Synopsis:Â Imprisoned by an adult world that now fears everyone under 18, a group of teens form a resistance group to fight back and reclaim control of their future in The Darkest Minds.
Release Date: August 3, 2018 Â Â MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s):Â Sci-Fi, Thriller
Film Review
Production
Ever since the triumphant conclusion of the Hunger Games series and the whimpering ending of the Divergent franchise, there has been a hole in the Young Adult Dystopian Movie Market. The Darkest Minds is here to try and fill that gap.
![L-R: Chubs (SKYLAN BROOKS), Zu (MIYA CECH), Ruby (AMANDLA STENBERG) and Liam (HARRIS DICKINSON) in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication. L-R: Chubs (SKYLAN BROOKS), Zu (MIYA CECH), Ruby (AMANDLA STENBERG) and Liam (HARRIS DICKINSON) in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication.](http://www.filmfracture.com/images/frame_of_mind/thedarkestminds1e.jpg)
![Zu (MIYA CECH), Ruby (AMANDLA STENBERG), Liam (HARRIS DICKINSON) and Chubs (SKYLAN BROOKS) enter an abandoned mall in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication. Zu (MIYA CECH), Ruby (AMANDLA STENBERG), Liam (HARRIS DICKINSON) and Chubs (SKYLAN BROOKS) enter an abandoned mall in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication.](http://www.filmfracture.com/images/frame_of_mind/thedarkestminds1b.jpg)
Everything about The Darkest Minds is spelled out for and spoon fed to the viewer, to the point where it’s almost insulting. It feels as if the movie doesn’t think its audience is going to catch on to the concepts and ideas, so it verbalizes them with a nod and a wink to make sure that everyone’s following along. There are plenty of important themes and analogies in the film, but they’d be more effective if the movie gave its audience a little credit and let them figure stuff out for themselves.
![The group says goodbye to Blue Betty, the minivan in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication. The group says goodbye to Blue Betty, the minivan in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication.](http://www.filmfracture.com/images/frame_of_mind/thedarkestminds1d.jpg)
Score and Soundtrack
Like any self-respecting Young Adult movie, the soundtrack to The Darkest Minds is packed with ethereal alternative pop music. The songs are stuffed into the usual places, mostly occupying the sonic space during montages and transition scenes, so they do take center stage when they are played. Unfortunately, there’s nothing special about them. They sound like the songs from every other YA movie. They’re decent tunes, but they’re very forgettable. There are no hit singles, just some well written filler songs.
![Ruby (AMANDLA STENBERG) and Liam (HARRIS DICKINSON) in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication. Ruby (AMANDLA STENBERG) and Liam (HARRIS DICKINSON) in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication.](http://www.filmfracture.com/images/frame_of_mind/thedarkestminds1c.jpg)
Chemistry
The interactions between characters in The Darkest Minds are painfully uncomfortable to watch. There is absolutely no chemistry with this cast. It doesn’t help that the story forces an awkward romantic angle between Liam and Ruby that seemingly neither character actually wants to consummate, but even the conversations between other characters, like Ruby and Cate or Chubs and Liam, are fumbling and twitchy. While the actors aren’t done any favors by the cringe-worthy dialogue, they still should be able to salvage a little bit of comfort and camaraderie with their performances. In The Darkest Minds, there is none. It’s like the actors are less into making the movie than the audience is into watching it.
![Cate (MANDY MOORE) meets Ruby (AMANDLA STENBERG) for the first time at Camp Thurmond Infirmary in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication. Cate (MANDY MOORE) meets Ruby (AMANDLA STENBERG) for the first time at Camp Thurmond Infirmary in Twentieth Century Fox's THE DARKEST MINDS. Photo credit: Daniel McFadden; TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication.](http://www.filmfracture.com/images/frame_of_mind/thedarkestminds1a.jpg)
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Jennifer Yuh Nelson
- Producer(s): Dan LevineShawn Levy
- Screenwriter(s):Â Chad Hodge
- Story:Â Alexandra Bracken
- Cast:Â Amandla Stenberg (Ruby), Harris Dickinson (Liam), Skylan Brooks (Chubs), Miya Cech (Zu), Mandy Moore (Cate), Mark O’Brien (Rob Meadows), Bradley Whitford (President Gray), Patrick Gibson (Clancy Gray), Wade Williams (Captain McManus), Gwendoline Christie (Lady Jane), Wallace Langham (Dr. Viceroy)
- Editor(s): Maryann Brandon
- Cinematographer:Â Kramer Morgenthau
- Costume Designer:Â Mary Claire Hannan
- Casting Director(s):Â Tara Feldstein, John Papsidera, Chase Paris
- Music Score:Â Benjamin Wallfisch
- Country Of Origin: USA