n May 1st, a group of 50 “lucky” young men gather together at the starting point of a race of sorts. In this economically desolate (undisclosed) era, in an America that has been ravaged by war, this harrowing challenge will be broadcast to the nation, where they will watch as the contestants slowly dwindle. It’s a public display to distract the masses from the hardships (and probable corruptions and crises) of existence in this resourceless wasteland of a world (potentially postapocalyptic, too). And the rules are simple: during the course of a few days, the contestants must walk at a minimum of three-miles-per-hour and stay on the pavement; there is no finish line and only one person can win. Three warnings are given should a walker lag behind or pause – after that, they’re shot by one of the soldiers who drives alongside the group in an armored military vehicle.

Before anything much happens, the film is already highly emotional, thanks to a mother (Judy Greer, always dependable in supporting roles) saying her goodbyes to her son, Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman). Viewers may not be aware of the stakes, but she is; and in the lengthy setup before the title flashes onscreen, this endurance test distractingly takes the form of a neighborly gathering, as various characters introduce themselves, exhibiting traits of friendliness, chattiness, cattiness, or unsociableness. They’re all youthful and they’re all a touch raggedy, with minimal supplies; not a one is saved from modeling clothes devoid of noticeable holes and stains and fraying. And then, as the film will continue to do for the remainder of its runtime, a sudden, jolting, grisly bit of violence rears its head, shocking audiences into the realization that the consequences of failure in this tournament are exceptionally nasty and severe.

To cure the epidemic of laziness – says the grizzled, throaty, obscured face of a fatigues-enveloped major (Mark Hamill), spouting what is surely jingoistic propaganda – the volunteers of this long walk promote a spike in national production and output after every annual event. They’re an inspiration to their country – even though all but one must die to summon that patriotic motivation. It’s clear that this is a dystopian thriller, though for anyone unfamiliar with the source material (the book by Stephen King, written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, back when he was about 20 years old), it may be difficult to directly associate the specific comparisons and commentary to the Vietnam War – a reflection or snapshot of a contemporary America. It undoubtedly possesses timeless themes and ideas, but because of its design, which omits any poignant visualizations of the desperation surrounding the boys, it will be a hard sell to convince viewers that participating in the long walk is the best of unseen, more horrifying choices. The “1984”-like political environment never appears bleak enough to justify the notion that every eligible young man would eagerly sign up for this life-or-death trial (though again, this senselessness would fit perfectly with an anti-Vietnam perspective). In addition, while perhaps appropriately dismal, the televising of the competition doesn’t ring entirely true; do the citizens of this world all own the means to watch an Olympics-adjacent marathon, let alone clamor to soak up the utter lack of spectacle of tattered people shuffling along an abandoned stretch of road? The Coliseum this is not.

It’s also been beat to the punch by a few similar, teen-oriented sci-fi pictures, such as the series of “The Maze Runner” and “The Hunger Games” (which was curiously also directed by Francis Lawrence), as well as the more adult-oriented “THX 1138,” “Soylent Green,” “Logan’s Run,” and another King adaptation, “The Running Man” – among many others. “The Long Walk” boasts a considerable amount of realistic bloodshed and plenty of tension, however, nicely confirming that the unusually simple premise can indeed prompt engagement and wracked nerves for a feature-length span. “It’s thinnin’ out, Ray.”

As small details provide unexpected components to wince at – including the predicaments of eating, sleeping, urinating/defecating, adverse weather, and grading changes – the film becomes not an example of survivalist fantasy but of stark cruelty; it’s not so much a scrutinization of dire economic situations as it is an opportunity to explore repetitious, chaotic, ugly, cringe-inducing imagery of heads exploding from a point-blank rifle shot. Nevertheless, “The Long Walk” is riveting, thanks to its leads. Hoffman and David Jonsson (as Peter McVries) – alongside Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, and Joshua Odjick, as fellow walkers – are sensational, conveying an outstanding blend of brief levity and optimism, plus camaraderie, rivalry, generosity, friendship, and existentialism. Were it not for the casting, this production could have been far less effective. Instead, though hard-pressed to be considered entertaining, it’s a well-paced, frightful little thriller that is as unnerving as it is intentional (with an ending much more definitive in certain aspects – though still ultimately nebulous – than in the original text).

– Mike Massie