The Maze Runner (2014)

Thomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they're all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow "runners" for a shot at escape.

Director:

Wes Ball

Writers:

Noah Oppenheim (screenplay by), Grant Pierce Myers (screenplay by)

Stars:

Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter

4 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dylan O'Brien	...	Thomas
Aml Ameen	...	Alby
Ki Hong Lee	...	Minho
Blake Cooper	...	Chuck
Thomas Brodie-Sangster	...	Newt
Will Poulter	...	Gally
Dexter Darden	...	Frypan
Kaya Scodelario	...	Teresa
Chris Sheffield	...	Ben
Joe Adler	...	Zart
Alexander Flores	...	Winston
Jacob Latimore	...	Jeff
Randall D. Cunningham	...	Clint
Patricia Clarkson	...	Ava Paige
Don McManus	...	Masked Man

Storyline

Awakening in an elevator, remembering nothing of his past, Thomas emerges into a world of about thirty teenage boys, all without past memories, who have learned to survive under their own set of rules in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies. With a new boy arriving every thirty days, the group has been in "The Glade" for three years, trying to find a way to escape through the Maze that surrounds their living space (patrolled by cyborg monsters named 'Grievers'). They have begun to give up hope when a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change with the boys dividing into two factions: those willing to risk their lives to escape and those wanting to hang onto what they've got and survive.

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Plot Keywords:

teenage boy | based on novel | maze | open ended | concrete wall | 

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Taglines:

Remember. Survive. Run.

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Genres:

Action | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images

Did You Know?

Trivia

First feature film directed by Wes Ball.

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Goofs

After the first griever was killed Thomas should meet Minho in the woods in half an hour. But they don't have watches, so they are unable to tell time.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Thomas: Hey! Hey! Help me!

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Alternate Versions

After initially receiving a '15' rating, Fox cut 43 seconds of violence, threat and injury detail from the UK version to earn a less restrictive '12A' rating for the cinema release. This same cut version was later released on DVD and Blu-ray with a '12' rating, although an uncut Steelbook Blu-ray was given a limited release with a '15' rating.

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Connections

Referenced in Geeks Who Drink: Felicia Day vs. Dexter Darden (2015)

User Reviews

Although the setup is mildly engaging, The Maze Runner fails to satisfy

The Maze Runner is definitely not the worst teenage-directed dystopian flick out there (I believe that Divergent has that one locked down), but it is definitely not the best, either. Its setup is interesting and builds adequate suspense to keep us watching with slightly interested eyes, but it falls apart with its repeated, clichéd, TV drama like dialogue. It serves to forward the plot, but often tends to show little of anything, really. And it happens a lot. Most of the film is spent talking, mostly about the maze as a sacred, untouchable thing that no one should go into under the consequence of death by the monsters that lurk within the maze. The action, when it happens, is fun, but it doesn't happen often enough.

The film follows a boy named Thomas who is cast into a mini society put together by a group of boys that live in the center of a maze, in a place they call the Glade. Every month, an elevator comes out of the ground with food and a new boy. No one can remember anything before they came into the Glade, although Thomas has visions of symbols and people in his dreams. No one is allowed past the doors that mark the entrance to the Maze except the Runners, a designated group of kids who map the maze in order to attempt to find a way out. The doors close at night and open in the morning. Alby, the group leader, warns Thomas, "No one survives a night in the maze." Of course, Thomas is curious about the maze.

The Maze Runner follows what I like to call "The Avalanche Framework". A person or event disrupts the quiet structure of a strict society, causing it to spiral out of control, inciting absolute panic and chaos within its "walls". Events snowball together into a massive avalanche that destroys everything that the people who created the society ever worked for. It is usually an enjoyable film to watch, and the endings are usually satisfying. The Maze Runner lacks a satisfying ending (It is random and senseless), but it is enjoyable to a certain, very small extent. It holds you by the tips of your toes, never gripping your eyes to the screen or pulling you to the edge of your seat. There is barely anything to make you want to keep watching.

The Maze Runner is surprisingly dark. That is probably the best thing it has going for it. It is more gory and frightening than most teenage movies (although this may not be a good thing), and the helplessness of the whole situation is a feeling uncommon as well to these types of films.

It is a reasonable film, bordering between good and bad. Me being me, I give it the benefit of the doubt.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Maze Runner

Filming Locations:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$34,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$32,512,804, 21 September 2014

Gross USA:

$102,427,862

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$348,319,861

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Gotham Group, Temple Hill Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat Dolby Atmos SDDS Auro 11.1 Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1