Warning: Major spoilers ahead for The Long WalkDavid Jonsson’s powerful, gut-wrenching performance in Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk makes it clear that he’s one of the most brilliant actors working today. Lawrence’s cinematic iteration of Stephen King’s classic 1979 dystopian thriller is one of the highest-rated King adaptations of all time, thanks to Lawrence’s perfect pacing, balance between beauty and horror, and the cast’s performances.

David Jonsson stars as Peter McVries, otherwise known as “#23” in the movie after his name is stripped away in favor of a serial number. While Cooper Hoffman’s Ray Garraty is technically the movie’s main protagonist, as he was in the book, it quickly evolves into a two-man show as Jonsson’s layered performance takes over the movie.

The narrative of The Long Walk lends itself to natural drama and terror, as it’s a literal contest to the death, slow and grueling right up until the moments of swift and brutal violence. Although the concept is simple, there is so much to work with for the actors, as their characters bounce between levity, grief, fear, and anger over the course of The Long Walk.

Each actor in the movie is brilliant, with each bringing their own style to the complex personalities they inhabit. Cooper Hoffman in particular stands out, partially due to his starring role but mostly due to his earnest and heartbreaking performance. However, he is outshined by one other member of the cast, who effectively steals the movie despite not being the stand-alone main character.

David Jonsson Gave The Best Performance Of The Long Walk

David Jonsson manages to rise to the top of an excellent bunch of performances as Peter McVries, acting as the movie’s spiritual center in a sea of horror and tragedy. As the genuine and usually upbeat Walker #23, Jonsson brings a realistic character to life for the audience to identify with.

Just as he does with his fellow Walkers, Jonsson’s character Pete gives the audience of The Long Walk a much-needed life raft of warmth in the frigid deluge of dread that threatens to engulf even the most horror-hardened moviegoers. His genuine and good-hearted character is necessary throughout the dire proceedings, and Jonsson’s performance is pitch-perfect in that regard.

As great as Jonsson is when making others smile, he’s perhaps even better when angry. When the antagonistic compeтιтor Gary Barkovitch mocks the innocent Walker named Rank into conflict, which ultimately leads to his death, Pete reacts with rage. His hatred burns cold the rest of the movie as Jonsson needles Barkovitch with calls of “killer” throughout.

Jonsson’s simmering anger is excellent, but the silent menace he displays at the end of The Long Walk as he decides to kill the Major might be even better. Using only a clenched jaw and his eyes, Jonsson foreshadows his actions long before Pete actually pulls the trigger, capturing all the rage collected over the last few days in his face for just a few moments.

However, the most potent portion of Jonsson’s performance by far is the balance between grief and determination throughout the race. As friends begin to fall, Pete remains among the calmest of the compeтιтors, but Jonsson is able to subtlely make it clear how much each crack of the carbine bothers him.

That simmering cocktail of grief and rage explodes during The Long Walk‘s tragic ending once his friend Ray is killed after sacrificing himself so that Pete can win the race. The sheer pain that Jonsson manages to express in his face, combined with tears and heartbreaking screams, is among the finest bits of acting in 2025.

David Jonsson’s Future After The Long Walk Looks Incredibly Bright

It’s clear after The Long Walk that Jonsson’s ascent in Hollywood is only just beginning, and perhaps more importantly that there is no genre he can’t conquer. While Jonsson has worked in TV for a few years, his breakout movie role came in the surprising horror hit Alien: Romulus in 2024. He won a BAFTA for his role as the innocent yet menacing android Andy Carradine.

The Long Walk isn’t another horror movie, but is adjacent to it as a dystopian thriller. However, the key takeaway from The Long Walk should be that Jonsson has the dramatic chops to carry a festival darling or Oscar favorite as easily as he can a wide release thriller.

In fact, he received praise just a week before The Long Walk‘s release for his role in the British prison drama Wasteman, which debuted at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. He’s on board for both a sequel to Alien: Romulus and an as-yet-unтιтled project written and directed by Frank Ocean.

Perhaps the most intriguing upcoming project for Jonsson could make for his first legitimate run at an Oscar. He has been cast as Sammy Davis, Jr. in the Colman Domingo-directed biopic Scandalous! which will center on Davis’ secret relationship with white actress Kim Novak (Sydney Sweeney) in the 1950s.

The role will undoubtedly be complex, and certainly require Jonsson’s ability to play chameleon. He’ll need to balance the levity and brightness of Sammy Davis, Jr. the comedian and entertainer, with the dramatic nature of a man under fire whose love is thwarted by racism and public vitriol.

His performance in The Long Walk proves that Jonsson is more than capable of delivering a performance that captures the complexity of such a character. While he may not win an Oscar for his work in Francis Lawrence’s King adaptation, it’s proof that Jonsson is one of the most brilliant young actors working today, and his future is extremely bright.