the way), all for the sake of money. Greed destroys everything in its path. Even Jesus tells us that in Matthew 6:24 that we are not to become greedy like the world and that we cannot serve both God and money. But with the film we must remember that the central message does not come from a Christian, it comes from someone who openly mocks the Lord and Christians and has done so for decades…Stephen King. And even if the message came from a Christian perspective, there is so much vile and vulgar language and violence that the message goes right out the window…speaking of which…

Content of Concern

**WARNING: Graphic descriptions of violence and graphic language ahead. Reader discretion is advised**

PROFANITY: • J*sus F***ing Chr*st (1) • J*sus Chr*st (7) • J*sus (7) • Holy F*ck • H*ly Sh*t (5) • D*mndest (1) • G*d D*mn (12) • G*d D*mnit (1) • G*d (3) • Oh my G*d (3) • Go to H*ll (1) • H*ll (3) • What the H*ll (3)

VULGARITY: Extreme. • F***ing (165+) • F**k (and variations, including H*ly F*ck and two obscene gestures (95) • F*cked (1) • F*cked up (2) • Shut the F*ck Up (4) • F*ckers (1) • M*ther F*cker (8) • What the F*** (5) • D*mb F*ck (2) • F*ckwad (1) • B*g F**king D*ck in My Mouth (1) • B*ll-sh*t (4) • Sh*t (24) • D*p Sh*t (2) • Queer (1) • S*ck this D*ck (2) • C*ck (1) • Coupon for a bl*w job (1) • B*sting your b*lls (1) • Heavy Sacks (4) • H*rny for a man (1) • Ball Buster (1) • D*mb a** (1) • A**-hole (2) • Dumb A** (1) • Kiss my a** (1) • B*tch (1) • Son of a B*tch (2)

VIOLENCE: Characters are threatened with death by soldiers multiple times. One character is shot in the face (we see his mandible disconnected). A young man has a seizure and then is shot in the head, with parts splitting open. Someone mentions that they can’t wait to see someone’s head hit the concrete and die. There’s a montage where we see multiple men shot and killed. In one of the most disturbing moments, a tank runs over a male’s legs and we see his disconnected legs and ensuing internal arteries and bloody chunks on the road, then the guy is shot in the head. Skulls are shattered. A boy’s legs are run over by a halftrack. You see the gore pour out of his legs as they are crushed. In the background of the next shot, the two halves of his legs are completely bisected.

A character commits suicide by ripping open his own throat. Various dead corpses are shown. There are discussions about having heads shot off. DA guy is shot while trying to run away, and we see his blood splatter the wall of a business. A character is shot and left to slowly bleed out. A man kills himself with a carbine rifle to the head (corpse is later shown).

There’s talk of a child being abused. There are discussions about killing the Major. A man charges toward a tank, kills two soldiers with their carbines and then kills himself. A main character commits suicide so another person can win. A dead bull is shown on the side of the road.

SEXUAL CONTENT: In addition to the vulgar sexual language mentioned above, other scenes include the following: • Sexual joke about a woman • Someone talks about having a good scr*w • Guy talks of wanting to fornicate • Sexual remarks • Teen talks about a man having many illegitimate children

NUDITY: • Rear nudity • One of the guys starts a discussion about how, if he wins, he wants to hang with 10 naked ladies. • Guy pees while walking and his urine hits other males • Male is seen defecating diarrhea through his pants and then taking 20 seconds to defecating on the pavement

ALCOHOL: • Alcohol references • Smoking

WOKEISM: There’s definitely some subliminal messaging regarding how the government promises freedom but instead forces extreme law and order, whether people want it or not. While this is a dystopian-like United States, some of the things that are said and that take place feel similar to discussions we are having today: such as anti-authority propaganda theming.

Morals and Themes

All of the characters in “The Long Walk” are out to prove something. Prove to the world they matter, prove that they can overcome any obstacle, prove that they aren’t nothing. When you grow up in a world that tells you you have to be rich, famous, or successful to actually have value, these ideals become ingrained into in people.

God doesn’t reason the way the world reasons. God already finds us worthy. God already has a purpose for us. God tells us to forsake the world and it’s teachings and not be ensnared by its temptations.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” —Romans 12:2

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” —1 John 2:15-16

It is up to us to study, pray and discern what God wants from us. It is up to us to fervently seek Him and seek what His plan is for all of us.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” —Matthew 6:23

“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” —Psalm 9:10

Closing Thoughts

I should’ve known better, I really should’ve. Every time a Stephen King film comes out I go in hoping, believing that there will be some glimmer of light, real unabated truth and reasoning. What I leave the theater with though, each time is not feeling hopeful, but HOPELESS.

“The Long Walk” is indeed a long journey to sit through, even with a runtime at 108 minutes. Every scene is drawn out to some degree, and every violent act is drawn out as well. The vulgar language is the highest I’ve personally seen since “The Wolf of Wall Street” (which still holds the record of having the most f-words in a US based film, with a total of 500. “The Long Walk” has about 260-290 F-word variations.).

“The Long Walk” leaves a foul stench far after the film has finished. If there’s something to take away from the movie, it’s that it’s best to avoid Stephen King films whenever possible. He doesn’t offer hope, only God does, and God does not exist in any Stephen King film or novel.

Avoid this film at all costs. It does not glorify God, it spits in his face. It does not put a smile on Jesus’ face, it saddens Him. Find something much, much better to do with your time. Don’t WALK, run very, very far away from this Long Walk…

• Violence: Extreme
• Vulgar/Crude language: Extreme
• Profane language: Heavy
• Sex: Heavy
• Nudity: Modeately Heavy
• Wokeism: Moderate
• Drugs/Alcohol: Mild
• Occult: None

Be wise, avoid spiritual darkness and seek spiritual light

Learn about DISCERNMENT, wisdom in making personal entertainment decisions

Every time you buy a movie ticket or buy or rent a video you are in effect casting a vote telling Hollywood, “I’ll pay for that. That’s what I want.” Read our article

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