The Long Walk

The Long Walk is a 2025 American-Canadian horror film about a group of teenage boys that compete in an annual contest referred to as "The Long Walk," in which they must keep up a minimum walking pace to the Maine-Canadian border in order to avoid being executed.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, screenplay adapted by JT Mollner, based on the 1979 novel by Stephen King under pen name Richard Bachman.

The task is simple: Walk or Die.taglines

Opening text

• Dear Mr. Raymond Garraty,
  Congratulations!
  Your voluntary submission to participate in the Long Walk has been accepted through lottery.
  You now have the rare honor of representing your state as a symbol of hope in these economically desperate times.
  The entire nation will be watching the live broadcast with admiration and awe.
  If you win, unimaginable wishes and a single wish await - a chance to break free from today's financial struggles and inspire the nation.
  Please report to the staring line on May 1st by 8:00 a.m.
  Luck to you, Mr. Garraty.

The Major

• [from trailer] You'll walk as long as you can. But sometimes, the body won't listen. For some of you, your heart will stop. For others, your brain. And the blood will flow... suddenly.
• Boys, it takes heavy, heavy sack to sign up for this contest, and you've all got it. You're men now. As you all know, our country has been in a period of financial struggle since the war, and we did the first Long Walk all those years ago to inspire and re-integrate the value of work ethic. Each year after the event, there's a spike in production. We have the means to return to our former glory. Our problem now is an epidemic of laziness. You boys are the answer. The Long Walk is the answer. When this is broadcast for all the states, your inspiration will continue to elevate our gross national product. We will be number one in the world again! [cheers from the Walkers]
• Now, uh, I'm not going to go through the whole rule-book, but it boils down to this. Walk until there's only one of you left. Maintain a speed of three miles per hour. If you fall below the speed, you get a warning. If you can't make speed in ten seconds, you get an additional warning. Three warnings, you get your ticket. Walk one hour at speed, one warning is erased, and so on. If you step off the pavement, you will get your ticket without warning. The goal is to last the longest. There's one winner, and no finish line. Any of you can win. Any of you can do it if you walk long and steady enough, if you refuse to give up. I look at each and every one of you, and I see hope. Now, boys, who's set to fuckin' win? [cheers from the Walkers] I said, who's ready to fuckin' win? [louder cheers; he fires a pistol into the air to start the Walk] Luck to all, and remember. Anyone can win.

Raymond Garraty #47

• [to the boys] Rich men don't enter the kingdom of heaven!
• [to Pete] C'mon, stop acting like you don't want me to get my ticket. I know you're just like the rest of 'em, man. Stop pretending like you don't wanna see me with a FUCKIN' BULLET IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD!
• [To the guard] You're paid to shoot me, not look at me, motherfucker!
• [To McVries] Just walk with me a little longer.
• I'm sorry, mom.

Peter McVries #23

• I stopped thinkin' I had any real chance around 11 last night. You know, I had an idea that when the first guy fell off, the soldiers were pointing their guns and when they pulled the triggers, little pieces of paper with the word "Bang!" would pop out. The Major would go "April Fools!" and we'll all go home. [...] Yeah, it took me a while to realize the real gut truth of this: This is walk or die. Simple as that. Not survival of the physically fittest; if it was, I'd have a good chance, but... There are mothers who would lift a fuckin' car if their kid was pinned underneath. The brain, Garraty. Not man or God, there's something in the fucking brain. I don't have that. I don't wanna beat people that badly. And I think, when the time comes and I'm tired enough, I think I'll just sit down.
• [His last line] This is for Ray.

Others

• Arthur Baker #6: What, you need a gun to your head to get up from a shit? Jesus.
• Gary Barkovitch #5: You ain't gonna fuckin' make it, Garraty! You're gonna fuckin' die tonight, Garraty, I can fuckin' feel it. You're gonna fuckin' die tonight, man! Take your time, baby. Take your time! Don't look behind, Garraty! Got a gun to your fuckin' head, fucker! I can feel it! You're gonna fuckin' give in, aren't you? Gun to your fuckin' head, Garraty! Gonna be the last thing you fuckin' hear, man!
• Hank Olson #46: I DID IT ALL WRONG!
• Arthur Baker #6: [His last line, repeatedly] I'm going home.

Dialogue

Hank Olson #46: There are three great truths in the world. A good meal, a good screw, and a good shit. And that's all.

Raymond Garraty #47: Olson's a smart man. You keep saying "crap", though. What's up with that?

Arthur Baker #6: It's always sounded a little less vulgar to me than the... than the s-word.

Peter McVries #23: Well, I ain't never heard of the Bible forbidding the word "shit".

---

Peter McVries #23: Do you know what I want more than anything?

Raymond Garraty #47: What, Pete?

Peter McVries #23: An Orange Julius.

---

[Discussing Ray's plan to kill the Major if he wins]

Peter McVries #23: Garraty, do you have any idea how fuckin' hard it is to kill a man? I'll kill a deer and that's hard enough. Like, killing a man is only easy for...for a certain kind of person.

Raymond Garraty #47: I'll become that kind of person.

Peter McVries #23: That'd be fuckin' sad. Those kind of people can't see the beauty in this world.

Raymond Garraty #47: What fuckin' beauty?

Peter McVries #23: The sky! The trees, the birds! Fuck, man, everything! You know what else is beautiful? Us. 'Cause we're...we're real friends, aren't we?

Raymond Garraty #47: Pete, what does it matter?

Peter McVries #23: Whether we have three hours, three days, or three decades, this moment? This fuckin' moment? It matters, man. Say it.

