Starting our movie chat with an astounding five star film this week, The Long Walk is gripping, grim, and utterly brilliant.
In a dystopian America, an annual walk is held to raise morale and productivity, and inspire the nation through the fortitude of its participants.
Although notionally volunteers, in reality almost every young man puts their name forward, and one ‘lucky’ contestant is picked from each of the fifty US states.
The rules are simple : walk or die. Drop below 3mph, and you get a series of warnings. If you’re not able to pick up your pace and keep going, you’ll be shot at point blank range. Stray from the path, enlist the help of anyone not in the contest, or stop to tie your shoelaces, the result is death. No exceptions. There is no finish line, so it’s just a case of how many miles can be racked up before there is only a winner standing.
The Major is played by Mark Hamill (I didn’t clock it was him until the credits, if I’m honest!), and he keeps popping up as the numbers dwindle with ‘motivational’ words. Although you might think a film that just shows people walking might drag a little, I can assure you I didn’t look at my watch once. I found it gripping, well written, and full of great characters and little moments that stay with you long after the final twist in the tale. A truly excellent film, in my book, and I particularly liked the little random acts of kindness amidst a truly bleak situation. With Trump’s tariffs apparently sending the US closer to stagflation, I hope the current president doesn’t watch this film on his plane home from the UK. It might give him ideas.
Meanwhile, I finally watched This Is Spinal Tap, but only after I saw Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. I enjoyed both, but sort of wish I’d seen them in the right order. The first became a cult hit in the 1980s, after an initial lacklustre performance at the box office. I have visions of VHS copies being passed around! It’s a funny look at the ridiculous pomp around the world of a rock band on tour, from the petty rivalries to the daft sets and ludicrous spandex outfits. Stonehenge features in both movies, and both scenes are very funny. Look out for Elton John and Paul McCartney cameos in the sequel, which made me chuckle!
I’ve also watched Uncut Gems (Prime Video), which was released in 2019. Adam Sandler is superb as a high stakes, motormouth gems dealer who is living life on the edge. Can he outrun the bad guys chasing him for money, and win against the odds? It’s rather anxiety-inducing to watch, deliberately so, in the way it’s filmed, and I think it could be a career best performance for Sandler, who usually plays a similar goofy manchild character. The Weeknd also appears as himself. I didn’t see the ending coming! Sparkling stuff.
Alex Cann’s weekly film blog - Thursday 11th September 2025
Alex Cann's weekly film blog - 9th January
