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Maze Runner, The (12A)

Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi

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.


The critical consensus

Leaner and grittier than similar YA fare, The Maze Runner is set to act as a calling card for its emerging director and cast. Amassing tension ahead of a solid pay-off, it’ll leave you hungry for the next installment.

****(*)Matt Maytum, Total Film, 06/10/2014

It’s a well-made adventure with great energy and considerable style, but it’s essentially a maze without an exit.

***(*)(*)Helen O'Hara, Empire Online, 06/10/2014

You might wonder how the chaps coped in a female-free environment before the arrival of Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), but director Wes Ball’s mild entertainment is more interested in plodding towards a hopeful sequel than venturing into that minefield.

***(*)(*)Siobhan Synnot, The Scotsman, 05/10/2014

he Maze Runner moves at a reasonably enjoyable pace, taking us from CGI-heavy set-piece to set-piece and only occasionally stumbling.

***(*)(*)Katherine McLaughlin, The List, 06/10/2014

Utter garbage. The kids will love it.

**(*)(*)(*)Adam Woodward, Little White Lies, 08/10/2014

Celibate chiselled YAs in awful future dystopia battle to prove they are exceptional and divergent. Again.

*(*)(*)(*)(*)Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 09/10/2014

An engaging slice of young adult sci-fi.

***(*)(*)Stephen Carty, Flix Capacitor, 13/10/2014

The glitch is the absurdity of the premise and the weakness of the characterisation.

**(*)(*)(*)Geoffrey MacNab, The Independent, 09/10/2014

If you can forgive the disappointing ending then The Maze Runner is a pretty decent, well-paced adaptation of the teen apocalypse novel by James Dashner.

***(*)(*)Daily Express, 10/10/2014

Poor dialogue is redeemed by fine action sequences in this latest addition to the young adult dystopian thriller genre.

***(*)(*)Mark Kermode, The Observer, 12/10/2014

It may seem a world away from traditional teen dramas but the themes are much the same: alienation, identity, a yearning to break free. As a metaphor for the traumas of adolescence the story is cleverly conceived and has a raw, powerful simplicity.

****(*)Henry Fitzherbert, Daily Express, 12/10/2014

Verdict: More young adult dystopia.

**(*)(*)(*)Brian Viner, Daily Mail, 10/10/2014

Where and when?

General release. Check local listings for show times.

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