Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
Movie · 2015 · Science Fiction, Action, Thriller, Adventure · 2h 11m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.8/10 (947.1K ratings)
Tagline: The Maze Was Just the Beginning.
Thomas and his fellow Gladers face their greatest challenge yet: searching for clues about the mysterious and powerful organization known as WCKD. Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, the Gladers take on WCKD’s vastly superior forces and uncover its shocking plans for them all.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 1.8/10
- IMDb: 6.3/10
- Letterboxd: 3.10/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 47%
- Metacritic: 43
- TMDB: 6.7/10
Director: Wes Ball
Production: Temple Hill Entertainment, The Gotham Group, TSG Entertainment, 20th Century Fox
Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Esposito, Ki Hong Lee, Dexter Darden, Rosa Salazar, Patricia Clarkson, Aidan Gillen, Barry Pepper, Nathalie Emmanuel, Alexander Flores, Jacob Lofland, Lili Taylor, Alan Tudyk, Terry Dale Parks, Kathryn Smith-McGlynn, Matthew T. Metzler, Jenny Gabrielle, David House
Curator Review
Verdict: A fast, glossy YA dystopian sequel that leans harder into chase-movie spectacle than coherent plotting. It’s best enjoyed as momentum, atmosphere, and ensemble chemistry rather than a story that fully adds up.
Best for: fans of kinetic sci-fi action; viewers who like dystopian teen ensembles; people who prioritize set pieces over logic; audiences invested in the Gladers’ group dynamics
Skip if: you need airtight worldbuilding; you dislike franchise middle chapters; you want a self-contained story; you’re not in the mood for YA melodrama
Overview: The Scorch Trials is the kind of sequel that knows exactly what its job is: keep the characters moving, keep the stakes escalating, and keep the audience from thinking too hard about the mechanics. It trades the first film’s puzzle-box structure for a more chaotic, road-movie style survival run through a ruined landscape, with plenty of sand, smoke, and ambushes.
Worth noting: What it does well is momentum. The cast has real camaraderie, and the movie understands the appeal of watching a tight group of young survivors bounce off one another under pressure. It also has a knack for staging memorable action beats, even when the narrative logic is shaky or the twists arrive with more confidence than explanation.
Bottom line: As a piece of franchise storytelling, it’s uneven and often frustrating, but not dull. If you’re already on board with the world and the characters, it’s an easy watch; if you’re looking for clarity, emotional depth, or a satisfying standalone arc, this one will probably feel like a long run with no map.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- 🌻 lindsay 🌻: the plot does not have to make sense 👏🏻 dylan o’brien slides under a door and it’s very cool!!
- alex: fuck theresa
- Betty: the way minho gets struck by actual lightning, can’t move for about two minutes and then gets up like normal and doesn’t mention it again
- simona: newt called thomas TOMMY
- emily: I am once again asking the age old question of how do people in dystopian movies have such a strong will to live
Recommended similar titles:
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013 · Adventure, Action, Science Fiction · 2h 26m · PG-13 · Curator 7.9/10 (3.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu)
A stronger, more polished YA sequel with bigger stakes, sharper worldbuilding, and a similar mix of rebellion and spectacle.
- Ender's Game (2013 · Science Fiction, Action, Adventure · 1h 54m · PG-13 · Curator 1.5/10 (433K ratings) · Where to watch: Angel Studios)
Shares the young-protagonist sci-fi framework, militarized future setting, and a focus on training, strategy, and institutional control.
- Divergent (2014 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 20m · PG-13 · Curator 1.6/10 (1.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus)
For viewers drawn to franchise-era YA dystopia, faction politics, resistance themes, and a similar glossy studio tone.
- The Book of Eli (2010 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 1h 58m · R · Curator 3.0/10 (560.2K ratings))
A lone-wanderer post-apocalyptic journey with harsh landscapes, scavenged survival, and a grim sense of mission.
- Children of Men (2006 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Action · 1h 49m · R · Curator 9.4/10 (1.3M ratings))
A benchmark for desperate future survival, pursuit, and oppressive worldbuilding, with intense momentum and emotional urgency.
- Snowpiercer (2013 · Action, Science Fiction, Drama · 2h 7m · R · Curator 6.9/10 (1.3M ratings))
A tightly controlled dystopian action film about class, rebellion, and moving through a hostile system one brutal section at a time.
- The Road (2009 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 51m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (457.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
For the bleak end-of-the-world atmosphere and the emotional core of people trying to stay human in a ruined landscape.
- A Quiet Place Part II (2021 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Horror · 1h 36m · PG-13 · Curator 4.8/10 (1.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Netflix Standard with Ads)
A sequel that also emphasizes motion, danger, and family-group survival under constant threat.
- Oblivion (2013 · Action, Science Fiction, Adventure · 2h 4m · PG-13 · Curator 2.3/10 (882K ratings))
A sleek sci-fi mystery with strong visuals, a ruined Earth setting, and a gradual unraveling of hidden agendas.
- Tomorrowland (2015 · Adventure, Family, Mystery · 2h 10m · PG · Curator 1.4/10 (410.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
Another mid-2010s studio sci-fi adventure that pairs youthful leads with a larger conspiracy and big-scale set pieces.
- Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018 · Science Fiction, Action, Adventure · 2h 23m · PG-13 · Curator 2.3/10 (766.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
The direct follow-up if you want to stay with the same characters and see the story push toward a more action-heavy conclusion.
- Battle Royale (2000 · Drama, Thriller, Action · 1h 53m · R · Curator 9.8/10 (3.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
A foundational survival-thriller about young people forced into violent systems, with constant tension and group dynamics.
