The Long Walk debuts with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes

The Long Walk is the latest Stephen King film adaptation to earn critics' approval through its early Rotten Tomatoes score.

The film is another dystopian horror-thriller from director Francis Lawrence, known for his work on the Hunger Games film franchise. It brings together a talented cast of young actors like Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, who play the contestants in a high-stakes annual contest. They are supposed to walk through the sweltering heat across the US.

It's all in service to win a big prize at the very end. Yet, as always, there's a catch. None of these contestants can stop or lose their composure, or they risk being shot to death. It's a chilling premise that can get anyone cheering for these boys, hoping they all make it till the end, only to realize that only one of them will see the end of the tunnel.

Lionsgate will be releasing this film on September 12 in theaters across the US. However, the initial RT verdict is already out, and the initial reviews are all in favor of this movie.

The Long Walk holds a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, based on the early 21 reviews. This means that the horror film has received all the positive reviews at the time of writing.

What are early reviews saying about The Long Walk?

The new Francis Lawrence film revolves around a contest that feels like a cross between Squid Game and Hunger Games, as it follows young characters on a do-or-die mission, in the hopes of winning a big prize. Its logline, as per IMDb, reads:

"A group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as "The Long Walk," where they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot."

The trailers, revealed by Lionsgate Movies, offered plenty of details about this feature film, including the themes of brotherly camaraderie between the young men as they face the burdens of a dictatorial regime. Apart from the young ensemble, it also showed Mark Hamill as The Major and Judy Greer as Mrs. Garraty, apart from Josh Hamilton as Mr. Garraty.

That helped the Lionsgate team make the Stephen King fans look forward to the adaptation of the namesake novel, which was the first one he ever wrote. It all seems to have paid off well since the film has received a positive reception based on early 21 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Speaking about the movie, BJ Colangelo from Slashfilm wrote,

"The Long Walk is an emotionally obliterating all-time great Stephen King adaptation, and undoubtedly one of the best films of 2025."

David Gonzalez from The Cinematic Reel said,

"Fresh score. Brutal, yet deeply human, it’s a film that lingers long after the final step, standing tall as one of King’s essential adaptations."

Jeff Ewing from Collider added,

"The Long Walk's steadfast focus on the lives and emotions of the walkers themselves is an exceptional choice, allowing the film to be tense, moving, and complex. It's one of the best horror movies of the year."

The Long Walk will be out in theaters starting September 12, 2025.