Raymond Garraty #47: This matters. This moment matters.

Peter McVries #23: Yeah. Goddamn right. Let's continue.

Raymond Garraty #47: But it doesn't really matter, does it, Pete? 'Cause when this moment's over... [whispering] ...I'm still gonna go fuckin' kill him.

Peter McVries #23: Fair enough. But realize, even if you pull it off, they'll fuckin' kill you.

Raymond Garraty #47: You don't know that shit. I'll be the winner. That's uncharted territory.

Peter McVries #23: But what about your mom?

Raymond Garraty #47: Oh, don't fuckin' bring up my mom, Pete!

Peter McVries #23: What about your mom? Does she know?

Raymond Garraty #47: No, she doesn't. This thing's bigger than me and my mom.

---

The Major: You're in the home stretch, for better or for worse. There's going to be wheat AND! There's going to be chaff. You choose, boys. Remember: You choose!

Raymond Garraty #47: Shut the fuck up, holy shit! Suck a dick, will you? I mean, just-- you fuckin' Lotus Eater, you old sack of shit, shut up!

The Major: That's the spirit, my boy! That's the killer fuckin' instinct... Take no prisoners! Flex that sack and go get that prize...!

---

Billy Stebbins #38: I'm the rabbit.

Raymond Garraty #47: Huh?

Billy Stebbins #38: I'm the fucking rabbit. You've seen them. Those little grey mechanical rabbits that the greyhounds chase at the dog races. 'Cause no matter how fast the dogs run, they never can quite catch up to the rabbit, because the rabbit isn’t flesh and blood. And maybe you're right, Garraty. Maybe we should stop being rabbits and pigs and goats and sheep and just be people. Real people... who bleed. You wanna know how I know so much about the Long Walk? Because the Major's my father. I'm his bastard. I didn't think he knew I was his son; that's where I made my mistake. He's got dozens of us. For my wish, I was gonna ask to be taken into my father's home. To be invited for tea. But I guess this rabbit is flesh and blood, and this flesh and blood is failing me now. I can feel my liver going. My lungs filling with fluid. And I'd like to end this shit with my head held high, instead of falling on my belly like a reptile choking on my own mucus. Think it'll rain tonight, boys?

Raymond Garraty #47: I don't know. But it looks that way.

Billy Stebbins #38: I always loved the rain.

Peter McVries #23: Hey. I'm sorry.

Billy Stebbins #38: There's gonna be crowds. They allow them when there's two. The real die-hards, the ones who will walk with you. The ones that wanna see the Major do the final kill. Just keep walking, okay? I'm glad it's you two...

Raymond Garraty #47: Nice walking with you, Stebbins.

Billy Stebbins #38: An honor. Good luck.

---

[Pete has just won the Long Walk and collapsed to his knees, having watched the Major execute Ray]

The Major: Congratulations, Mr. McVries. The cash prize is yours. So tell me, son. What's your wish?

[Pete struggles to speak]

The Major: The whole nation is watching, son. What's your wish?

Peter McVries #23: I want... [stands up] ...I want a carbine.

The Major: You'll have one.

Peter McVries #23: No. [points to rifle held by a soldier] I want that carbine. To give to my kids one day.

Soldier: Sir?

The Major: Give him his wish. He won't shoot anyone, boys. He's won too much, and remember. This one wants to make the world a better place. Isn't that right, son?

[soldier hands over his rifle; Pete points it at the Major]

Peter McVries #23: Hold your fire or I'll fuckin' shoot!

The Major: Hold your fire, boys!

Peter McVries #23: I'll fuckin' shoot!

The Major: That's all right, son. No harm done...not yet. Put the gun down. The whole world is waitin' for you. There's more riches than you can possibly imagine. Put the gun down. The prize is yours for the takin'. Don't throw it away.

[long pause]

Peter McVries #23: This is for Ray.

[shoots and kills the Major, sees the street now silent and empty, then drops the rifle and walks away]

Closing text (Alternate ending)

[After Pete has chosen not to shoot the Major and walked away]

• It was an early fall morning, months after Peter McVries won the Long Walk, when the Musketeers' next of kin – Ginny Garraty, Clementine Olson, and Geraldine Baker – each heard a knock at their door.
  When they opened it, no one was there.
  Instead, they each found a large envelope filled with more money than any of them had ever seen.
  These mysterious envelopes kept arriving, month after month, for as long as they could remember.
  And one day not long after the first envelopes arrived, Geraldine Baker received a small parcel.
  Inside was a rosary and cross.

Taglines

• Walk or die.
  • The task is simple: Walk or die.
• Join.
• You could be the next winner.
• The road awaits you.
• How far can you go?

Cast

• Cooper Hoffman as Raymond Garraty #47
• David Jonsson as Peter McVries #23
• Garrett Wareing as Billy Stebbins #38
• Tut Nyuot as Arthur Baker #6
• Charlie Plummer as Gary Barkovitch #5
• Ben Wang as Hank Olson #46
• Jordan Gonzalez as Richard Harkness #49
• Joshua Odjick as Collie Parker #48
• Mark Hamill as The Major
• Roman Griffin Davis as Curley Adam White #7
• Judy Greer as Mrs. Ginnie Garraty
• Josh Hamilton as Mr. William Garraty
• Noah de Mel as James Ewing #1
• Daymon Wrightly as Rank Sanders #19
• Jack Giffin as Ronald #45

External links

• The Long Walk quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• The Long Walk at Rotten Tomatoes