The Darkest Minds

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The Darkest Minds

PG-13

2018

1h 44m

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

15%

Tomatometer

139 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

When teens mysteriously develop powerful new abilities, they are declared a threat by the government and detained. One of the most powerful young people, Ruby, escapes from her camp and joins a group of runaways who are seeking a safe haven. Betrayed by the adults in power, this newfound family soon realizes that running is not enough -- they must use their collective powers to wage a resistance and take back their future.

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Critics Consensus

The Darkest Minds does little to differentiate itself in a crowded field of YA adaptations, leaving all but the least demanding viewers feeling dystopian déjà vu.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

03/04/2020

To say the film suggests a mix of hazy political allegory and Henry Darger's outside-art classic The Story of the Vivian Girls is to make it sound more interesting than it really is.

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Roxana Hadadi

Chesapeake Family Magazine

08/17/2018

2/5

The Darkest Minds puts an X-Men spin on the typical 'teens in dystopia' YA formula, but the result is more derivative than creative.

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

08/15/2018

2.5/5

The film is framed so deliberately as a prelude to more exciting times to come in its sequels that it renders the ending oddly anti-climactic.

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Brittany Patrice Witherspoon

Pop Culture Reviews

07/11/2024

2.5/5

The Darkest Minds has some great ideas and moments sprinkled throughout the film, but ultimately, it is uninspired storytelling that wastes its potential on forced build-up rather than execution.

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Joe Lipsett

Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast

12/01/2021

The film leans into all of the book's worst impulses and, most disappointingly, gives star Amandla Stenberg nothing to do. The FX is on par with other YA films, but the disinterest in exploring this dystopia renders The Darkest Minds hollow.

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Matt Cipolla

Film Monthly

07/25/2020

1.5/5

[I]t isn't much of anything new, but must it be this boring? The Darkest Minds is stultifying -- a truly joyless experience of YA clichés and generic, licensed pop songs.

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Hala S

@Haaaal 2d

I honestly really enjoyed this movie. The plot and overall acting was amazing. I couldn't understand why it was rated so low. I was genuinely on the edge of my seat most of the film, so many emotions were felt. Wish we would have gotten a sequel to fill in some gaps.

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Angel W

@AngelW30 Jan 26

Love this movie! Really would like to see more of them. I think it would be a regret and a big mistake if it gets discontinued!

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Tina S

@tlschulte68 Dec 5

Great movie, I highly recommend! I would love to see it become a movie series. Definitely a must see!

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paige s

@paigeska Nov 14

movie is amazing everyone should watch it

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RZ U

Nov 13

So, so good! Definitely needs a TV series to continue this.

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Becki B

Oct 17

I love this movie! From the beginning it grips you. Such a shame there is no sequel. I'm thinking of buying the whole book series because the film is so good and I wanna know more. Im shocked at how bad the reviews are for it saying its like all the other movies and its boring. But I don't believe it is at all. The reviewers maybe seem like an older audience and not the target audience.

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Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Director

Amandla Stenberg

Ruby Daly

Mandy Moore

Cate

Bradley Whitford

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Patrick Gibson

Clancy Gray

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The Darkest Minds: 'What Happens Next?' - Trailer

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The Darkest Minds: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When teens mysteriously develop powerful new abilities, they are declared a threat by the government and detained. One of the most powerful young people, Ruby, escapes from her camp and joins a group of runaways who are seeking a safe haven. Betrayed by the adults in power, this newfound family soon realizes that running is not enough -- they must use their collective powers to wage a resistance and take back their future.

Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Producer: Shawn Levy, Dan Levine
Screenwriter: Chad Hodge
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 21 Laps Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Disturbing Images|Violence)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 3, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 2, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.7M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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