The Long Walk : Stephen King’s Dystopian Tale Becomes a Brutal Yet Beautiful Story of Male Friendship

Stephen King’s The Long Walk, his first-ever written novel (though published later under the Richard Bachman pen name), has finally received a big-screen adaptation. The dystopian thriller, now in theaters, is a brutal yet deeply human exploration of survival, power, and male friendship that feels as timely as ever.

Directed with stark realism, The Long Walk imagines an America under authoritarian rule, where young men volunteer for a yearly walking contest. The rules are cruel: stay above three miles per hour or receive warnings. After three strikes, contestants are executed on the spot. The last one standing earns wealth and a wish — but the cost is everything.

Ray and Pete: Friendship in the Face of Death

At the heart of the story is the unlikely bond between Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Pete McVries (David Jonsson). Despite the grim setting, their friendship grows mile after mile, reminding viewers that even in the darkest of circumstances, human connection can be salvation.

Screenwriter JT Mollner even calls their relationship “the central love story” of the film. For Hoffman, the themes resonated personally: “At 17, it’s important. At 22, it still feels important, but for different reasons,” he said, reflecting on how male friendships shaped his own youth.

Jonsson echoed the sentiment, saying the film captures the universal need to connect, even when the world feels hostile.

Mark Hamill in ‘The Long Walk’

Cooper Hoffman’s Emotional Connection

Cooper Hoffman, the son of the late Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, drew parallels between his own life and Ray’s grief-driven journey. Like his character, he lost his father at a young age, and that loss influenced how he approached the role. “It’s hard not to look at it on the page and think about your own life and connect the two,” he admitted.

He credits his mother, Mimi O’Donnell, as his biggest role model, saying she “taught me everything” and guided him through his teens after his father’s passing.

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Son, Cooper Hoffma,n in ‘The Long Walk’

Stephen King’s Timeless Relevance

Originally written during the Vietnam era, Stephen King’s novel feels eerily current in 2025. Themes of government control, disenfranchisement, and the struggles of young men still resonate today.

Jonsson noted the parallels: “He nailed who our young men are — who they have been, who they can be, and what happens when you disenfranchise people.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Collider (@collider)

A Brutal Yet Hopeful Film

With powerhouse performances, Mark Hamill’s chilling presence as the Major, and a narrative that mixes tragedy with moments of levity, The Long Walk is not just dystopian spectacle. It’s an emotional meditation on resilience, friendship, and the need for human connection.

As Jonsson summed it up: “You’re just trying to connect. This film reflects that in such a gorgeous way — but also brutal.”