Stephen King’s Most Brutal Adaptation Marches Into 4K: The Long Walk Review
The Long Walk strides onto 4K on December 23, 2025, capping a year that put four Stephen King adaptations in theaters — and, remarkably, not a dud among them.
Stephen King movies really showed up this year. Four different adaptations hit theaters, and shocker: none of them were duds. My favorite of the bunch was The Life of Chuck, but The Long Walk came in a strong second. Now it is getting a 4K release on December 23, 2025.
The basics
Directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I Am Legend), The Long Walk takes a premise that sounds ridiculous on its face and turns it into one of the year’s best films. It follows a group of teenage boys, each randomly selected from a voluntary lottery to represent their states in an annual contest. The rules are brutally simple: walk, keep walking, and do not stop. Anyone who slows down too much or falls behind is executed on the spot until there is exactly one survivor.
Yes, the premise is nuts. That is the point.
'Sadly, I can see the country going in this direction.'
I got that message after the movie, and look, I get the impulse to read modern politics into everything. But a state-sanctioned death march for kids is still a wild, dystopian concept. The movie treats it with a cold, matter-of-fact cruelty that makes it feel real enough to rattle you, without pretending this is tomorrow’s news.
Why it works
Mark Hamill, at 74, is quietly terrifying as The Major, the face of the system running the Walk. It is one of the best performances of his career, and it never tips into cartoon villainy. Still, the movie belongs to the kids. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus) lead the ensemble, and their fragile, evolving friendship is the heart of the whole thing. For a story that could have been all shock and spectacle, it is surprisingly talky in the best way. The conversations are sharp, the stakes feel personal, and Francis Lawrence keeps the tension high without overselling the gore. It is lean, gripping, and one of the most well-executed King adaptations we have had in years.
4K release details and extras
The Long Walk hits 4K on December 23, 2025. The disc comes loaded with extras, including some 4K-only goodies:
- Alternate Ending (4K Only)
- Stephen King: An Appreciation (4K Only)
- Cooper & David Scene Read (4K Only)
- 'Ever Onward: Making The Long Walk' multipart documentary
- Theatrical trailers
Should you buy it?
Short answer: yes. It is one of the better King adaptations in recent years. Blind buy? Also yes, as long as you are ready for some very blunt brutality. Preorders are live at the usual spots.