THE TASK IS SIMPLE: WALK OR DIE.

In an alternative timeline, the U.S. is a dictatorship where male teenagers are encouraged to participate in a contest where they must walk hundreds of miles at a certain pace; failure to keep walking means execution on the spot.

It feels natural to have one of the Hunger Games directors for this grim adaptation of the first novel Stephen King ever wrote, where the effects of the Vietnam War likely played a role.

A powerful allegory (sharing a few similarities with They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?) and a brutal story whose inevitability comes with moments of compassion. Fine cast.

2025-U.S. 108 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Francis Lawrence. Novel: Stephen King. Cast: Cooper Hoffman (Ray Garraty), David Jonsson (Pete McVries), Garrett Wareing (Billy Stebbins), Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Mark Hamill, Judy Greer.

Trivia: Co-produced by Lawrence. At different points, George A. Romero, Frank Darabont and Andre Øvredal were up for directing duties.