The Long Walk Changes The Ending From Stephen King’s Book, And I’m Flabbergasted The Movie Found A Way To Make It Even Darker

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⚠️ Caution: This article discloses significant plot points from the movie ‘The Long Walk’. Read ahead only if you’ve already watched it!

In this paraphrase, I aimed to make the original warning more engaging and conversational while maintaining its purpose. The first sentence creates curiosity about the movie that is being discussed, while the second line clearly warns those who haven’t seen it yet.

Once again, it’s that time: In 2025, for the fifth time this year, we’ve reached a new release date for another Stephen King project. So far in 2025, there have been multiple projects coming out, such as two movies (Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey and Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck), a TV show (MGM+’s The Institute), and two books (King’s new novel Never Flinch, and his illustrated adaptation of Hansel & Gretel). More releases are on the horizon in the coming months, including HBO Max’s IT: Welcome To Derry and Edgar Wright’s The Running Man. However, this week is all about Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk, and this special edition of The King Beat will be focusing on the surprising ending of the adaptation.

The highly anticipated movie, praised even before its debut, closely adheres to the original work and doesn’t shy away from delivering heavy themes – however, it does take some intriguing liberties with the novel’s ending. Initially, while watching the film, I found myself disliking it intensely; I thought it was poorly done. But upon reflecting on its bleak denouement, I’ve come to appreciate that such a conclusion is necessary for the story’s resolution. To begin our comparison, let’s first examine the events depicted in the film adaptation.

What Happens In The Long Walk Movie’s Ending

Determining exactly where a film’s “ending” begins can sometimes be challenging, but for the movie “The Long Walk“, pinpointing the start of the conclusion is relatively straightforward: it’s when the chances even out to 50-50 during the death march.

In Stebbins’ shocking disclosure that he is Major’s son, I found myself yearning for an invitation to his father’s home. Labeled as a “rabbit” in the race, I completed my walk, but after the third warning, I couldn’t contain my desperation any longer and called out to the soldiers to end it all. With rain forecasted to pour heavily and the competition nearing mile 331 of the journey, only Ray Garraty and Peter McVries were left standing.

Just as anticipated, people amass and cheer ecstatically, eager to witness one of the surviving contestants being crowned the victor. Peter momentarily halts, urging Ray to proceed and claim the reward. Both receive admonishments, but Ray manages to persuade Peter to press on for a short while more. Reluctantly, Peter consents, yet as he continues, Ray pauses to gather his last warning. The Major himself ends Ray’s life, and Peter emerges triumphant in The Long Walk competition.

At the climax of the spectacle, as fireworks soared and the crowd erupted in patriotic song, I found myself overwhelmed with sorrow, huddled on the ground. The Major, sensing the tension, called out to the winner, asking him to voice his heart’s desire. Instead of retracting his earlier claim for a double victory, he asked for something else entirely – a soldier’s carbine. Confident that I wouldn’t squander my life after all the accolades, the Major stood unflinching as the gun was pointed at him. “This is for Ray,” I declared solemnly, and with one pull of the trigger, I ended the life of my target. Gaze fixed on the distant horizon, I took a step forward, continuing my journey.

Despite having nearly four months remaining until the end of 2025, “The Long Walk” is already a strong contender for “Melancholic Movie of the Year,” and it’s quite surprising that it manages to be even more grim than the book – which isn’t exactly light-hearted.

How The Long Walk Movie Ending Is Different Than The Book

In Stephen King’s novel “The Long Walk,” an unusual detail arises: Stebbins, Garraty, and McVries are the last three contestants, yet they all depart from the story at distinctly separate moments as opposed to how it unfolds in the adapted version.

Among the last three characters, Peter was the first one who died in the book. Just like in the movie, the closest bond formed between the characters was between Ray and Peter. However, they followed their agreement towards the end of the race to limit helping each other. While Ray was distracting them with a fairy tale story, McVries chose to rest, effectively marking his departure from the narrative.

