THE DARKEST MINDS (2018) MOVIE NEWS & REVIEW

THE DARKEST MINDS (2018) movie

Genre              |   Science Fiction

Classification   |   M

Running time   |   104 minutes

Released         |   16 August 2018

cast

​Amandla Stenberg ... Ruby
​Harris Dickinson ... Liam
Mandy Moore ... Cate
​Gwendoline Christie ... Lady Jane
​Skylan Brooks ... Chubs
Miya Cech ... Zu (Suzume)

director

Jennifer Yuh Nelson

writer

​Chad Hodge ... (screenplay by)
 
Alexandra Bracken ... (based upon the novel by)

cinematographer

​Kramer Morgenthau

music

Benjamin Wallfisch

film editor

​Maryann Brandon

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box office result

Worldwide               $? million

Australia                 $? million

North America        $? million

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the best dialogue

x

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THE DARKEST MINDS (2018) MOVIE IMAGES

Images

Posters

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Posters

THE DARKEST MINDS (2018) STORY SYNOPSIS

​When teens mysteriously develop powerful new abilities, they are declared a threat by the government and detained. Sixteen-year-old Ruby, one of the most powerful young people anyone has encountered, escapes her camp and joins a group of runaway teens seeking safe haven. Soon this newfound family realizes that, in a world in which the adults in power have betrayed them, running is not enough and they must wage a resistance, using their collective power to take back control of their future.

THE DARKEST MINDS (2018) MOVIE REVIEW

Reviewed by Mark Geraghty   |   Review date : 18 August 2018
​Pop ​Movee Rating ⭐

The word “thrilling” has been used on THE DARKEST MINDS official website to describe the latest feature film adaptation of Alexandra Bracken’s young adult, dystopian science fiction novel. The word was taken from a review of the film at reputable online entertainment site IndieWire and used on the film’s official site in an effort to create interest by way of “critical endorsement”. Unfortunately for anyone who falls for this, they will discover use of word “thrilling” to describe this film is not an accurate reflection of the rating the IndieWire review gave THE DARKEST MINDS, or any other review for that matter...

There is no argument the word “thrilling” is used in the IndieWire review (by Kate Erbland). However, the problem with such selective use of one word from one review for promotional purposes is reflected in the overall rating Kate Erbland gave the film...

She gave THE DARKEST MINDS an overall rating of C+...

It’s not really the kind of rating that’s going to provide the incentive for people to rush out to their nearest cinema and throw down good money to sit through a 104 minute film that IndieWire considered below average entertainment. It’s interesting how one word from a much larger article can be so selectively plucked and used in an attempt to make people believe they will experience either a sensation or emotion that in no way represents the overall experience.

In all honesty, the only point at which THE DARKEST MINDS can be described as “thrilling” is when the credits finally start roll and the house lights brighten, signalling an end to what is at best “tolerable”, but is mostly “jumbled” and “thoughtless”.

A lot of times, movies that have no pre-release buzz turn out to be perfectly fine. In some cases, they turn out to be sensational. Some are guilty pleasures and others truly exceed a viewer’s expectations, transcending the movie-going experience. Movies like JOHN WICK and SICARIO come to mind… Every now and again, a film will turn out to be a huge disappointment even though, as a viewer, the movie-goer has minimal advance information for what they’re about to experience. The viewer has no expectations of what the film should or shouldn’t be. THE DARKEST MINDS is this type of a “disappointment”.

The promotional activity leading up to the film’s release didn’t look too bad. It would be understandable for people who had seen the trailers to think (if they were completely unaware of Alexandra Bracken’s novel) that THE DARKEST MINDS was a kid-friendly X-MEN spin-off of some kind.

There’s all kinds of images in the film’s trailers to suggest this is the case...

Teens with various extraordinary mental and physical powers, dark forces looking to curtail their activity and four young (culturally correct) heroes banding together the stem the tide of evil! On paper it’s easy to see how THE DARKEST MINDS made sense to those assessing the film’s commercial potential. The film’s trailers put the material together in such a way that suggest THE DARKEST MINDS inhabits the fringes of an X-MEN like universe.

Who could blame anyone for accepting the film on the face-value of its trailers?

If ever there was an Academy Award handed out to trailer editors for dumping the best parts of a feature length film into their two minute and thirty second trailer, THE DARKEST MINDS’ trailer editor would definitely be in the final five nominees at the 2019 ceremony.

There is very little in the feature length film that isn’t explained in the trailer and its key sequences all get a run in some way or another.

So, for those who are intrigued by the trailer and accept that THE DARKEST MINDS could be “thrilling”, what does the film proper have in store?

The answer, sadly, is not very much.

Besides the extremely muddled story, the troubles plaguing the film stem from the varying quality of the performances delivered by its acting ensemble.

