Dystopian Stephen King thriller The Long Walk is a bleak masterpiece - seen at The Light, Wisbech

Film review: The Long Walk (15) - seen at The Light, Wisbech

Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson and Ben Wang

Director: Francis Lawrence Run time: One hour, 48 minutes

I seem to have been writing a lot about Stephen King on this page over the last year or so, but I've seen another adaptation of one of his many stories, so here I go again!

Those who regularly read my reviews will know King is my favourite author. I've read everything he's put out, including the original Long Walk novel, released in 1979 under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman.

King wrote under the Bachman moniker because his publisher wanted him to slow down and not saturate the market after his first three successful novels. But no wonder he wanted this story out... It’s a cracker.

It was actually the first book the prolific author ever wrote, back in 1969 and a good ten years before release. The Vietnam connections, with young men forming close friendships before dying, are obvious, but the story now resonates with modern-day fascism and the rise of the far right.

Set in a dystopian future USA, the once-great nation is reeling after an unnamed war, with people living in poverty and without hope.

Every year, young men put in for The Long Walk, a contest entered by most youths, where the 50 picked by lottery compete for a massive cash prize and whatever else they ask for. The alternative is a life of misery.

The rules are simple and brutal. Step off the road or consistently walk below 3mph, and you're shot dead.

Sounds grim, I know, but it's a truly wonderful movie of camaraderie, perseverance and human nature.

And the way these characteristics shine through is true King. For many years I've bored friends with lectures on the labelling of King as a horror writer. Yes, he's written some scary stuff, but he's also excelled in fantasy, supernatural, thrillers and crime.

But his biggest talent is bringing empathetic characters to life on pages. And here, the director successfully replicates this on the big screen.

For a movie of nearly two hours, almost entirely based on one long walk, there's a lot of dialogue and David Jonsson as Peter McVries and Cooper Hoffman as Raymond Garraty are incredible.

Their friendship brings a lump to the throat, and their performances in the film’s final act brought tears to the eyes of my daughter, who watched alongside me.

Ably backed up by Ben Wang as Hank Olsen and Star Wars legend Mark Hamill as The Major, the acting from this almost all-male cast is superb.

Viewers do get the ending they want, but it's certainly not a happy one. The Bachman books were bleak, and this is the most desperate of all. But it's a first-class movie nonetheless.

Rating: 9/10

By Jeremy Ransome