THE LONG WALK Turns a Great Richard Bachman Story Into a Good Stephen King One

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Stephen King, under the pen name Richard Bachman, published several novels that he had written years prior between the late ’70s and mid ’80s. However, this secret was unveiled by someone, revealing the connection and ending King’s pseudonymous fun. Yet, for King, Bachman wasn’t just a nom de plume; he was almost like a separate identity with distinct differences from himself.

In his 1996 essay “The Importance of Being Bachman,” Stephen King revealed that the novels he attributed to Richard Bachman were penned in a state of mind characterized by low rage, sexual frustration, dark humor, and underlying despair. Unlike many of his own stories where the good characters usually prevail, those under the Bachman moniker were significantly more somber and dismal.

A blend of suppressed anger, sexual tension, manic humor, and smoldering sadness aptly captures the essence of Bachman’s “The Long Walk.” Similarly, it offers an appropriate depiction for Lawrence’s film. Set in a destitute America that is struggling to recover from a devastating civil war, the story unfolds within a landscape where there’s much to provoke anger and little to elicit joy. The nation’s de facto ruler, known as The Major (portrayed by Mark Hamill), has outlawed certain books and ideologies. The narrative unfolds in an eternal fascist police state that is trapped within the prolonged suffering of a Great Depression.

Towards the end of the movie, upon understanding the true nature of his character, I admired Mark Hamill’s acting skills immensely. At first glance, it appeared he was portraying a caricature. However, the Major, as Hamill depicted him, was a power-hungry individual who had stumbled into too much authority and eventually became convinced of his own deceit. He was both terrifyingly monstrous and amusingly brash, which made perfect sense given his character. This decision by Hamill to portray such a complex character was both intelligent and effective, leaving me with a mix of fear and laughter.

The film is effective due to its unusual environment and chilling narrative, yet the characters seem authentic. These young men, desperate, foolish, and courageous, speak and act with a believability that intensifies the true terror in the story. They are aware that most of them won’t survive, but it’s only when death stares them in the face, through a gun pointed at their heads, that they truly comprehend their fate. Each time one character meets this grim reality, you flinch and hope for some miracle to halt this disastrous game. It’s hard not to empathize with these characters and dread their potential demise.

In the fashion of the novel, The Long Walk, it draws us into its harrowing plot by making us care deeply for its tragic characters, with a particular focus on its protagonist Ray Garraty, played charmingly by Cooper Hoffman. He is endearing and deserving of support, much like his fellow actor David Jonsson who portrays Pete McVries, the story’s lone optimistic character that aids and safeguards Ray throughout the journey. These two characters serve as the film’s cornerstones. Their bond is also responsible for the movie’s most significant deviation from the original narrative.

Lawrence and screenwriter JT Mollner appear to adore the narrative of “The Long Walk,” yet express reservations about its perspective. In an unexpected move, they’ve also reworked or significantly altered some of the book’s key characters. Their adaptation blends the grim, desolate atmosphere of Bachman’s tale with the affectionate camaraderie found in King novels like “Stand By Me” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” This isn’t necessarily a negative aspect, considering these are renowned classics. However, it results in a different, arguably less daring and less engaging rendition of “The Long Walk” compared to what readers are accustomed to.

In simpler terms, the movie adds a reason or purpose to the annual event depicted in The Long Walk, which is missing in King’s original story. This purpose, shown as increasing national productivity and hope through competition, makes the event more relatable and relevant (timely), but some argue that this dilutes its initial impact. However, it could be argued that the author, Lawrence, was just updating his adaptation to reflect contemporary issues in 2025.

In the movie version, unlike its printed counterpart, Ray clearly has a specific motive for joining, whereas the latter is uncertain about why he signed up. The underlying theme of Ray’s decision in the book is intriguing, but the film merely hints at his internal turmoil concerning his sexual identity. This alteration seems fitting for the story the movie chose to convey, but it was still a bit disappointing not to delve deeper into this aspect.

In this adaptation of “The Long Walk,” there’s genuine optimism and charm contrasting the grimness found in Bachman’s. However, shifting the atmosphere leads to an unfortunate change (specifically, a dark humor) in the conclusion, which is ironically criticized as a weakness. Stephen King has been accused of struggling with story conclusions. In this case, though, Richard Bachman excelled where King often stumbles. Since Lawrence and Mollner chose to reinterpret a Bachman tale through a Stephen King lens, they encountered a dilemma typical of King’s narrative style.

There are fewer criticisms harsher than calling a movie a ‘good Stephen King adaptation.’ And that’s precisely what The Long Walk is – it made me laugh, cringe, and feel horror just as frequently. Judy Greer, who plays Ray’s mom, even managed to make me cry with her limited screen time. Many of the characters, even those who made terrible choices, were so compelling that I found myself caring about them deeply, despite their flaws. They all felt incredibly real.

Although I found this movie enjoyable and believe you’d appreciate it, being an ardent fan of the book, I can’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment since an excellent representation of Stephen King’s work seemed to overshadow a fantastic tale originally penned by Richard Bachman.

The Long Walk ⭐ (4 of 5)

The Long Walk hits theaters on September 12.

TopMob’s staff writer, Mikey Walsh, encourages you to read ‘The Long Walk.’ He invites discussion on this book and can be found on Bluesky under the username @burgermike. Additionally, he’s interested in discussions about the ranking of Targaryen kings as well.

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2025-09-04 23:27