Run time: 108 mins

Based on a novel that Stephen King wrote in his college days before publishing it 12 years later, The Long Walk is a gruelling, yet beautiful dystopian drama.

The film’s emotional core lies in the performances of Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson. Hoffman is Ray, an ordinary boy who strikes up an uneasy but deepening friendship with Jonsson’s Peter, a sharp, sardonic figure who often seems wiser than his years. Their evolving bond offers a flicker of humanity against the cruelty of the march, grounding the film in something more tender than its grim premise might suggest.

The march in question being an annual game of survival. The rules are simple: you keep walking; fall behind and you’re shot; the last man standing receives a cash reward and any wish of their choosing granted. It is as bleak as it sounds, yes, but there’s a touching comradery between the desperate players, with a horrific turn from Mark Hamil as the commander overseeing the game.

Unflinching, and unexpectedly moving, The Long Walk is both a faithful King adaptation and one of the most harrowing cinematic experiences in years. Don’t miss.