The Darkest Minds

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The Darkest Minds

PG-13

Released Aug 3, 2018

1h 44m

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Popcornmeter

15%

Tomatometer

139 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

When teens mysteriously develop powerful new abilities, they are declared a threat by the government and detained. One of the most powerful young people, Ruby, escapes from her camp and joins a group of runaways who are seeking a safe haven. Betrayed by the adults in power, this newfound family soon realizes that running is not enough -- they must use their collective powers to wage a resistance and take back their future.

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Critics Consensus

The Darkest Minds does little to differentiate itself in a crowded field of YA adaptations, leaving all but the least demanding viewers feeling dystopian déjà vu.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

To say the film suggests a mix of hazy political allegory and Henry Darger's outside-art classic The Story of the Vivian Girls is to make it sound more interesting than it really is.

Mar 4, 2020

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Roxana Hadadi

Chesapeake Family Magazine

The Darkest Minds puts an X-Men spin on the typical 'teens in dystopia' YA formula, but the result is more derivative than creative.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 17, 2018

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

The film is framed so deliberately as a prelude to more exciting times to come in its sequels that it renders the ending oddly anti-climactic.

Rated: 2.5/5

Aug 15, 2018

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Brittany Patrice Witherspoon

Pop Culture Reviews

The Darkest Minds has some great ideas and moments sprinkled throughout the film, but ultimately, it is uninspired storytelling that wastes its potential on forced build-up rather than execution.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jul 11, 2024

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast

The film leans into all of the book's worst impulses and, most disappointingly, gives star Amandla Stenberg nothing to do. The FX is on par with other YA films, but the disinterest in exploring this dystopia renders The Darkest Minds hollow.

Dec 1, 2021

Full Review

Matt Cipolla

Film Monthly

[I]t isn't much of anything new, but must it be this boring? The Darkest Minds is stultifying -- a truly joyless experience of YA clichés and generic, licensed pop songs.

Rated: 1.5/5

Jul 25, 2020

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Skye O

I absolutely adore this movie, it's sweet and makes me connect deeply with the story and characters, I can't recommend this enough.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/24

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Albert W

Meh... not bad but not that great either. Seems rather forgettable... it felt like X-Men rip-off type stuff... and some stuff didn't make much sense... but it also had some interesting aspects. 3 stars.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/10/24

Full Review

Jake B

Extremely predictable. The main character is a pick me. It moves too quickly. Don't recommend

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/28/24

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Audience Member

Kinda boring, very predictable, I hated the end but it is not that bad. Perhaps I wouldn't watch it again, but I has a good evening with the movie, and I didn't expect a lot about it in first place, tbh

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/13/24

Full Review

Craig B

The critics have been overly savage on The Darkest Minds... it's not as bad as the 15% Critics RT score suggests. Whilst it's not as good as the audience RT rating, it's an okay watch, albeit not particularly original. Likeable characters, with overall sound acting and reasonably entertaining action sequences, you could do a lot worse.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/11/24

Full Review

diam0ndkiller

Although the story isn't perfect, it's a solid movie. Sci-Fi and Drama just match, and this is a good example for that!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/07/24

Full Review

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Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Director

Amandla Stenberg

Ruby Daly

Mandy Moore

Cate

Bradley Whitford

President Gray

Harris Dickinson

Liam

Patrick Gibson

Clancy Gray

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The Darkest Minds: 'What Happens Next?' - Trailer

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The Darkest Minds: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When teens mysteriously develop powerful new abilities, they are declared a threat by the government and detained. One of the most powerful young people, Ruby, escapes from her camp and joins a group of runaways who are seeking a safe haven. Betrayed by the adults in power, this newfound family soon realizes that running is not enough -- they must use their collective powers to wage a resistance and take back their future.

Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Producer: Shawn Levy, Dan Levine
Screenwriter: Chad Hodge
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 21 Laps Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Disturbing Images|Violence)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 3, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 2, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.7M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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