The Long Walk

The film opens in a dystopian America in the 70s. A great war has overtaken the country, leading to a widespread devastation. The regime in charge has implemented a contest, “The Long Walk”, where the winner will receive untold riches and one wish for anything they want. Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) is among those selected by the lottery to participate. He is dropped off by his mother Ginny (Judy Greer), who is frightened that her son is going to be entering the contest. Ray joins several other boys, including Peter McVries (David Jonsson), Hank Olson (Ben Wang), Gary Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer), Arthur Baker (Tut Nyuot), Billy Stebbins (Garrett Wareing), Collie Parker (Joshua Odjick), Richard Harkness (Jordan Gonzalez), and Thomas Curley (Roman Griffin Davis). They are all met by The Major (Mark Hamill), who leads the contest and tells the boys what to expect. They must walk at a speed of three miles per hour, and they will be given three warnings before they are “given their tickets”. The Major believes that The Long Walk will motivate other Americans into not being so lazy. The last one left in the contest will be the winner. The contest begins, and the boys are off as vans of soldiers follow them. On the way, they start to bond and get to know one another, discussing what they would do if they won the contest. Curley starts to get a charley horse and slows down, getting his first warnings. Ray and Peter try to help Curley but the pain gets too much for him and Curley falls to the ground. He starts crying about how it’s not fair, and he gets his ticket – a bullet through the head. The other boys are horrified at the sight but continue walking. Another dies after suffering

a seizure during the walk. As they continue, Barkovitch, who has been left out by the other boys, starts to antagonize another walker named Rank (Daymon Wrightly). Barkovitch taunts Rank and provokes him into hitting him, which causes Rank to get shot dead for falling behind. The other boys distance themselves from Barkovitch, with Peter calling him a killer. Later in the day, the walkers quickly start to experience hunger and dehydration, as well as a desperate need to relieve themselves. Ray shares his rations with Hank after he drops one. One walker stops to have diarrhea, and after his third stop, he gets killed. Night falls, and Peter tries to keep Ray awake by having him talk about his life back home since he already has three warnings and needs to walk for three more hours to have his slate wiped clean. Ray snaps at Peter, thinking he is just waiting for him to die so that Peter can win. The walkers are soon forced to go up a hill. Many of them start to fall behind and are executed. When they make it over the hill, Ray apologizes to Peter. The next day, Harkness suffers a twisted ankle from going up the hill and cannot continue, leading to his execution. The boys make it past 100 miles. One walker makes an attempt to run into a building and is shot dead before he can reach the door. This fuels the boys’ hatred for The Major and the entire regime. Moving on, the boys discuss what they would wish for. The boys soon begin chanting “Fuck The Long Walk! Fuck The Major!” in front of the soldiers. On the third day, Art nearly dies after having to stop to take a quick dump. Ray and Peter talk to each

other over Ray’s reason for entering The Long Walk. The Major executed his father William (Josh Hamilton) for teaching against the regime’s words and refusing to change allegiances. Ray wants to use his wish to get a carbine so that he can kill The Major. Peter tries to convince him otherwise, relaying his upbringing by his abusive uncle and not knowing his birth parents. Peter hopes to use his wish to change the country for the better. They pass a family of three, which Ray sees as spectators wanting to see someone die, but Peter tells him that they are simply a family that are just as scared and uncertain as they are. Before reaching 200 miles, a few other boys are killed off for attempting to escape or trying to engage with the soldiers. By the evening, Hank has become delirious and walks back towards the soldiers. They shoot him in the gut and leave him to bleed out as an example to the others. On day 4, Parker tells the remaining boys that Hank was the only one of them that was married, so the guys agree to use whatever money they can get to support Hank’s wife. Meanwhile, Barkovitch has been feeling guilty over his role in Rank’s death, so he begs Ray to let him join their group. Ray agrees, and moments later, Barkovitch walks back and stabs himself in the throat. Day 5. The walkers are nearing 300 miles. Only Ray, Peter, Art, Stebbins, and Parker remain. They walk into town, where Ray has to abandon his shoes because he stepped on a nail and cannot let it sink into his foot, and his feet are already covered in blood. He sees Ginny in the streets, who is distressed over the sight of Ray in

his state. Ray runs back to her, apologizing for putting himself in the contest, but Peter gets him walking again quickly before he is executed. After passing 300 miles, Parker charges towards one of the soldiers and grabs his rifle, killing one but getting shot by another. Before another soldier can finish him, Parker commits suicide with the rifle instead. As night falls, Art’s nose starts bleeding uncontrollably. Stebbins tells him he is suffering an internal hemorrhage. Ray and Peter carry Art for as long as they can, but he accepts his fate and requests that they do not watch as he is executed. Ray and Peter agree and let him go. Ray, Peter, and Stebbins walk through a bridge. Stebbins’ condition is deteriorating, and he discloses to the boys his own reasoning for entering The Long Walk. He is one of The Major’s many illegitimate children, and he was hoping to use his wish to move into his father’s home. However, he knows that he doesn’t have long, so he bids Ray and Peter farewell and walks back to his death. Ray and Peter remain. They walk into town where a crowd of people are watching and waiting to see which one of them survives. Peter tries to let Ray win by stopping, but Ray picks him back up and makes him keep walking. Ray ends up stopping and takes three shots to let Peter win. Peter is distraught at the loss of his friend before he is met and congratulated by The Major. Peter ends up taking Ray’s wish for the carbine and aims it at The Major. While he calmly tries to talk Peter down, he chooses to avenge his friend and execute The Major. Peter then continues walking alone down the dark rainy road. Related Movies:

*CUT TO THE CHASE*Brought to you by 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 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, 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.