It’s Divergent meets X-men in the latest Sci-Fi adventure where young children are sent away when their parents discover they have extraordinary powers which might be deemed as somewhat of a danger in the eyes of the public. The children are divided into categories once at the camp so as to be studied by the elders and determine just how they can function in society, however those with the most extreme, unpredictable powers are eliminated.
Starring Amandla Stenberg, the film follows Ruby, a girl who is considered one of the most dangerous categories of children, an orange. On her tenth birthday she unknowingly erases herself from the minds of her parents, prompting them to send her away without a blink an eye. She sees what happens to other oranges and outsmarts the team to categorize herself as Green, the safest, most trusting children.
Now for six years, she lives amongst the other greens, afraid and hiding her true self, that is until she meets Cate (Mandy Moore) a woman determined to find out just what he camps have to do with these poor children enslaved in them. Cate immediately recognizes the difference in Ruby and convinces her she is safe but gives her a tracking device to be used in case of emergency.
Ultimately The Darkest Minds is a young adult movie with elements of other but is done in such a way that it truly does stand out on its own. Stenberg, exceptionally captures the heart of Ruby similar to the same expression that she displayed as Rue in The Hunger Games where one could see her maturity of a young girl alone in the woods to one of a teen trapped in a camp trying to hide her true self. It’s different context but still the same survival of the fittest when it all comes down to it and Stenberg’s mannerisms transcend from one movie to the next seamlessly.
Additionally, the chemistry between the Stenberg and Moore meshes well, as Moore provides some what of a motherly figure to the orphaned teen who seems to be alone in the camp. Moore provides comfort to Ruby as someone to confide in with the loss of her parents and the struggles she has to realizing that her powers are less of a danger and more of a gift.
Subsequently there is another element that one might be surprised and that is the idea of a parallel love story between Ruby and Liam (Harris Dickinson), a blue, who instantly feels a connection with young Ruby, though her fear of touching him keeps them somewhat distant until the right moment when Ruby is faced with an ultimate decision of whether protecting even if it means being separated by the one she loves forever.
Ultimately at an hour 44 minute run time, The Darkest Minds is a movie that captivates ones imagination and intrigue in the darkest way possible. It brings fans of Sci Fi as well as those of the teen action adventure together in a way that other movies may not be able to and introduces all to the possibility of exploring the darkest minds that could be our greatest strength. The film came out in theaters August 3 and is currently playing in a theater near you.