David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman, Jordan Gonzales, Ben Wang and Tut Nyot (L-R) in “The Long Walk” (Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate).
(“The Long Walk” trailer courtesy of Lionsgate Movies)
It is amazing how art so accurately imitates life, sometimes.
Even if a movie or song does not perfectly capture current life, sometimes it provides a warning on how things could turn out if freedom and justice are not preserved.
In “The Long Walk,” participants in the life-and-death race are given a warning if their pace drops too low.
And “The Long Walk” definitely serves as a warning, reminding people that they should not be too slow to recognize tyranny developing right before their very eyes.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
When money is tight and opportunities are scarce, people will resort to desperate measures just to survive.
And when people are desperate, evil people will find a way to take advantage of their desperation.
In “The Long Walk,” the country conducts an annual lottery to pick people to participate in a walking competition.
In good times, walking would be seen as a good thing, especially for people with health concerns.
Unfortunately, this walk could be hazardous to one’s health,
As a matter of fact, every year, the long walk is hazardous to 49 people’s health, because only one person can win.
In the movie “Talladega Nights,” Ricky Bobby’s father told him, “If you’re not first, you’re last.”
In “The Long Walk,” if a person is not last, as in the last man walking, then they are dead.
If a competition puts a person’s life in danger, then why would they sign up?
The bigger question is, if a person does not have real freedom and independence, are they truly living anyway?
In “The Long Walk,” every competitor has their own reason to be at the competition.
All want the wealth that comes with winning the competition.
But that is not the only reason they all compete.
Some want to inspire the country and their home state.
Some have family reasons for competing in “The Long Walk.”
And some see it as a business opportunity.
The long walk begins in Pennsylvania.
Runners are in Pennsylvania, representing all 50 states.
The walk will continue until only one man is left standing.
That man walks away from the competition alive, wealthy beyond their wildest dreams, while also possessing one wish that the country must make come true.
The walkers must keep a certain miles per hour pace.
When they dip below the desired pace, they receive a warning.
If they receive three warnings within an hour, they receive a bullet in their head and a trip home in a coffin.
The entire race is televised, with fans from around the world allowed to watch the last leg of the race in person.
Before that final leg of the race, spectators can only view the race in person if they are local.
Therefore, families and even children line the rural streets of Pennsylvania to watch the competitors, even if it means viewing an execution-style death.
Despite the fatal nature of the race, great friendships develop out of “The Long Walk.”
The home state hero Raymond Garraty #47 (Cooper Hoffman, “Licorice Pizza”), Peter McVries #23 (David Jonsson, “Industry”), Hank Olson #46 (Ben Wang, “Karate Kid: Legends”) and Arthur Baker #6 (Tut Nyot) begin referring to themselves as The Musketeers, even though there are four of them and there were only three musketeers.
That camaraderie keeps them going, even when they feel like giving up.
But the friendships could also make it more difficult for them to keep their eye on the prize.
As people begin to meet their fate, Pete tells Ray that he hopes seeing murder will get easier for him.
Pete responds that getting accustomed to murder is his fear.
Despite the stress of the race and the consequences for 49 souls, the country that the 50 walkers find themselves in is not the same country that their parents and grandparents grew up in.
Previous generations had freedom of speech.
Their dissent was not met with death.
Previous generations had freedom of speech.
Therefore, they could read whatever books they wanted, even if government leaders or school administrators did not like or agree with the content.
In the old days, people could listen to music without censorship.
Unfortunately, in “The Long Walk,” those days are long in the rearview mirror because if people do not conform to the ways of the current world, they soon will meet their Maker.
Although “The Long Walk” derives from a Stephen King novel published in 1979, the themes terrifyingly apply to 2025.
In 2025, soldiers march through the streets of American cities to keep “unruly citizens” in their so-called place.
School boards across the country are banning books because they do not agree with the messaging.
At Texas A&M University, a college professor and school dean lost their jobs because they taught from a perspective that President Donald Trump does not agree with.
Republican politicians who voice their dissent with President Trump often lose their offices.
And if the right person disagrees with someone’s perspective, they could be met with murder, like what happened to conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Minnesota’s Democratic state lawmaker, Rep. Melissa Hortman.
But warnings aside, “The Long Walk” is still a movie, and not necessarily a public service announcement.
Moviegoers will take a liking to many of the characters, and possibly look away as they meet their ultimate demise.
Viewers will feel empathy when they hear the stories of why they chose to accept the lottery results.
Hoffman is great, and not because of his acting lineage.
Jonnson is strong as the leader of the Musketeers.
But the star of “The Long Walk” is Wang.
His personality livens up the whole somber situation.
But the somber mood should not be completely ignored because the grim circumstances that the characters in “The Long Walk” face could easily become the reality for current Americans if democracy and freedom are not respected and protected.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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