The Maze Runner Movie

I’m a late adopter of The Maze Runner books. I only started the book this summer after urging from a lot of you. I didn’t expect to like the book as much as I did. I loved the level of suspense it created, while also presenting an interesting logic problem for the reader to try to parse through along with Thomas. Full disclosure, I was pretty sleepy when I went to the midnight showing last night. I was also a little frazzled from getting very lost trying to find the theater and meeting new people (the second years in my writing program were the ones who offered the invited). However, my impression of the film was that the suspense is done very well, but the logic problem part of the book is basically ignored.

I felt engrossed in the movie. The grievers are terrifying. I was definitely jumping in my seat whenever anyone went into the maze. But I think the movie skimmed over a lot of what elevated the book about basic suspense. I thought Theresa and Thomas’s relationship was particularly underdeveloped. Although, the group dynamics of the boys – some wanting to stay in the maze forever others knowing they have to leave – was portrayed perfectly. Chuck was also exactly the way I imagined him in the book.

I can definitely see why some fans would be disappointed by this adaptation, but I can equally understand why some will enjoy it. The final twist at the end definitely makes me want to see the next movie and continue to try to understand what is actually going on in this world.