The Darkest Minds (2018), directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson in her live-action debut, attempts to harness the political commentary and emotional weight present in other franchises like The Hunger Games or Divergent, but places an added twist of supernatural abilities, government conspiracy, and teenage rebellion. While the film didn’t capture the public’s attention, it stands out in the young adult dystopian genre for exploring themes of representation and character driven narratives.
Adapted from the novel of the same name published by Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds enters a crowded landscape of dystopian science fiction aimed at teenagers.
Synopsis
Beginning with a near-future dystopian setting, The Darkest Minds focuses on IAAN (Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration), a mysterious disease sweeping the United States and killing roughly 98% of children under twenty. The younger population’s survivors are far from lucky; the few who remain suffer from terrible and superhuman abilities. Turning their back on something they cannot fathom, the government captures these children and places them in internment rehabilitation camps.
According to the powers they demonstrate, the children are assigned the following colors: Enhanced intelligence is designated the color green, telekinesis Blue, electrical manipulation Yellow, fire generation is Red, and Orange is mind control. The most feared are Reds and Oranges, considered the most dangerous and are either executed or kept under extreme containment.
The narrative centers around Ruby Daly played by Amandla Stenberg, a 16-year-old who, after forgetting her parents, discovers she is an Orange. Having displayed her powers convincingly enough to be considered a Green, Ruby eventually has her superpower classification fixed and found scheduled for termination. A mysterious member of the resistance known as the Children’s League named Cate rescues her.
Now on the run with three other children, Liam a Blue telekinetic, Chubs a genius Green, and Zu a mute Yellow electric controller, Ruby questions who she can trust. Together they attempt to reach a legendary safe haven governed by East River, a teenager, and commander Clancy Gray, an Orange and the president’s son noted for his charming yet secretive character.
While traveling across a fragmented and paranoid country, the group starts to cultivate a makeshift family. Ruby and Liam slowly fall in love, while Chubs and Zu develop strong sibling-like bonds. However, their sense of safety is violently shattered after reaching East River, where it is revealed that Clancy is far from the savior he professes to be. Rather, he has fully succumbed to the authoritarianism he pretends to resist and is politically mind-controlling the children, using them as puppets for his own agenda.
Ruby’s Encounters of the Clancy Kind forces her to accept her powers and the reality of her abilities, understanding that she cannot hide from what she is. In a climactic showdown, she defeats Clancy and contacts the Children’s League to guarantee the safety of her friends. She makes an incredibly painful decision by erasing Liam’s memories of their love to strip him of the burden of their shared trauma.
Cast and Characters
The talented Amandla Stenberg takes the lead as Ruby Daly, portraying a character trying to balance vulnerability and resilience with nuance. Stenberg is widely admired for the strength of his performance, which paired so well with the emotional conflict at the center of the film: Ruby’s eightment. As the central protagonist, Stenberg has the emotional arc—fearful girl hiding her powers turning into a confident leader embracing them—that carries the weight of the story.
Harris Dickinson portrays the romantic lead Liam, the devoted protector, echoing Stenberg’s Sten in his chemistry which deepens the plot emotionally.
As Chubs, Skylan Brooks adds laughter and warmth to the film, alongside Miya Cech who makes her debut as Zu, giving a quiet but powerful lightning to the film.
Mandy Moore takes on the role of Cate, a character who is morally complex, as Gwendoline Christie plays Lady Jane, a bounty hunter hot on the children’s trail playing a minor part yet delivering a strong impact.
Clancy Gray, the film’s caring yet cunning fierce of Patrick Gibson, a pure and ruthless antagonist, earns the dreaded title thanks to his mingling wiles.
Direction and Visuals
We know Jennifer Yuh Nelson from the Kung Fu Panda films. Her stamp is able to be seen in The Darkest Minds by bringing polished visuals alongside exceptional graphic skills. The film does not seem to venture through untrodden paths while portraying a dystopian world visually. However, the untouched government buildings and the bright wilderness the teens trek through is shown uncluttered and in coherent visuals, the latter themed with nature the film softens with.
Effects are rare in the movie; however, they do serve a purpose in demonstrating the children’s supernatural powers. While the film lacks mindless action sequences with a focus on building depth for the characters and creating tension,”some have claimed this as the the source of unreliable pacing,” many critics have pointed out.
Themes and Analysis
The Darkest Minds explores a vast range of sociopolitical and psychological themes:
- Fear of the Other
The government’s response to the children with superpowers reflects historical and modern attitudes toward superpowered marginalized people. The children are perceived as dangerous because of their differences, and their internment reflects real-life examples of power abuses.
- Identity and Self-Acceptance
Ruby’s journey is fundamentally about self-acceptance. The fear of her own power — specifically her ability to control others — represents the anxiety of being able to possess great potential and the responsibility that comes attached with it.
- Youth and Rebellion
As with many other YA dystopias, the film portrays youth as catalysts for change. Most adults in the film are corrupt, weak, or simply misguided, allowing children to reinvent their own systems of order and justice.
- Memory and Loss
Memory and amnesia in the film operates as a metaphor of trauma and healing. Ruby’s last act of erasure of Liam’s memories speaks of the sacrifices that one is willing to take in love and war.
Reception
The Darkest Minds received largely unfavorable reviews from critics and was a box office disappointment when it was released in August 2018. It earned approximately $41 million globally and had a production budget of around $34 million, which greatly exceeded expectations for potential franchises.
Critics noted reliance on clichéd elements and slow pacing as the primary issues with the movie. Still, some people appreciated the performances – especially the one given by Stenberg – and the attempt to add some racial and gender representation to yet another dominated film with white characters.
The film has garnered a lukewarm reception among fans of the book series or those drawn to socially themed sci-fi flicks in the years following its release.
Conclusion
Even though The Darkest Minds did not reach extraordinary financial success, it remains thematically rich and serves as a thoughtful addition to the world of young-adult literature. It poses critical questions about one’s identity, the overreaching control of the state, and the power dynamics of youth-led revolts and does so through a resonant narrative featuring strong performances.
The film’s underlying message driven by real world politics and young people challenging suppressive systems culminate in a compelling, though imperfect, picture, making it a worthwhile revisit, particularly for those who appreciate the genre.
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