One of several high-profile Stephen King adaptations hitting screens this year has officially made its way to households. Fans have been waiting for this one for a long time. The Long Walk is King's first novella (though not the first book he had published) he wrote back in high school. Nearly 60 years later, it got its first big-screen adaptation. And this fall, it's hitting small screens as well.
Directed by Francis Lawrence, who also fittingly helmed four out of five Hunger Games films, The Long Walk is a nightmarish dystopian movie not for the faint of heart. If you missed it in theaters, here's everything you need to know to watch it at home.
What is The Long Walk about?
The Long Walk is set in a dystopian America where each year, 100 young men participate in a brutal walk across the country. The grueling walk has just one objective: keep walking at a speed of at least 3 mph until there's one person left standing. If the men fall behind, veer off the road, or stop for any reason, they'll get shot by the soldiers driving alongside them. The winner gets an untold amount of riches and a wish fulfilled by the government. But at what cost?
The trailer alone will make your feet hurt:
Is The Long Walk worth watching?
To sum up The Long Walk in one word, Mashable's Belen Edwards calls it "bleak." She writes in her review, "After almost two hours of being immersed in this string of deaths, you may find yourself begging, 'Enough already!' The Long Walk, however, does not let up, trapping you in a never-ending nightmare of bloodied feet and fraying minds."
If you're looking for a happy watch, keep looking. This is not it. However, the relentless saga did earn a satisfactory 88 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an equally good audience rating of 85 percent. Apparently, people like bleak.
Read our full review of The Long Walk.
How to watch The Long Walk
After launching in theaters on Sept. 12, 2025, The Long Walk made its at-home debut about a month later via digital on-demand platforms. It will also be streaming at a later date. See the details below.
Rent or buy on digital
Lionsgate released The Long Walk on video-on-demand platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV on Oct. 21. You can purchase the film for $24.99 or rent it for $19.99, which gives you 30 days to watch and just 48 hours to finish once you begin.
You can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:
Apple TV — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
Fandango at Home — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
Google Play — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
Prime Video — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
YouTube — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
Stream it on Starz (at a later date)
As a Lionsgate film, we're expecting The Long Walk to make its streaming debut on Starz. And based on the streaming trajectory of previous Lionsgate films, we expect a March 2026 streaming date. We'll keep you updated when we know more, but in the meantime, you can sign up for Starz for as low as $2.50 per month with the deals below.
The best Starz streaming deals
Best long-term deal: Save $40 on first year
If you pay for your first year of Starz upfront, it'll only cost you $29.99 (which breaks down to just $2.50 per month). After one year, the price will jump back up to full cost, which is still a pretty solid offer at just $69.99 per year. New and previous subscribers are eligible to secure this offer for a limited time.
Best short-term deal: Save 55% on three months of Starz
If you'd rather not commit to a full year, you can sign up for three months of Starz for just $4.99 per month for a limited time. That's a total of just $14.97 — a savings of 55%. The price will jump back up to the full $10.99 per month after three months unless you cancel.
Best trial: free 7-day Starz trial via Prime Video add-on
If you're a Prime member or Prime Video subscriber, you can sign up for Starz as an add-on subscription and secure a free seven-day trial. If you align your trial period to the official streaming release for The Long Walk, you'll be able to watch for free. Just remember to cancel before the week is up, or you'll automatically be charged the full $10.99 per month.