Movie review
September 10, 2025 · 108 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The movie race-swaps McVries from white in the book to Black and turns the main friendship into a queer love story with gay implications. It keeps pushing the intimate homoerotic bond between Garraty and McVries the whole way through as the emotional heart. The story constantly highlights the queer-coded male intimacy under tyranny.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Long Walk.
Woke representation / casting
Race swaps of key white book characters to POC including McVries plus diverse ensemble.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional regime critique without identity politics.
Identity-driven story themes
Queer gay implication for McVries and homoerotic lead friendship dominate the narrative.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Anti-totalitarian fascism fits premise without modern activist spin on patriarchy or whiteness.
Woke character or canon changes
McVries race swapped and backstory changed from straight to gay-coded.
Production
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Minor discussions of diversity changes and tropes with no strong too-woke backlash.
Creator track record context
Director's Hunger Games work with social justice rebellion themes.
