REVIEW: "The Long Walk"; A Fresh Take On Horror In Time Travelling Epic
11/12 ForReel Score | 4.5/5 Stars
The Long Walk is my introduction to Mattie Do, and perhaps yours too. Do is a Laotian filmmaker with The Long Walk being her third directorial feature. If you’re familiar with Do’s work, you’ll undoubtedly recognize the hallmarks of her filmmaking and storytelling style. Visions of ghosts and metaphysical souls haunting the principal character. An air of horror with perpetually simmering tension. And - most importantly - a looming terror that isn’t what it seems. Therefore, if this is in fact your introduction to Mattie Do films as well, you’re in for a real treat.
Like Do’s previous two films Chanthaly and Dearest Sister, The Long Walk is written by Christopher Larsen. With an intriguing time-travel component, The Long Walk follows an old man who often walks down a dirt path in the company of the spirit of a woman whose death he had witnessed when he was a young boy. Regretting the loss of his mother to sickness around this same time, this man spends the decades since making it his mission to quietly terminally ill women. But when he discovers that his ghostly companion is able to transport him back in time, he puts a plan in motion in an attempt to rectify his regret, only to discover there are devastating unintended consequences.
A ghost story is the initial pitch to audiences in The Long Walk. In the beginning, the old man’s spiritual companion comes off as an eerie figure, and the horror vibes are present for a certain duration of the first act. But this is how Do’s films go - a bait and switch of sorts that reels viewers in with the promise of spine-tingling horror; a promise that is more desirable than it is deceptive. The spine-tingling horror is present in The Long Walk, yet it shifts, initially offering what we conventionally think should be scary then shifting to reveal what monsters really are.
Do is an unparalleled master at depicting horror in its most introspectively engaging form. The endeavor that this old man embarks on between the past and the present is one that we as an empathetic audience have to grapple with. We may disagree with him, but we understand his motives. Which makes the finale to the film that much more poignant, and I must say, this is the level of complexity and nuance I crave out of film characters and narratives, especially when the melding of mystery, drama, sci-fi, and the supernatural is so effortless.
Often tending to the drier side of the entertainment value spectrum, The Long Walk is not a film for those who hear "horror" and show up ready for a Blumhouse joyride. Do’s unique sense of finesse in filmmaking offers what traditional mainstream horror movies tend to forego: a story-first approach with a point to make about humanity and horror holding a prominent supporting role in the production. It’s that low-key, under-the-skin kind of anxiousness that Do fosters so well in her films, and The Long Walk makes the most of this incredible talent she has.
While Do has already demonstrated magnificent storytelling prowess in both Chanthaly and Dearest Sister, The Long Walk is the best of her work so far, representing a remarkable step forward in her career. And now that I’ve been introduced to Do with The Long Walk, I hope and expect her to have a long and successful career in filmmaking. Her taste in compelling and thought provoking cinema is exquisite, and ultimately, I can't help but be a massive fan of what Do does.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 2 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 2 | Reviewer's Preference - 2 | What does this mean?