A violent dystopian thriller, KPop Demon Hunters and an updated Ibsen play: what to see this week

No one wants to see a good Jedi turn bad, but that’s exactly what happens to Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill in The Long Walk, an adaptation of a Stephen King story of the same name. Hamill plays the terrifying major who presides over a group of young men taking part in a barbaric televised contest that requires them to walk continuously at a speed above 3mph or be summarily executed.

The setting for this violent dystopian thriller is a bleak 1970s America in the grip of economic decline that follows an unnamed war. A forerunner to the Hunger Games (the film is directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed four of the five-film franchise), The Long Walk focuses on the idea of suffering and survival as spectacle. It’s not hard to see the source material’s influence on series like Squid Game or films like Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale.

Written in 1967, King’s story was a heartfelt response to the Vietnam draft and the impact of the war on his generation. Our reviewer Matt Jacobsen found the setting of a dark, inhospitable America a clever inversion that distils many of the familiar themes of the Vietnam movie. Indeed, he points to the deadly road march as reminiscent of GIs trudging through the jungle of Vietnam in 1980s films like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket.

At the film’s heart is the relationship between Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson) with distinct echoes of Stand By Me in its depiction of friendship between boys. It has particular resonance in today’s bleak cultural environment for young men, vulnerable to the darker influences of social media and the conflicting expectations placed on them.

In The Long Walk, wit, tenderness and compassion come to the fore as the contestants are made vulnerable by the punishing exertions of the march and the violence meted out to those who falter. Some consolation perhaps, in what is undoubtedly a grim but compelling watch.

The Long Walk is in cinemas now

KPopping and queer Americana

I have to say I’m late to the KPop Demon Hunters thing, and only started paying attention when a colleague mentioned his young daughters were crazy for it, and explained it was now Netflix’s most watched film ever.

That’s quite an achievement, and it ticks all the boxes: catchy tunes, stunning animations and relatable themes, not to mention a good dose of girl power in the form of three K-pop girl-banders who use their voices to protect the world from demonic forces (of course). But how much does the film reflect the real K-pop phenomenon? Our Korean culture expert Cholong Sung has the answers.

KPop Demon Hunters is on Netflix now

What at first seems like a forbidden love story between a young woman and her fiance’s brother, On Swift Horses unexpectedly pivots to the hidden queer culture that existed in the United States of the 1950s. At the height of the American dream, when culture celebrated marriage and family as duty-bound goals, both characters turn out to be attracted to their own sex.

The glossy iconography of 1950s Americana is reimagined for this hidden world, making visible the queer lives that existed below the radar at a time of social censure and legal repression. This is an enjoyable watch that perhaps, according to our reviewer, would have worked better as a TV series, affording the space to develop characters more fully.

On Swift Horses is in cinemas now

Love in a warm climate

I do love a bit of dark Scandinavian intrigue, so a new adaptation of Ibsen’s The Lady From The Sea makes a welcome addition to London’s theatrical fare. Starring Alicia Vikander as Ellida, a woman drawn ineluctably to the ocean, and Andrew Lincoln as her husband Edward, the setting is transferred from the Norwegian fjords to the Yorkshire coast.

Loaded with contemporary relevance, writer and director Simon Stone references Beyoncé and Just Stop Oil activism, and features a millennial protagonist struggling with climate anxiety. Does it work in this updated incarnation? Read our review and find out.

The Lady From The Sea is on at the Bridge Theatre in London until November 8

From the late medieval period to the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, The Nature of Gothic at the Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery explores the fascinating history of decorative borders. The show takes in in a diverse array of historical examples, from Islamic calligraphy adorned with floral frames, to vividly illuminated medieval manuscripts and the lush decorated margins of Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

The Nature of Gothic at the Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery until December 13

Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.