The Long Walk, now playing at Robinson Film Center, is a dystopian cross between a war movie and The Breakfast Club. It is an exploration of the power that desperation, hope, fear, and friendship have in our lives.

The film draws you into the lives of a disparate group of 50 young men brought together by lottery for the chance of a lifetime. The winner will be the one who outlasts all the others on a walk where participants have to keep pace or be eliminated. The promise to the winner is riches beyond his imagination and the granting of one wish.

It doesn’t take long for Ray and Pete to rise to the top of the heap. On their long walk, they begin to share snippets of their lives. But as the journey lingers and more members of the group are eliminated, the stakes grow higher, as does the physical, psychological and emotional wear and tear.

When the competition comes down to just Ray and Pete, you will want to change the rules so they both can win. But in the end, there can be only one. To find out which one, you’ll have to check it out for yourself.

- Scott “Scooter” Anderson, Scooter Anderson Communications