The Long Walk(2025)

In an alternate dystopian 1970’s America, a great war has devastated the country and is taken over by a totalitarian regime. A contest called “The Long Walk” forces 50 young boys to walk for hundreds of miles to win a huge cash prize and one wish of their choosing. Anybody that falls behind is executed.

Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) enters The Long Walk because his father William was executed by The Major, the fascist leader of the contest. He befriends several boys, including Peter McVries (David Jonsson), Hank Olson, Arthur Baker, Richard Harkness, and Collie Parker. They first witness a boy, Thomas Curley, get killed after he suffers a charley horse that prevents him from walking. Other boys are killed for trying to escape, stopping to relieve themselves, or going too slow. Harkness is killed after a twisted ankle slows him down, while Hank goes delirious and is left to bleed out by soldiers after he tries to go near them.

One other boy, Gary Barkovitch, kills himself after being ostracized by the group since his antagonism led to another boy to get killed early. Parker kills one soldier after stealing his rifle and then commits suicide. Art falls behind because he is suffering an internal hemorrhage, while another boy named Billy Stebbins joined the contest because he is one of The Major’s illegitimate children and wanted to use his wish to live with him, but his condition is deteriorating and he accepts his fate.

Ray and Peter are the last two left after walking over 300 miles for five days. They walk into a crowd of spectators, where Peter initially tries to sacrifice himself so Ray can win, but Ray keeps him going and allows himself to be sacrificed. Peter wins and he takes Ray’s wish for a carbine so that he can execute The Major himself. Peter then continues walking alone down a dark and rainy road.