I watched “The Long Walk” on the plane. It was great. I was imagining something like “The Running Man,” another King adaptation—a “reality show” esque sci-fi story of the 1980s era of TV broadcast dominance (a critique on media)—but it was completely different. It’s about young lonely people, burdened with trauma and worries, who just keep walking through life (the long walk). The perspective and background of the organizers or the spectators aren’t shown; the film maintains a strict distance from the roadside. The camera simply stays close to the boys and walks by their side until the very end. The direction is very different from The Hunger Games. Director Francis Lawrence is clever. Within the absurdity of this game, the youths help each other, understand one another, reflect on their past, and come to realize the “path” that stretches toward tomorrow. Dropping out isn’t just the end of one person—it’s passing the baton and entrusting their “will” to the winners. It’s a meta, philosophical film about friendship and growth and also a declaration of war against the adults. In a way, it’s close to “Stand by Me.” David Jonsson, a big favorite of mine, gave an amazing performance too. Cooper Hoffman was also great. And of course, Mark Hamill, too. I’ll watch it again in theaters. Highly recommend.

https://x.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/1998289980205183145