The Darkest Minds
20th Century Fox | Release Date: August 3, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
39
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
14
Negative:
11
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeJul 31, 2018
Without watering down the action, Nelson soft-pedals the most disturbing ideas in such a way that young audiences won’t be overwhelmed with gloom, instead inviting them to identify with the film’s empowered female heroine as she struggles to overcome her crippling lack of self-confidence and embrace what makes her special. Read full review
59
IGNWitney SeiboldAug 1, 2018
The Darkest Minds is a wholly rote YA sci-fi adventure that continues a genre that is pretty much dying out. Despite this, the film is capable and enjoyable and features a great lead actress in Amandla Stenberg. Read full review
58
UproxxVince ManciniAug 7, 2018
Long on set up and leaden dialogue, short on resolution, The Darkest Minds is set in an apocalyptic future where teen movies no longer have endings. Oh, wait that’s the present. Read full review
58
IndieWireKate ErblandJul 31, 2018
The film zips through its final act at breakneck speed, doling out answers and riling up new conflicts with little care for how they impact a standalone story, just setting up for a franchise that might never come to fruition. Read full review
50
Arizona RepublicKerry LengelAug 2, 2018
It’s formulaic. It’s predictable. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleAug 2, 2018
For those already jaded by the onslaught of YA fantasy universes, The Darkest Minds is on the forgettably “safe” end of the genre’s coded spectrum. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliAug 2, 2018
I suppose it’s possible to argue that The Darkest Minds can be enjoyed for what it is. Unfortunately, that “what” refers to something incomplete. Read full review
50
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergAug 2, 2018
The director, Jennifer Yuh Nelson (“Kung Fu Panda 2,” “Kung Fu Panda 3”), keeps the pace fast and the exposition flowing; the movie is almost comfortingly watchable. In her first live-action feature, she shows a flair for natural light and doesn’t lean too heavily on effects. Read full review
50
Screen DailyTim GriersonJul 31, 2018
Rising star Amandla Stenberg has a few affecting moments as one of the few teen survivors of a mysterious pandemic, but director Jennifer Yuh Nelson’s live-action feature debut mostly walks in the footsteps of bolder and more original takes on similar sci-fi subject matter. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeJul 31, 2018
Young moviegoers who haven't yet tired of cookie-cutter dystopias will find a sympathetic protagonist played by Amandla Stenberg; but viewers who've taken this ride enough times to want, for instance, subtext addressing real-world oppression should look elsewhere. Read full review
40
The GuardianMike McCahillAug 14, 2018
The pieces of a potential franchise are put in play here without stakes being raised or pulses quickened. Read full review
40
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeAug 14, 2018
The film shares far too many tropes with other YA sci-fi properties – The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent – to make a mark in the unforgiving post-apocalyptic wasteland of the adolescent market. That said, the casting is strong. Read full review
40
EmpireAmy WestAug 13, 2018
The Darkest Minds boasts a decent cast and a fairly interesting premise centred on likeable characters. But its banality squashes any potential it had, resulting in a safe, forgettable sci-fi. Read full review
40
New York Magazine (Vulture)Emily YoshidaAug 6, 2018
The Darkest Minds is just too foggy to make out much of anything in. Read full review
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