The horror genre has been thriving for years now, to the delight of fans like me. 2025 was a particularly great year for scary movies, including some of the best horror movies in recent memory. And while both Sinners and Weapons (which are streaming with a HBO Max subscription) are rightfully getting their flowers, I think that fans are sleeping on another A+ title that came out this year: The Long Walk.
Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence brought another dystopian book to screen adaptation to life with The Long Walk. Whether or not it becomes one of the best Stephen King movies remains to be seen, but I found it to be a chilling, moving, and overall outstanding watch and one of my favorite movies of the year. Allow me to explain why.
The Long Walk Deserves Its Flowers
The Long Walk, based of King's book of the same name, is set in an alternate 20th century, where the United States is a totalitarian regime. 50 young men volunteer for the titular event, where they walk for days at a time without stopping in hopes of being the last one standing. They must continue moving at at least 3 miles per hour, or they're shot by the military caravan following them. The winner will receive a sum of money and is granted a wish of their choice.
It definitely has some Hunger Games movies vibes, but isn't futuristic. and is even more bleak than the story of Panem. The movie's setting is instantly captivating, and the tension steadily builds throughout its 108-minute runtime. The moment the first walker is shot and killed raises the stakes, and the movie's tension never really lets up throughout the rest of The Long Walk.
CinemaBlend's The Long Walk review praised the movie's execution, and I have to concur. The movie quickly establishes its main group of characters and their motivations for joining the walk itself. Moving bonds are formed, particularly for the four musketeers who support each other in the midst of competing for the win. Watching the way they help each other is heartwarming, and seeing their reaction once they start dying after days of walking non-stop is truly heartbreaking.
Part of why this movie worked so well is thanks to how contained the story is. We don't get flashbacks, but instead the Walkers' interactions methodically reveal who they are and why they volunteered for the deadly competition. The movie also featured some stellar performances, including Mark Hamill's villainous Major, as well as Judy Greer's heartbreaking Ginnie. Although the biggest standouts have to be Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson as Ray and Pete, the two main protagonists of the story.
I'm glad Sinners and Weapons are getting love for being excellent horror movies, including their recent Golden Globe nominations, but I think that The Long Walk was just as effective, and is also one of my favorite movies of 2025.
The Long Walk isn't streaming right now, but can be rented on platforms like Amazon.