Amandla Stenberg plays the lead character, Ruby. Stenberg is present for most of the film (with the exception of a sequence at the beginning) and the viewer’s interest rises and falls on her performance. She’s not terrible, but in this role she seems to lack confidence in her emotions. When she’s mad or upset, she forces her reactions and it feel like she’s acting. Her moments with co-star Harris Dickinson, who plays Liam, work the best, but are so “teen romance”, they feel like excerpts from an unproduced John Hughes film.

A lot of what Stenberg does is misjudged veering more often than not into melodramatic. There’s nothing worse than an actor trying to play a “younger” character and simply forgetting how to be authentic. Stenberg is 20 years old, but her character is 16 years old. In everyday life, there’s a maturity gap between those years but it’s not a chasm. In THE DARKEST MINDS, Stenberg plays a lot of her scenes more like Ruby’s 13 or 14 and, as a result, her performance feels like the viewer is watching a young girl, not a young woman.

There’s also some weird-ass performances from the supporting cast that don’t help the film…

Patrick Gibson as Clancy Gray…

One moment, his character’s good. The next moment, he’s not so good. The next moment, he’s just plain creepy… Gibson’s performance actually starts off pretty well but the longer he hangs around the worse it becomes. It’s not entirely his fault. The screenplay, credited to Chad Hodge but bearing all the hallmarks of something that was brought into existence by “committee”, doesn’t give Gibson much to work with. His character’s tonal shift during the film’s Third Act is so abrupt that it undermines the mystery of his character, turning him into something you’d expect to find in a pantomime play.

Wade Williams as The Captain…

This performance has one note and it’s grossly out of tune.

Bradley Whitford as President Gray...

Whitford’s become a specialist at small, meaningful character roles. Sometimes he hits a home run, as he did in 2017’s GET OUT. Unfortunately, his turn as the US President in THE DARKEST MINDS is just straight out bad and, in all honesty, pointless. Whitford’s appearance in the film seems designed to give the film some kind of “name” performer among its cast to create the impression THE DARKEST MINDS has a measure of credibility. It’s like having Donald Sutherland in THE HUNGER GAMES movies or KATE WINSLET in the DIVERGENT series. The big difference, compared to Sutherland or Winslet, is that Whitford’s POTUS is not integral to the plot. There’s simply no need for his presence.

Gwendoline Christie as Lady Jane…

Who knows what was going on with this performance. It’s pretty clear the actress herself has no idea. This character just appears out of nowhere - on more than one occasion - without rhyme or reason. The manner in which she exits the story must be tied to some sub-plot in the novel, but, for any Christie/GAME OF THRONES fans, don’t buy a ticket thinking she’s a major character. She’s appears in two sequences that only last for a couple of minutes. Again, it’s a case of having a recognized performer among the cast credits that give the impression THE DARKEST MINDS is something more than what it really is.

What about the other “kids”?

Harris Dickinson as Liam…

Dickinson does a reasonable job, all things being equal. The biggest challenge the young actor has is trying to spark some romantic interaction with Stenberg. It just never happens… Try as they both might, it’s pretty clear that there’s no spark between actor and actress. Given the importance of this element to the film’s conclusion, the absence of on-screen chemistry is a major problem. Is it Dickinson’s fault? Maybe. He definitely turns a little wooden in the scenes that require him to play softer and make himself emotionally vulnerable. Given the positive reviews he’s received for previous performances, it would be unfair to judge his acting skill too harshly based on what he delivers in THE DARKEST MINDS.

Miya Cech as Zu…

She’s so adorable, but gets to do so little...

Skylan Brooks as Chubs...

Brooks struggles to find the right tone for his character and ends up becoming something of a cliche. He’s meant to be really smart, but, somehow, being smart also means he’s some kind of scared weakling. Chubs just doesn’t seem genuine and feels more like Steve Urkel than a real person.

The Verdict...

Given there’s not a great deal going on other than the performances, it’s hard to give an enthusiastic endorsement for THE DARKEST MINDS. The younger teen audience may have some interest, but this is not mainstream entertainment. Over the last decade, the young adult, dystopian science fiction literary genre has been adapted into cinema on numerous occasions. This latest entry has nothing new to add.  The audience that made THE HUNGER GAMES a worldwide success have grown up. The young adults of today who represent the age group that turned out in huge numbers a decade ago are much more interested in consuming their media in short bursts with multiple devices at their disposal. The world has moved on.

If THE DARKEST MINDS is the best young adult feature film movie makers can come up with, perhaps it’s time for everyone to stop and have a good hard think about what to do next ‘cause this one sure ain’t “thrilling”...

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THE DARKEST MINDS (2018) USEFUL LINKS

​The Darkest Minds (film) - Wikipedia
​The Darkest Minds (2018) - IMDb
​The Darkest Minds (2018) - Rotten Tomatoes
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