After the uplifting end-of-the-world story of The Life of Chuck, Stephen King’s latest 2025 adaptation has returned firmly to the horrific with The Long Walk. Less of an outright horror movie and instead a bleak, dystopian tale, the Francis Lawrence-directed movie, based on King’s 1979 novel, is certainly not for the faint of heart.

Last month, I embarked on a new journey with horror by venturing out to see Zach Cregger’s Weapons, one of 2025’s breakout films within the genre. My main goal, other than to see if it was really as good as everyone said it was, was to ᴀssess how my fellow horror newbies would feel if they went to check it out too.

Now I’m back with a Stephen King movie, and those four words rightly instill an extra bit of fear into my scaredy-cat heart. After all, he’s the master of horror, responsible for the spooky tales that inspired movies like It, Carrie, and The Shining (even if he famously hates that one). Pennywise definitely haunted me back in 2017 in the lead-up to It.

The Long Walk isn’t quite a horror movie in the traditional sense, but it definitely revolves around a horrific idea: In a dystopian version of the United States, fifty boys are selected to participate in the тιтular event, in which each person must walk and maintain a pace of 3mph. If at any point they drop below that, or stop walking entirely, they’re killed until one boy is left standing.

Based on the premise alone, I expect a good many people will say no to this movie right away. Still, I can’t help but recommend it; The Long Walk is among the best-reviewed King adaptations, and it brilliantly tells its brutal story with a strong angle about the importance and strength of brotherhood. It also has a thought-provoking ending and very timely themes.

Breaking Down The Scares & Gore Of The Long Walk

The Long Walk‘s fright factor comes through less in jump scares and more in disturbing ideas and images. The premise alone is grim, and the execution (no pun intended) is just as unflinching as the concept itself. Think The Hunger Games, but seriously stripped down and R-rated.

I want to put real emphasis on the latter part. The Long Walk is rated R, which means it can go heavy on the gore. Now, considering how many people die, one could argue it isn’t as gory as it could be. Some characters die offscreen, or far enough in the distance that you can’t really see anything.

However, the deaths that do take place up close are intense. The first in particular is very graphic, and there’s plenty of blood spilled and sprayed. Due to the rules of The Long Walk, each contestant is issued three warnings before, as Mark Hamill’s Major puts it, they get their ticket. This usually gives you some time to prepare for an unfortunate end, in case you want to look away.

There are a couple graphic images that appear suddenly without much warning, though Lawrence stages it all so there’s an increased level of tension right beforehand. All of this is meant to highlight the brutality of the event and the world at large. Generally, though, the camera doesn’t linger on anything; it’s all quick, enough to be seen and have an impact, but not dwelt upon.

There’s also the natural, concerning side effects that come from walking hundreds of miles without stopping. The boys have various health problems crop up, and there is the question of what to do when you need to, ehm, relieve yourself. One instance of the latter problem is particularly gross, and probably not for anyone who doesn’t like to see any kind of bodily function onscreen.

The aforementioned warnings tend to make it clear when something horrible is about to happen. Otherwise, there aren’t any jump scares in the traditional sense; no one is getting sH๏τ out of nowhere. In between all the killing, there are moments of levity and friendship, the parts that make The Long Walk worth watching. It’s not a constant trauma-fest, so if you need time to breathe, don’t worry — there’s plenty.

The Final Verdict On The Long Walk

If you’re a very horror-averse — not fond of jump scares, or any of the typical trappings of the genre — but can handle some gore and grim storytelling, you can go into The Long Walk confidently. It’ll break your heart and remind you of how twisted Stephen King can be, but it won’t terrorize you quite like a normal scary movie.

However, if you don’t like any kind of gore, or intensely bloody images, I’d suggest you stay away from it, unless you’re able to shield your eyes. As someone who needed a friend to accompany me to see Weapons, I took on The Long Walk by myself and came out disheartened and disturbed by the story, but so glad I saw it.

It’s definitely a movie that leaves an impact and is worth checking out. At the same time, I know it won’t be for everyone, so consider your limit before buying a ticket. The Long Walk lives up to its grueling premise, and that’s the strongest warning I can give.