Topics: dystopian sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, action thriller, teen ensemble, survival chase, desert wasteland, conspiracy, found family, franchise sequel, high-energy
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/maze-runner-the-scorch-trials/294254
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
Movie · 2015 · Science Fiction, Action, Thriller, Adventure · 2h 11m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.8/10 (947.1K ratings)
The Maze Was Just the Beginning.
Overview Thomas and his fellow Gladers face their greatest challenge yet: searching for clues about the mysterious and powerful organization known as WCKD. Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, the Gladers take on WCKD’s vastly superior forces and uncover its shocking plans for them all.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.8/10
IMDb: 6.3/10
Letterboxd: 3.10/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 47%
Metacritic: 43
TMDB: 6.7/10
Production Temple Hill Entertainment, The Gotham Group, TSG Entertainment, 20th Century Fox
Cast Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Esposito, Ki Hong Lee, Dexter Darden, Rosa Salazar, Patricia Clarkson, Aidan Gillen, Barry Pepper, Nathalie Emmanuel, Alexander Flores, Jacob Lofland, Lili Taylor, Alan Tudyk, Terry Dale Parks, Kathryn Smith-McGlynn, Matthew T. Metzler, Jenny Gabrielle, David House
Curator Review
Verdict
A fast, glossy YA dystopian sequel that leans harder into chase-movie spectacle than coherent plotting. It’s best enjoyed as momentum, atmosphere, and ensemble chemistry rather than a story that fully adds up.
Best for
fans of kinetic sci-fi action
viewers who like dystopian teen ensembles
people who prioritize set pieces over logic
audiences invested in the Gladers’ group dynamics
Skip if
you need airtight worldbuilding
you dislike franchise middle chapters
you want a self-contained story
you’re not in the mood for YA melodrama
Overview
The Scorch Trials is the kind of sequel that knows exactly what its job is: keep the characters moving, keep the stakes escalating, and keep the audience from thinking too hard about the mechanics. It trades the first film’s puzzle-box structure for a more chaotic, road-movie style survival run through a ruined landscape, with plenty of sand, smoke, and ambushes.
Worth noting
What it does well is momentum. The cast has real camaraderie, and the movie understands the appeal of watching a tight group of young survivors bounce off one another under pressure. It also has a knack for staging memorable action beats, even when the narrative logic is shaky or the twists arrive with more confidence than explanation.
Bottom line
As a piece of franchise storytelling, it’s uneven and often frustrating, but not dull. If you’re already on board with the world and the characters, it’s an easy watch; if you’re looking for clarity, emotional depth, or a satisfying standalone arc, this one will probably feel like a long run with no map.
Top Letterboxd reviews
🌻 lindsay 🌻 (5★) · 7155 likes
the plot does not have to make sense 👏🏻 dylan o’brien slides under a door and it’s very cool!!
alex (2★) · 5835 likes
fuck theresa
Betty (2.5★) · 5660 likes
the way minho gets struck by actual lightning, can’t move for about two minutes and then gets up like normal and doesn’t mention it again
simona (3.5★) · 4707 likes
newt called thomas TOMMY
emily (2★) · 4253 likes
I am once again asking the age old question of how do people in dystopian movies have such a strong will to live
Recommended similar titles
2013 · Adventure, Action, Science Fiction · 2h 26m · PG-13 · Curator 7.9/10 (3.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
A stronger, more polished YA sequel with bigger stakes, sharper worldbuilding, and a similar mix of rebellion and spectacle.
2013 · Science Fiction, Action, Adventure · 1h 54m · PG-13 · Curator 1.5/10 (433K ratings) · Where to watch: Angel Studios
Shares the young-protagonist sci-fi framework, militarized future setting, and a focus on training, strategy, and institutional control.
2014 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 20m · PG-13 · Curator 1.6/10 (1.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
For viewers drawn to franchise-era YA dystopia, faction politics, resistance themes, and a similar glossy studio tone.
2010 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 1h 58m · R · Curator 3.0/10 (560.2K ratings)
A lone-wanderer post-apocalyptic journey with harsh landscapes, scavenged survival, and a grim sense of mission.
2006 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Action · 1h 49m · R · Curator 9.4/10 (1.3M ratings)
A benchmark for desperate future survival, pursuit, and oppressive worldbuilding, with intense momentum and emotional urgency.
2013 · Action, Science Fiction, Drama · 2h 7m · R · Curator 6.9/10 (1.3M ratings)
A tightly controlled dystopian action film about class, rebellion, and moving through a hostile system one brutal section at a time.
2009 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 51m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (457.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
For the bleak end-of-the-world atmosphere and the emotional core of people trying to stay human in a ruined landscape.
2021 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Horror · 1h 36m · PG-13 · Curator 4.8/10 (1.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Netflix Standard with Ads
A sequel that also emphasizes motion, danger, and family-group survival under constant threat.
2013 · Action, Science Fiction, Adventure · 2h 4m · PG-13 · Curator 2.3/10 (882K ratings)
A sleek sci-fi mystery with strong visuals, a ruined Earth setting, and a gradual unraveling of hidden agendas.
2015 · Adventure, Family, Mystery · 2h 10m · PG · Curator 1.4/10 (410.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
Another mid-2010s studio sci-fi adventure that pairs youthful leads with a larger conspiracy and big-scale set pieces.
2018 · Science Fiction, Action, Adventure · 2h 23m · PG-13 · Curator 2.3/10 (766.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
The direct follow-up if you want to stay with the same characters and see the story push toward a more action-heavy conclusion.
2000 · Drama, Thriller, Action · 1h 53m · R · Curator 9.8/10 (3.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A foundational survival-thriller about young people forced into violent systems, with constant tension and group dynamics.
Topics
dystopian sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, action thriller, teen ensemble, survival chase, desert wasteland, conspiracy, found family, franchise sequel, high-energy
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