Underrated and Interesting

Rating: 8/10 (13 October 2015)

I've never read the books, but I found this on Netflix and thought I'd check it out. The ratings were decent (when it came out), so I thought "What the hey? I got nothing better to do". I was actually surprised to find it very interesting.
The idea, first of all, is cool. The maze, the glade, the fact that there are only teenage boys, surviving together in a massive cube. It's different, and different is good in today's world of cinema. The creatures, known as Grievers, are very well designed and unique, despite not being the most attractive in monster history, they're different. And once again, different is good.
The characters are all fine and dandy. Sure, they aren't delved into as completely as they could have been, but that's why we need a sequel right? To make it feel like an actual story that takes place over a long period of time, over something quickly and sloppily put together and then farted out into theaters in the hopes of making a bit of cash during the opening weekend. It feels like the story is going to keep going, which brings me to my next point...
The ending. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the Maze Runner sets itself up for a sequel. Unlike movies based off book series (like The Giver) that hastily solve the main conflict at the end and explain everything because they know that their movie sucks but that they'll make money on hype anyways, the Maze Runner is confident that it'll be a series that will continue, and thus keeps the viewer in suspense at the end, having only revealed a bit more about the mystery surrounding the maze, but still ending with a cliffhanger that leaves you confused but eager to see more.
Overall The Maze Runner is a solid addition to the children-killing- each-other-for-the-benefit-of-some-weird-twisted-adults genre that has become more popular today. It's probably the best of this genre (thus far, at least), in my opinion. Other series, like the Hunger Games, just weren't interesting and lacked the mystery and intensity that the Maze Runner captures so well. I can certainly see the Scorch Trials coming out in the near future (it already has, and I've seen it), and am certainly interested in it. If your looking to start an intriguing movie series, then look no further then the Maze Runner.