I was recently able to view Mattie Do’s The Long Walk to review. I watched the film two days ago (had to wait several to post this review) and I still cannot stop thinking about it.
The film itself has already debuted at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival but recently hit our theaters here as of the 18th. If you haven’t heard of The Long Walk you can check out my trailer post or you can keep reading.
The trailer makes it look much more exciting than the synopsis:
An old scavenger living on the fringes of a near-future society exploits a ghostly companion’s ability to traverse time, hoping to prevent his mother’s suffering from a terminal illness.
But sometimes the simplest of ideas can lead to the most thought-provoking films. I could not take my eyes away from the screen while watching this film and that was only partly because of the subtitles. It starts off a little slow and goes between the old scavenger and a little child (the same from the trailer), but I was interested and had to learn how they fit together. This film has a little bit of everything including ghosts and a bit of time travel. By the end of my first viewing, I was not sure that I had understood everything so I immediately began it again.
In the end, the story is more than just a simple ghost tale. It is an emotional ride when you understand the connections and the old scavenger’s goals for doing what he is doing. Even though there are chills and horror, there are some heavy emotions, too. It is definitely worth your time (no pun intended).
The Long Walk is available hit theaters February 18 and will be available on digital and on-demand March 1.
