In an America where the fascists have won and those in power have prohibited any freedom of expression which does not explicitly fall under “acceptable” parameters, the greatest form of entertainment is an annual march of endurance death. A literal visual competition from Bootstrap, “The Long Walk” – Francis Lawrence and JT Mollner adaptation of Stephen King’s dark novel (initially published under the name of Richard Bachman) that he began to write as adolescents – is a story that only works if the public can only invest in the life of 50 boys knowing that all except one will only be died. It is a story of survival, yes, but it is not an anchor in individualism despite the tragic knowledge that there is only one winner and no finish line. The boys walk, in agony, until they can no longer, and we, as spectators, are powerless to help them survive.
“The Long Walk” is not only one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work, but it is undoubtedly one of the best films of 2025. It is a “Warning!” From what will happen if we allow society to continue to obey the orders of grass fascists, as well as a screaming recall that people in power continue to oppose each other so that we never join their strengths and that we fight against our oppressors. Each boy in the promenade is someone who is worth investing, because they are not only figures, they are people. Even those supposed to be antagonists, as despite Mental Gary Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer), prove to be worthy of empathy; A reminder that none of us should never be defined by our worst moments.
As a novel, it is very easy to immerse yourself in the world of walking, but as a film, it is difficult to ask an audience to sit down and watch people walk and speak for an hour and 48 minutes. And yet, “The Long Walk” effectively commands the public because it has the best overall distribution of the year. The best inaugural success in the Oscar casting will have its debut at the 2026 Academy Awards, and there is no other film more deserving of the historic victory than “The Long Walk”.
The casting of the long walk is an absolute perfection
There have been really fantastic overall molds assembled this year, whether it is great comedy in “The Roses” or a number of films that should be released later during the “Oscar-Bait” season (I look at you, “Bugonia”, “Father Mother Sister Brother” and “Jay Kelly”). But in all these cases, we are talking about films with established names – many of which have already brought Oscar Gold. There is certainly no guarantee that the assembly of a casting full of Hollywood lists “offer only” will work, but there is a bigger challenge at stake when you throw from a pool of young unknown unknown people who always send auto-tapes while their roommates or their parents read lines for them out of camera.
The casting director Rich Delia essentially launched “The Long Walk” three times, because he was involved in two previous attempts to adapt the work of King who never materialized. “Age is very specific in the book, so it started from scratch each time,” he told Casting Networks. “I knew these characters so well, and I felt so attached to them.” This is not an example of a director loving an actor and finding a project that allows them to maintain a collaborative relationship, but rather a creative team that completely builds a casting from zero. The intimacy that Delia has with these characters is apparent because each actor is perfect in the role. Even for a character like Curly, played by the star of “Jojo Rabbit” Roman Griffin Davis, his limited screen time is memorable because his Cherubian face is exactly what the character needs.
All the boys sank into walking, including led the Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson as Ray Garraty and Peter Mcvries, auditioned for the film, and it was by Design. “Having an audience that has no preconceived on what they can know about this actor from previous performance or their personal life, and be able to sink and see them as the characters they represent, I think, give him immediacy and a reality that ultimately reports dividends,” said Delia.
A set of the next generation of Hollywood stars
For “names” actors like Mark Hamill as the Major, a heartbreaking Judy Greer as the mother of Raymond Garraty, Ginny, and Josh Hamilton as a father, William, there is no telephoning. Each role, from the start of walking to the heartbreaking final moments, is perfect, but the magic is really in all boys. The basic cast of “The Long Walk” recalls to watch a number of Brat Pack films, namely “The Outsiders”, “The Breakfast Club”, “St. Elmo’s Fire” and “Young Guns”. Not in the sense that stories are Nothing Like the dystopian nightmare of “The Long Walk”, but it is undeniable by watching these overall films that each actor is going to be a superstar. A large part of the praise for “The Long Walk” will rightly be directed towards Hoffman and Jonsson, who are undoubtedly the vital element of the film, but Each character In this set, offers performance at the best of the year.
Hank Olson by Ben Wang is such a delicious smartass that when walking breaks his mind, it’s painful. Tut Nyuot, as a religious arthur baker, is full of optimism that even the pagans root for him to take a step. The stoic Billy Stebbins, played by Garrett Wareing, is a man of a few words but always makes them count. Joshua Odjick as Collie Parker, Jordan Gonzalez like Richard Harkness, Daymon Wrightly As Rank, Thamela Mpumlwana like Pearson and Samuel Clark as a Tressler attract the public with a single line, one line or a moment – commanding the screen, even if it means that they will die a few seconds later. The casting is an art form, and Rich Delia – which has already thrown great sets of all time in films like “Game Night”, “It: Chapter One / Two,” “Joy Ride”, “Good Boys” and “Short Term 12” – assembled his masterpiece. It deserves each renowned element for having successfully succeeded and should legitimately make the history of the Oscars in 2026.
“The Long Walk” now plays in theaters around the world.
