The Long Walk’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Almost Stephen King’s Best

This weekend, The Long Walk is out in theaters, the latest Stephen King adaptation out of literally dozens over the years. He writes something, it will get adapted someday, and here we are.

The Long Walk, even by Stephen King standards, is quite old, written in 1979 under King’s pen name at the time, Richard Bachman. This 2025 adaptation has arrived 46 years later and has now become one of King’s highest scored movies ever on Rotten Tomatoes, practically at the very top. Here’s the ranking order, where some of these may surprise you:

Carrie – 94%
Stand By Me – 92%
1922 – 92%
The Long Walk – 91%
Gerald’s Game – 91%
Misery – 91%
The Shawshank Redemption – 89%
The Dead Zone – 89%
Dolores Clairborne – 86%
IT – 85%
The Shining – 84%
The Life of Chuck – 81%
1408 – 79%
The Green Mile – 79%

Okay, hold up. You’re telling me that The Shawshank Redemption isn’t in the top 5? You’re telling me The Green Mile has a 79% and is tied with 1408? The Shining is that low? Craziness. But even crazier is that The Long Walk is tied for third place, alongside an all-time classic like Misery. And that’s just 3% short of #1, the immortal Carrie.

The Shawshank Redemption

What’s The Long Walk about? The concept is one of his better ones. Here it is:

“In a dystopian near-future, America has fallen on hard times. Sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as the Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour day and night, without ever stopping. The winner gets “The Prize”—anything he wants for the rest of his life. But the rules of the Long Walk are harsh and the stakes could not be higher. There is no finish line—the winner is the last man standing. Contestants cannot receive any outside aid whatsoever. Slow down under the speed limit and you’re given a warning. Three warnings and you’re out of the game—forever.”

What’s somewhat wild here is that this came from director Francis Lawrence, best known for directing almost all the Hunger Games movies, including Catching Fire, the two parts of Mockingjay and the recent Ballad of Songs and Snakes. He did all of them but the very first one, and also has movies like Red Sparrow and I Am Legend under his belt. Also, the music video for Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance. That rules, actually, that video is awesome.

The Long Walk also has two incredible leads. One is Cooper Hoffman, his last name meaning yes, he is the son of all-time acting great, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Alongside him is David Jonsson, who had an amazing turn in Alien: Romulus, easily the standout of that film where he played a two-faced synth. Glad to see him getting his dues here.

So, The Long Walk, go see it. I’ll be there Monday.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.