Maze Runners and the sequel: Scorched are movies about a dystopian future. Solar flares have brought a plague to earth and few are immune. The flares were not a natural occurrence but part of a nefarious plot by a corporation to reduce the population of the planet. The corporation didn’t count on the plague that was named Flare (after its cause) and they continue their mad scientist schemes by enforcing experiments to map their unique brain waves.
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Guide to the Maze Runner Film Series
The corporation is called World In Catastrophe Killzone Experimentation Department or WICKED. Despite the rampant propaganda WICKED tries to spread that ‘WICKED is good’, it really does live up to its acronym. WICKED mind controls the immune, but mostly only boys age 12-17 and maps their brainwaves while subjecting them to horrific ‘trials’.
They must first escape the maze but it is filled with things that look like giant robotic bedbugs the immune call Grievers. The Grievers kill anyone stuck in the maze overnight when the doors seal shut at dusk.
The leading man, Thomas arrives in an elevator that leaves him in the center of the maze with the other boys who refer to themselves as Gladers. Like the others, he can’t recall his past and it is only after acclimatizing that he remembers his name. The next day a girl arrives. She’s the only girl and her arrival causes everything to change as she retains more of her memory than any of the others.
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The rest of the movies is spent on the politics of the Gladers as they eventually escape the maze. Thomas is blamed by Gally for all the changes and for the deaths of some of the Gladers. He even goes so far as to tie Thomas and Teresa both to stakes near the doors of the maze as an offering to the monstrous Grievers (think giant bedbugs that mates with a scorpion and a robot). They solve the maze to find an exit door that looks exactly like any other completely banal exit door complete even with an exit sign.
On the other side of the door things seem a lot closer to the real world instead of the strange horror show that the Gladers have been living in. The illusion is shattered when they find a lab filled with dead scientists. They watch a video that explains that they have won the maze while the scientists are executed one by one.
The video ends with Ava Paige (played by Patricia Clarkson) the head scientist stating ‘WICKED is good’ and then shooting herself in the head. It is quickly revealed that this was a fake out as Paige is shown to be wiping fake blood off herself and comments, ‘I think they took the bait’.
I think my son might be a little too young for this still, but I bet he will like it when he’s a little older.
My son and I read all the books and enjoyed the first movie. My son requested to go see for his birthday which happens to be opening day.
My daughter really likes dystopian movies. She likes the Maze Runner series.
I love that this is set in the future. Having that futuristic aspect makes it really interesting to watch this series.
I just saw the first one for the first time last week. I think I’ll definitely be seeing the second one!
My daughter and I were just talking about wanting to watch this the other day! The first movie looks so good!
This sounds like a great series! No wonder so many people are hooked on it!
Thanks for the guide. I had no idea what is was and the teen was asking about this. He loves all the futuristic reads and movies
I like when books come in a series. This looks like one to add to my wish list.
I’ve never heard of this series but it sounds like it was interesting.
I read the series last summer and really liked them. I haven’t seen any of the films yet, but am looking forward to them!
Having read positive reviews of Maze Runner, I guess I would want to see it too. I would have to find someone who would want to watch it with me. My daughter would probably love this.
I just saw this on Netflix and I think my oldest would really enjoy. He actually read the books over the summer.
My daughter loves this series and can not wait to see it!! Thanks for the guide.
Sounds like a great series, but honestly I have not heard much about it. The review looks interesting & I would love to watch it with my kids sometime.
You know what, thank you! I have been hearing about this film, and youve now cleared it all up for me!