As Garraty and Stebbins remain in the race, the protagonist begins to feel certain that he will ultimately come in last, due to being the Major’s illegitimate son and thus seemingly unable to surpass his opponent. However, right before Ray could admit defeat, Stebbins suddenly collapses and passes away, resulting in him being declared the victor.

For Ray, however, the Long Walk isn’t yet complete. As people cheer for him and The Major offers congratulations on his win, he perceives another walker in the distance whom he thinks is still his competitor. Ignoring all else, his mind shattered, Ray starts to sprint instead of stopping, determined to overtake the other walker.

In simple terms, both endings – one from a book and another from a film – are remarkably potent, though they differ significantly. The protagonists in both stories conclude as shattered individuals struggling to cope with their past traumas and find a way to live on. However, the movie version delves deeper into the “wish” element of the story’s rules. At first, I felt that the book’s ending was more compelling, but after reflection, I appreciate the perspective brought by screenwriter J.T. Mollner. His take has a strong impact, particularly in its broader critique of society’s handling of young people.

I Initially Hated The Long Walk Ending… Until I Realized Why Change And Its Extreme Darkness Was Necessary

The first book that Stephen King ever finished writing, entitled ‘The Long Walk’, wasn’t published until 1979 (using his pseudonym Richard Bachman). However, it is crucial to grasp the backdrop of the Vietnam War to fully appreciate this novel. At that time, King observed countless young people similar to himself being deployed to fight and potentially lose their lives in a war with an uncertain purpose and plan. The author portrayed this bloodshed as a macabre ‘game’ within a disturbing depiction of America.

As a supporter, I reflect on how it’s been over half a century since King penned his book, and while the Vietnam War is now history and today’s youth are no longer drafted into combat, they continue to carry the weight of societal inefficiencies. We often tell them they’ll inherit our world, yet public education systems are crumbling, food insecurity remains a significant issue for households with children (affecting 17.9% according to USDA data from 2023), and meaningful gun control legislation seems nowhere in sight despite firearm-related mortality being the leading cause of death among Americans aged 0-19 as per the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022.

The tale of “The Long Walk,” published in the 1970s, remains just as pertinent in 2025. It’s essential that the film version concludes with a starkly grim ending to emphasize its message. Initially, I found one aspect of the movie challenging while watching it, but after reflecting, I’ve grown to admire its impact.

During the second act of the film, a conversation unfolds among the boys about their aspirations should they triumph in The Long Walk. These dreams offer fascinating insights into their identities and backgrounds. Among them, Ray Garraty harbors a desire for vengeance; his strategic wish to acquire the carbine is aimed at exacting retribution upon the Major for the execution of his father. On the other hand, Peter’s aspiration appears more honorable, as he intends to propose that future competitions will have not one victor, but two winners instead.

Indeed, it’s quite disheartening when Ray passes away and Peter, instead of using his wish to save lives, chooses a gun. The captivating performance by actor David Jonsson makes us yearn for Peter to triumph over the shadows that haunt him, to find the strength to resist the oppressive forces that have subjected him to unimaginable torment… but is it just? He’s merely a child, and his life has been marred by systems he had no control over. The Long Walk only serves as the last crushing blow to the burden imposed upon him since birth. Instead of condemning Peter, we should question the forces that pushed him to the edge – and The Long Walk masterfully provokes such introspection in a way that is both grimly profound and profoundly impactful.

If you’re here to prepare for the cinema journey of the movie, The Long Walk, it’s currently showing at your local theaters (I can hardly picture anyone who has already watched it eagerly waiting for a re-watch). Additionally, I’ll be back here on TopMob next Thursday with a fresh installment of The King Beat, delving into all the latest and major updates from Stephen King’s realm. In the meantime, explore the lengthy and remarkable history of King’s stories on screen through my series Adapting Stephen King.

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2025-09-12 05:09