'The Long Walk' Review: This Horror Adaptation Is One of the Best Stephen King Movies Ever

The Long Walk, a dystopian horror-thriller that fits outside Stephen King's multiverse as a Richard Bachman title, was long considered unfilmable. The project had gone through a litany of attached directors, all incredibly notable. George Romero had pursued a film version in the late 1980s; Frank Darabont, whose films The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist are among King's best adaptations, held the rights for years before his option eventually expired; André Øvredalwas later attached, but that, too, fizzled out. How do you make a novel about a murderous group cardio feel interesting? Cue director Francis Lawrence, whose experience helming most of the Hunger Gamesfranchise shows an aptitude for shooting teenage death games with flair, dramatic heft, and emotion. The Long Walk's steadfast focus on the lives and emotions of the walkers themselves is an exceptional choice, allowing the film to be tense, moving, and complex. It's one of the best horror movies of the year, leaving an impact that will last long after the credits roll.