Wes Ball’s accomplished take on the popular book series by James Dashner brings new possibilities to a subgenre that’s rapidly becoming more and more derivative as time goes on. Ball’s feature debut with The Maze Runner shows that there’s still much to explore – though not in the places most needed.

Little change is made to pre-existing YA tropes, but the care and patience with which Ball presents them is true testament to his ability as a director. Despite heavy use of hackneyed character archetypes, The Maze Runner thankfully takes its time with them.

Despite featuring a somewhat cliched narrative, Wes Ball’s The Maze Runner delivers unusual attention to character and world development, producing unforeseen engagement and bringing new depth to a tired subgenre.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Dylan O’Brien, Will Poulter, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario

DIRECTOR: Wes Ball

WRITERS: Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, T.S Nowlin (screenplay), James Dashner (novel)

SYNOPSIS: A community of boys at the centre of an enormous maze attempt to find their way out.