Mile by mile, the worn, asphalt road stretches out endlessly in front of the 50 young men participating in the long walk.

These young men will walk hundreds of miles across days with no sleep, hardly any food and no finish line. Their shoes will fall apart at the seams and their socks will soak with blood, but nonetheless, they have no choice but to walk or die.

The competition has one rule: walkers must keep a pace of three miles per hour. Those who receive three warnings without catching up to speed receive their “ticket”: a bullet through the head.

Long before “Squid Games,” “The Hunger Games” and other fictional competitions involving risking one’s life for boundless riches, Stephen King wrote “The Long Walk.”

“The Long Walk” follows 50 young men, one from each state, who have voluntarily agreed to take part in a competition in which the winner, or the last one left walking, receives a hefty sum of money and the granting of a wish.

The film features a multitude of main characters, but the two at the heart of it all are Raymond Garraty, played by Cooper Hoffman, and Peter McVries, played by David Jonsson.

Hoffman and Jonsson deliver phenomenal acting performances, full of compelling dialogue and gut-wrenching interactions. Throughout the film, Garraty and McVries form a camaraderie like no other, made all the more tragic by the fact that there can only be one winner.

The original novel was published shortly after the Vietnam War ended, and the influence of the war on the story has a resonating presence.

The “major,” or leader of the soldiers, played by Mark Hamill, speaks about the glory of dying for one’s country as part of the long walk, arguably a nod to the commonly held nationalist ideologies that can often cover up what many civilians see war as — not something honorable, but death and loss.

While the film has some humorous banter between the characters, the comedic moments never stick around for long, as viewers are quickly reminded of the grim situation the characters are in.

While movies like “The Hunger Games” consist of forced participation, involvement in the long walk is fully voluntary- young men wishing to participate enter a lottery and are allowed to back out before the start date of the competition if they wish. 

The movie uses this concept to dive into the illusion of choice, as the characters discuss how even though they chose to join, they also felt backed into a corner because they had no better options. This discourse begs the question of whether humanity is really in charge of the choices we make, or if it only seems that way.

Another aspect of the movie that sets it apart from others in the genre is that rather than seeing one another as competition, the boys come together as brothers and try to help one another succeed. The endearing gestures they perform to support each other were an inspiring, while heartbreaking, display of the kindness of humanity – a bright light in this dark film.

“The Long Walk” is a hard watch, but its characters and storyline possess deep emotional gravitas and offer a thought-provoking reflection on the societal issues in our world.

Be warned — the countless death scenes are painfully gruesome, especially since King requested to have all kills shown on screen. The entire watching experience is plagued with a perpetual feeling of anxiety, as you never know who is going to die next.

There are moments that make you want to shut your eyes and plug your ears, as King wants audiences to know that when it comes to games like these, there never really is a winner.

Despite viewers having a racing heartbeat and clenched fists for the majority of it, “The Long Walk” is a powerful film with hard-hitting acting, scoring and cinematography. It’s worth the watch – difficult as it may be.

“The Long Walk” hit theaters on Sept. 12.