The weekend is the perfect time for a march... King's "The Great March" has entered Polish cinemas with a spring in its step

"March at least 5 km/h until only one remains" – this is the sentence uttered by Major at the start of the Great March. There can only be one winner, and he will survive from the group of several dozen boys who will begin a murderous race against time, against kilometers, against others, against themselves... The dystopian future of the USA, with which Stephen King swept readers away, is entering, or rather marching into, cinemas.

Consistently putting one foot in front of the other on the cracked asphalt - "The Great March" is a bloody and gloomy vision of the immediate future of the United States.

Fifty young people, practically no older than 18, are drawn from the starting line to embark on a race without a finish line. The last participant will determine their own end, and they will be declared the winner after the deaths of the remaining 49 (the film reduces the number of participants in the march compared to the book. This, however, allows them to play their role, as each participant's presence is crucial to the protagonist's story).

The rules, enforced by the crew of the loud and wicked Major, who can be described as the race's judge-enforcer, are simple:

• you sit down to rest - you die,
• If you stray from the route, you die
• you slow down below 5 km/h (regardless of the reason) - you get a warning,
• four warnings - you die

The main character of the film "The Big March" is Ray Garraty, a Maine native (played by Cooper Hoffman), who is driven to the pre-race rally by his tearful mother. He befriends fellow runner Pete (played by David Jonsson), but tries to help all the participants.

The film's opening resembles a school trip—the participants joke, chat about everything and nothing, and take photos before the first headshot for the slower comrade, which is described as "getting a ticket." From that moment on, they must confront not only their physical weaknesses but also the brutal truth: that only one can survive.

The race is broadcast as a reality show watched by all of America. This show resembles a ghastlier version of the USA in the 1960s, although it takes place in an unspecified future. After a horrific war, the country has plunged into an economic crisis. It is ruled by a military dictatorship, a fact that can only be surmised by the presence of soldiers on the streets and the soldier-governors. To combat the "epidemic of laziness," the government devises an annual Grand March, which offers the chance to choose a fortune and fulfill a single wish.

Stephen King wrote his novel in 1967, when he was 19, but published it under the pseudonym Richard Bachman more than a decade later, wanting to test whether his books sold solely on the basis of his name. The film was adapted by director Francis Lawrence , known for his equally terrifying vision of the future, "The Hunger Games," in which young people were also put to death every year, with only one possible victor. However, unlike the broad political context of those previous adaptations, in this film, the viewer is given more hints of the destructive nature of power. Watching the film, it's hard not to get the impression that both the director and screenwriter had William Eggelson's photo album at hand during filming.

Lionsgate spent $20 million on the film. In its first week, even before its premiere in Poland and other countries, the film grossed over $11.7 million. It garnered a 94% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It's already the highest-rated adaptation of King's work. Critics agree: it's a traumatic film steeped in darkness, yet glimmers of hope shine through, and the actors portraying the main characters deserve Oscars, they say. Newspapers are praising it: unforgettable, gripping, and shocking.

In short, the whole thing is gripping, leaving the viewer with the statement " I am going, I was going, I will go... "

P.S. The director could really use an offer to direct a romantic comedy right now. Mainly for the sake of his mental health.

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