Ending Explained: How Was the Big Twist in ‘The Long Walk’ Different From the Stephen King Book?
“The only guarantee you have as a human being is that you are going to die and if you’re lucky, you get to choose how you spend those last moments.”
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Based on a novel by Stephen King, The Long Walk opened in theaters over the weekend to high praise. Fans who have read the Long Walk book were in for quite a shock as a major plot point of the story was altered for the screen. If you have not yet seen The Long Walk you may wish to save this article for laters as major spoilers will be discussed below.
So, what is the big twist in The Long Walk?
There are a number of smaller changes between The Long Walk book and movie like the number of competitors was lowered from 100 to 50, the walking speed was changed from 4 mph to 3 mph and the contestants’ ages are changed from teens to adults. The major changes are about the characters of Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson).
Garraty is the protagonist of the book. The novel hints that Garraty’s father was disappeared by the Major’s secret police, but it is discussed (and shown) in much more detail in the movie. Additionally, Garraty’s hatred of the Major has crystalized into a revenge plot in the movie version. He wants to win the competition in order to ask for a gun, which he will promptly use to assassinate the Major. The assassination plot is not part of the book at all.
Additionally, in the book Garraty wins the Long Walk. In the the movie, Peter McVries wins.
How does The Long Walk end?
In the book: The race comes down to Garraty, Stebbins and Peter McVries. Peter decides to sit down and is killed. Garraty feels he cannot go on and is about to quit when Stebbins suddenly dies — making Garraty the winner. However, Garraty is in shock and continues walking despite the race ending, even breaking into a run.
In the movie: Stebbins dies leaving Garraty and McVries as the final two. Garraty sacrifices himself to allow his newfound friend Peter to win. Peter then enacts Garraty’s plan and assassinates the Major before turning to continue walking.
What does Stephen King think about The Long Walk‘s ending?
This change-up will remind longtime horror fans of The Mist (2007), a Stephen King adaptation in which writer and director Frank Darabont famously changed the ending to be much more brutal.
In the book a small group of survivors including David and his son escape, hoping they will find safety in Hartford, Connecticut. In the movie, David, his son and a small group of survivors escape the store but their car runs out of gas. Believing the situation to be completely hopeless, the survivors agree to allow David to take their lives with a gun. He also shoots his son, believing it is the most humane option. Out of bullets, David cries out in despair, only to see military vehicles moving towards him. He realizes that the threat is over and help has arrived, mere moments too late for his son and friends.
Stephen King loved the change in his story’s ending and has praised Darabont for writing a better ending than he did. He hasn’t spoken about the new ending of The Long Walk yet, probably to help keep the big twist a secret until people have a chance to get to the theaters. But given that he’s approved of major changes in the past, it’s possible Stephen King may love this ending more than his own.
Further reading:
- 7 Details ‘The Long Walk’ Movie Changed From the Stephen King Novel
- 72+ Movies About a Scary Societal Collapse
