James Dashner's The Maze Runner

The recently released science fiction movie, The Maze Runner, based off of James Dashner’s 2009 best-selling novel, does not disappoint young adult followers. The film features a dystopian society forced to live in a mysterious place, surrounded by an enormous stone maze. Once a month an underground cage surfaces, delivering supplies and a teenage boy with only a memory of his name. After the delivery of a girl and a message that she is the last one, the group is forced to solve the mystery of the maze, escape, and learn who is responsible for putting them there. While the setting of the movie and the role of the characters create a more appealing film than the book, the two main characters lack the telepathic powers they possess in the novel, and their process of escaping the maze causes the film to lack the depth and intensity portrayed in the original story. With breathtaking views of skyscraper stone walls, terrifying creatures that surface at night, and primitive structures in the place known as “the glade,” the film successfully captures Dashner’s words and brings the novel to life. These visually

As the last two teenagers to be delivered to the glade and the only ones with telepathic powers, this creates a mysterious connection that both characters and readers alike are eager to find answers to. The film leaves out this ability and draws a connection between these two characters through dramatic flashbacks in Thomas’ dreams. It is easy to understand why the director chose to leave this out of the film, as it would be difficult to portray them speaking to each other through their minds. Despite this difficulty, having left this out of the film does not allow viewers to understand the depth of their relationship and the security that it brings each of them, knowing that they were connected before their memories were