The Darkest Minds

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The Darkest Minds

PG-13

2018

1h 44m

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

15%

Tomatometer

139 Reviews

70%

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

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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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Becki B

I love this movie! From the beginning it grips you. Such a shame there is no sequel. I'm thinking of buying the whole book series because the film is so good and I wanna know more. Im shocked at how bad the reviews are for it saying its like all the other movies and its boring. But I don't believe it is at all. The reviewers maybe seem like an older audience and not the target audience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/17/25

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King A.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS MOVIE SO GOOD def deserved a 2nd one..

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/26/25

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Jennifer S

Not even 10 minutes in and kid dies. Then they show a military lady putting a gun to her head to kill herself and this is rated PG 13?! Parents beware of this rating!! This is a major reason we have a mental health crisis among children! The things our kids out exposed to is outrageous. This should have been rated R. Very disappointing. We need to do better!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/26/25

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Sumiah S

This movie is a really good movie it has good stuff about it like “we can only trust us” and stuff like that, and this type of movie isn’t for all people, because people have different opinions, different type in movies and just because you personally didn’t like doesn’t mean leave a bad review because there was a 2 part of it but it got canceled because of all the bad reviews so the bad reviews aren’t so necessary so if you see this please give good rating cause there are people out there that don’t care about other just themselves I was honestly very upset when I found out there was a 2nd part but got cancelled because of people that just don’t care so maybe it’s for people that are into these type of movies not has a whole different type of movies and just don’t like this one so decided to give it a bad review I mean if you don’t like it then don’t watch it don’t put bad reviews I mean think about it was it really necessary to ruin a movie people must been really excited about coming out you might not care but imagine it if it had happened to you and that way you would really see how that would be

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/24/25

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Katie D

Don't know why everyone hates on it, such a good movie, ending is terrible but could definitely be sorted with a second movie. The ending leaves you hanging wanting more.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/22/25

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Jens S

How can someone make such an interesting theme into such a boring movie? For the first time ever, I had to force myself to keep watching and not skip 80% of the movie. Really disappointing.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

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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I Am Number Four

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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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