This week on Consider This, the shooting death of Charlie Kirk. He was seen as the future of the conservative movement. We will look at what he leaves behind. Plus, the story of 9-11 victims whose families are still waiting 24 years later for justice. Why they say the government is keeping them in the dark. Listen this week to consider this on the NPR app or wherever

you get your podcasts. Just a heads up, we recorded this episode last week before both the

fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk and a school shooting in Colorado. We discuss gun violence

in this episode, so we wanted to give you a warning.

The new film The Long Walk takes place in a dystopian America in which one young man from each state competes in a televised event in which they must walk at a steady pace

until they can't. And when they can't, they're killed. The one who survives gets

unimaginable wealth and one wish. It's literally Stephen King meets the Hunger Games. It's based on

the first novel King ever wrote, and it's directed by Francis Lawrence, who knows his way around

dystopian films starring children, having directed a bunch of the Hunger Games movies.

I'm Glenn Weldon, and joining me today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour is Kristen Mineser. She co-hosts The Nightly on Hatch Plus. Hey, Kristen. Hi, Glenn. Hello. Also with us, this is freelance music and culture journalist Rihanna Cruz. Hey, Rihanna. Hey, Glenn. Happy to be here. Happy to have you in The Long Walk.

Cooper Hoffman plays Ray, a young man selected to compete in The Long Walk, a deadly annual event

that pits 50 young men against each other for survival. He's got his own reasons for competing.

His competitors, some of whom become close friends, some of whom become bitter rivals,

include Peter, an endlessly compassionate, wise beyond his years young man, played by David Johnson. Come on, man. Let's be musketeers. How to f*** who are we going to be musketeers? There's four of us. Come on now. We stick together to where all that's left. How about that? All for one. One for all. No, and again, I need to hear a louder.

Off one! And one for all! Hell yeah! It's all overseen by The Major, a sinister military official

played by Mark Hamel. As the long walk proceeds, the boys falter and are murdered one by one by one,

friendships form and literally die over and over again.

The long walk is in theaters now.

Rihanna, what do you think?

Did you go on this long walk?

I did, and I frankly loved it.

I think it'd be a slam dunk no matter what for me, considering the concept,

...