This much anticipated teen thriller is compelling, enjoyable, but much more disturbing than Hunger Games.
The Maze Runner follows sixteen-year-old Thomas, portrayed by Dylan O'Brien, who awakens in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is, only to learn he's been delivered to the middle of an intricate maze, along with a slew of other boys, who have been trying to find their way out of the ever-changing labyrinth — all while establishing a functioning society in what they call The Glade.
The movie is set in a futuristic dystopia and is dark, and disturbing, much more so than previous teen-thrillers. The young cast all give outstanding performances and actors Dylan O’Brien and Ki-hong Lee are the standouts.
Cinematographer Enrique Chediak has done a superb job with making this post-apocalyptic world real and every shot draws you in. My one criticism of the cinematography is that there are too many birds eye view shots of the maze, especially towards the climax of the film.
It is written well by Niah Oppenheim, Grant Peirce Myers and T.S. Nowlin, but the film is inconclusive. Like most teen-thrillers it is based on a series of novels, but unlike some this film has no conclusive ending.
The Maze Runner is well written and the cinematography is beautiful, and I’m sure fans of the book will love this adaptation. While the film is enjoyable and intense, its inconclusive ending leaves much to be desired.
3 Stars
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Movie screening courtesy of Palace Nova Cinemas