The Darkest Minds is a dystopian American science fiction film released in 2018. It was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, who made her live-action directorial debut with this project. Chad Hodge authored the screenplay, drawing inspiration from The Darkest Minds, a novel by Alexandra Bracken. The film depicts a United States of the not-so-distant future that has been struck by a mysterious disease, decimating a significant portion of the child population. Those who survive the illness are acquired supernatural gifts, and are thus hunted down by the government that fears them.
The film intertwines themes of resistance, identity, and youth empowerment set within a dystopian backdrop. Efforts are made to blend a coming-of-age romance with action alongside political uprising. It is directed to a younger demographic a notch above teens, especially those who have enjoyed The Hunger Games or Divergent series.
Setting and Premise
A disease known as “Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration” (IAAN) kills about 90 percent of children below the age of 18. Of those who survive, they develop powers and are divided into five groups based on the nature and magnitude of abilities. These categories are color coded as follows:
Green: Super intelligence
Blue: Telekinetic abilities
Yellow: Control over electricity
Red: Pyrokinesis or fire manipulation
Orange: Psionic abilities, including mind control and telepathy
Due to fear of the powers the children possess, the government captures and imprisons them in rehabilitation camps. The most dangerous groups, Reds and Oranges, are executed or used for secret operations. The remaining Greens, Blues, and Yellows are watched while under confinement.
Main Characters and Cast
Amarnda Stenberg plays Ruby Daly, the protagonist, who is a teenage girl with rare Orange-level abilities. As a result of erasing herself from her parents’ memories, she is captured and sent to a government camp. To avoid revealing her true powers, Ruby pretends to be a Green.
Other key characters include:
Liam Stewart, portrayed by Harris Dickinson, a telekinetic Blue who becomes Ruby’s ally and romantic interest.
Charles “Chubs” Meriwether, portrayed by Skylan Brooks, a skeptical and intelligent Green who is wary of others.
Portrayed by Miya Cech, Suzume “Zu” Kimura is a young Yellow who is mute but can manipulate electricity.
Cate Connor, portrayed by Moore, is a doctor involved with a militant faction called Children’s League.
Clancy Gray, played by Gibson, is secret United States Orange who is the son of the President. He operates a purported sanctuary for children with powers, which serves as a cover.
Plot Summary
With the assistance of Cate, Ruby is relocated to a government camp under the protection of the Children’s League. Due to suspicions of the League’s motives, however, Ruby decides to escape and meet with Liam, Chubs, and Zu. Together, the group attempts to find a rumored safe haven referred to as East River.
Eventually, they reach East River where they meet Clancy Gray, who poses as a nurturing leader. Clancy attempts to train Ruby to control her powers but she soon discovers his true intentions. Clancy uses dominion powers on the other children, ruthlessly manipulating them for his purposes. After learning this, Ruby and her friends decide to confront Clancy, leading to a violent standoff. The group manages to escape, but not without suffering some repercussions.
In the last act of the film, Ruby forfeits her personal happiness for a more noble cause. To protect Liam, Ruby cancels their relationship. She goes as far as claiming the Children’s League for help, but to protect him, she wipes his memory of their relationship utilizing her powers. The movie concludes with Ruby affiliated with the League, where she fervently resolves to continue fighting for justice and seeking to liberate others of her kind.
Themes and Motifs
Empowerment through adversity serves as the primary focus of The Darkest Minds. The once-passive children who were victims of their circumstances gradually become active agents in their lives. Additional themes include excessive government control, xenophobia, and youthful perseverance.
Much like other young adult novels, Ruby transforms from a timid girl into a commanding figure—and with her, she carries so much raw emotion that it complements her character. Balancing dangerous powers with compassion is an internal conflict many people will find brutally relatable. Other themes the film covers are identity, memory, and the act of selfless sacrifice.
Production Details
In 2017, the film was shot in Atlanta, Georgia, where the majority of the filming took place. Production had a mid-range budget, sitting at approximately 34 million dollars. This was the first live-action film directed by Jennifer Yu Nelson, who previously worked on animated films Kung Fu Panda 2 and Kung Fu Panda 3; she showcased emotional depth and visual dynamism tempered by sensitivity.
The film’s mood and Wallfisch’s sound score integrated uniquely to the film’s atmosphere. Morgenthau’s cinematography showcased the stark contrasts between the government camps and the natural world into which the children escape.
Reception and Critical Response
The Darkest Minds was released in 2018 to overwhelmingly negative reviews. Critiques primarily focused on its overreliance on tired, familiar dystopian elements. Reviewers noted that the film had an interesting concept, but it did not execute on a unique vision for the genre.
Amandla Stenberg and Miya Cech received positive reviews for their portrayals as lead characters Ruby and Zu. Stenberg was noted for portraying Ruby with significant emotion and depth, while Cech’s silent role as Zu was notable for being very expressive.
The film continued to underperform even after it was released in theaters. It grossed slightly above $41 million worldwide and did not make back the hopes of recouping production costs even after marketing expenses were counted. Because of this, the chances of sequels adapted from the book series became very unlikely.
While audience reactions were somewhat more forgiving, especially with respect to the film’s portrayal of youth confronting abuse, fans of the novel largely believed it was a worthwhile adaptation, albeit one that overlooked the profound emotional and psychological intricacies of the book.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
Stellar lead performance by Amandla Stenberg
Effective diversity among the characters and world building
Visual style and tone align with the dystopian setting
Weaknesses:
Few plot elements that are surprising or unpredictable
Flat, underdeveloped secondary characters
Middle portion has notable pacing issues
Final Thoughts
Offering The Darkest Minds a place among dominant young adult dystopian thrillers is its intent to weave a dark and deeply emotional tapestry revolving around children endowed with powerful abilities, battling an oppressive system that seeks to eliminate them. While it has interesting characters and compelling moments, the film is yet another contribution to the genre without any real lasting impact.
For those drawn to tales of rebellion and self-discovery, this film is a worthwhile addition to young adult science fiction. Its promise to further develop the franchise, however, looks bleak due to a lack of originality and shallow execution of the plot. On the bright side, the film does introduce audiences to a captivating character in Ruby Daly and provided emerging talent a fresh platform.
Regardless of whether it continues as a series, The Darkest Minds remains a narrative of defiance, selfhood, and the unyielding nature of young people in a shattered reality.
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