A recent screening of Francis Lawrence's The Long Walk confirms the film is not for the faint-hearted

Francis Lawrence's The Long Walk is not long, as we will soon be seeing it in theaters, beginning September 12, 2025. The Hunger Games-like dystopian film is about, well, a long walk, where people need to get moving or they die. This pattern will keep circling until there is only one person standing on the ground.

Though it is not a horror movie, given the fact that it is coming from the mind of the King of Horror, Stephen King, who published the novel in 1979, it is a chilling concept. What is more chilling is the recent screening of the film where a batch of people saw the film, and it is not wrong to say that their hearts almost stopped. Of course, because they were pumping too fast.

In a recent video released on the film's official X (formerly Twitter) handle showcases a batch of people watching the film and claims that their heart rates reached over 200 beats per minute:

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We can literally see their expressions. This tells us that The Long Walk is a serious deal and not for the faint-hearted. It certainly wasn't a reaction that an audience would give watching a horror movie, but it certainly is going to be a shocking one.

What does this mean for the elderly audience?

The film is set in a dystopian United States. (Image via YouTube/Lionsgate Movies)

Now, before we move ahead, this isn't to imply that elderly audiences should refrain from watching films. Of course, there are people at an elderly age sometimes more valorous than the ones at their teenage stage. However, we shouldn't ignore the stats either.

Below, you will find what the predicted maximum heart rate is at different ages, according to the American Heart Association, and you will know after seeing that why The Long Walk might not really be a thing for the elderly people:

20 years (Targeted heart rate: 100-170 bpm, maximum: 200 bpm)
30 years (Targeted heart rate: 95-162 bpm, maximum: 190 bpm)
35 years (Targeted heart rate: 93-157 bpm, maximum: 185 bpm)
40 years (Targeted heart rate: 90-153 bpm, maximum: 180 bpm)
45 years (Targeted heart rate: 88-149 bpm, maximum: 175 bpm)
50 years (Targeted heart rate: 85-145 bpm, maximum: 170 bpm)
55 years (Targeted heart rate: 83-140 bpm, maximum: 165 bpm)
60 years (Targeted heart rate: 80-136 bpm, maximum: 160 bpm)
65 years (Targeted heart rate: 78-132 bpm, maximum: 155 bpm)
70 years (Targeted heart rate: 75-128 bpm, maximum: 150 bpm)

So, it won't just be the characters in The Long Walk dealing with their increased heart rates. The audience will feel what it is like to be pumped too.

What is The Long Walk About?

Francis Lawrence is directing The Long Walk. (Image via YouTube/Lionsgate Movies)

The concept of this dystopian story is simple: If you keep walking, you stay alive. To make it more clear, the film's synopsis, as per IMDb, reads:

"A group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as "The Long Walk," where they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot."

First reactions to the film are out too, and critics are calling the film "emotional," "stunning," "soul-wrenching," and more. It star cast include Mark Hamill, Judy Greer, Cooper Hoffman, and more.

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Edited by Amey Mirashi