Movie · 2014 · Action, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller · 1h 53m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 4.1/10 (1.9M ratings)
Get ready to run.
Overview
A teenager with no memory of his past finds himself among a group of boys living in a walled enclosure surrounded by a massive, ever-changing maze. As he struggles to adapt to their rules and society, he begins to uncover clues that may lead to escape and the truth behind their confinement.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.1/10
IMDb: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 3.50/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Metacritic: 57
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Wes Ball
Production
Ingenious Media, The Gotham Group, Dayday Films, Temple Hill Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, 20th Century Fox
Cast
Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Will Poulter, Aml Ameen, Patricia Clarkson, Blake Cooper, Dexter Darden, Jacob Latimore, Chris Sheffield, Joe Adler, Randall D. Cunningham, Alexander Flores, Don McManus, Michael Bow, Jerry Clark, Michael Deville, Dylan Gaspard, Cory Gooding
Curator Review
Verdict
A slick, propulsive YA sci-fi thriller with a strong central mystery and enough momentum to carry viewers through its familiar setup. It works best as a lean, high-concept adventure with solid production design and a likeable ensemble, even if the worldbuilding and character beats are more efficient than deep.
Best for
Viewers who like escape-room style mysteries
Fans of dystopian YA adventure
People who want fast pacing and a strong ensemble dynamic
Teens and genre audiences looking for an easy bingeable franchise starter
Skip if
You want airtight logic and fully explained worldbuilding
You are tired of YA dystopian chosen-one narratives
You prefer character-driven sci-fi over plot-first spectacle
You dislike franchise-bait endings and sequel setup
Overview
The Maze Runner is built like a good hook: wake up, run, survive, repeat. Its premise is immediate and easy to grasp, and the maze itself gives the movie a clean visual identity that keeps the tension moving. The film benefits from a cast that clicks quickly, with a scrappy group dynamic that makes the enclosed setting feel social as well as dangerous.
Worth noting
What it does not do especially well is slow down and interrogate its own rules. The mystery is engaging, but the answers arrive in a way that feels more functional than revelatory. Still, the movie understands its lane: it wants to be a brisk, muscular YA thriller, and on that level it mostly succeeds.
Bottom line
If you like survival stories with shifting alliances, secret experiments, and a constant sense of forward motion, this is an easy watch. If you need richer emotional depth or more original dystopian ideas, it may feel like a competent version of a familiar template rather than a standout reinvention.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Carolyn (2.5★) · 11167 likes
The maze isn’t a test, it’s a fight for White Boy of The Month.
gabby! · 10517 likes
i can’t believe that in a group of almost 50 boys, there were no canon gay relationships ???
neve (3★) · 8465 likes
i too would run into the maze and risk my life just to be with minho