The novel that’s arguably Stephen King’s darkest has been made into a new movie, and it just debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a perfect 100% critics’ score.

Film adaptations of King’s work have come at a consistent rate since Carrie was released way back in 1976. A few of these movies – The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, Stand By Me – are now considered cinema classics.

Then there are the King adaptations that are not considered cinema classics. King himself has slammed a few of the biggest stinkers based on his books: infamously terrible movies like The Lawnmower Man, Dreamcatcher, Graveyard Shift and, most notorious of all, the one King directed himself, Maximum Overdrive.

September 2025 sees the arrival of yet another King movie adaptation, coming after The Monkey and The Life of Chuck, and ahead of The Running Man. Whether it hits or bombs at the box office is yet to be seen, but critics thus far appear to be on-board with the latest sojourn to the King universe.

The Long Walk Debuts With A 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score

The Long Walk comes out in theaters September 12, and reviews are starting to come in on the long-awaited King adaptation, leading a so-far-spotless RT score. Based on King’s dark 1979 novel, published under his pen-name Richard Bachman, the dystopian drama concerns a twisted, Hunger Games-like compeтιтion, in which young people must keep walking or die, with no finish line.

Only 12 critical ᴀssessments have been compiled thus far, but The Long Walk currently sports a 100% fresh rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

What This Means For The Long Walk

An early RT score of 100% bodes well for The Long Walk as it gets set to release. At the same time, there have only been 12 critical write-ups counted so far, and early reviews do tend to be the most positive, skewing results.

These few enthusiastic early ᴀssessments of the latest King adaptation praise the film for handling its dark, dystopian premise in a way that yields a genuinely emotional experience. Stars Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson are singled out for their fine performances, both being lauded as rising movie stars.

First reviews of The Long Walk rank it among the best King movie adaptations, drawing particular comparisons to early films like Stand By Me. Director Francis Lawrence also gets his praise, with critics calling the movie possibly his best.

Reviewers commend The Long Walk for taking what was in its day a stark Vietnam War allegory and reworking it in a way that gives it new relevance in light of today’s issues, helping the film to become one of the best of 2025.

If such sentiments continue being expressed in further reviews, The Long Walk will indeed take its place as one of the highest-ranked King adaptations on RT, but there’s still a lengthy stroll ahead as more critics have their say.