Hideo Kojima has once again taken to Twitter with a movie review, and this time he's sharing his thoughts on Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk.
The movie stars Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson as teenage boys who enter a deadly competition called the Long Walk, which involves being the last man standing to win a cash prize and a wish. The Hunger Games' Francis Lawrence directs.
"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," Kojima wrote. The Running Man was also released this year, starring Glen Powell as Ben Richards, a man who enters a game show where he is hunted down on live TV.
"It's about young lonely people, burdened with trauma and worries, who just keep walking through life (the long walk)," Kojima continued. "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."
Kojima concluded his thoughts by drawing a comparison to another King adaptation and praising the lead actors: "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."
Kojima regularly shares his thoughts on film and TV on Twitter, with this year's reviews including Predator: Badlands and Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He's also got a big screen role of his own this year, too, with a voice cameo in the Japanese version of Zootopia 2.
You can fill out your own watchlist with our guide to all the most exciting upcoming movies on the way in this year and beyond.
