So today I watched a movie called The Darkest Minds with my family. I had seen ads on YouTube with a trailer, although I think the trailer could have been a bit better and give more information about the overall story, it was enough to pique my interest.
The Darkest Minds is based on a book series consisting of three novels
The Darkest Minds
The Darkest Minds takes place in a world where children are feared by adults, and imprisoned because the kids are developing powers. Led by Ruby (Amandla Stenberg), a group of powerful teenagers make a break from a facility and run for their lives. Only, they face waves of opposition.
-CinemaBlend
So the overall story focuses on the main character, a girl named Ruby Elizabeth Daly, played by Amandla Stenberg who also played Rue from The Hunger Games. When Ruby was young, a girl from her class had died right before her eyes, and the news later claimed that it was from a 'disease' called Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration, or IAAN for short. That girl was only the first of her classmates, and by the end of the year, it became an epidemic, killing half of her class and 90% of the world's population of kids.
On the night before her 10th birthday, her dad had bought her a cute charm that she adored. Ruby knew both of her parents were worried for her since every child would get affected, one way or another, by IAAN. So on the morning of her 10th birthday, she came into her parents' bed to cuddle and such, as every child would do around that age. She told them in their sleep that they won't ever have to worry about her, but in doing so, she had erased their memories of her.
Thrown into Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation cam,” Ruby is given a test to see what type of IAAN she has. The disease is sectioned into 5 different categories: Green, Blue, Gold, Red, and Orange. Green's are individuals with heightened intelligence, Blue's have telekinetic abilities, and Gold can control electricity. Both Red's and Orange's are dangerous individuals, and the workers are commanded to kill any Orange on sight. Red's have the pyrokinetic abilities and Oranges can manipulate and control another person's mind. The rarity of the disease manifesting goes up respectively, as does the danger level. This leaves the adults fearing the children, who can likely kill them on a whim.
Now you would think that the government would embrace this new found disease that enhances certain abilities, trying to use their new found powers to better the world and employ workers. Minus the '90% of the world's population of kids dying' part, after making a cure it would be a great asset to the world, especially Red's and Gold's abilities for heat and power.
Ruby, an Orange, manipulates the mind of the doctor who had diagnosed her and forced him to believe that she's only a Green. After six years of working for the camp (on making leather boots of all things) another diagnosis is scheduled. Every member is subdued by white noise frequencies, a sound that only adolescents are able to hear. Ruby is found out to be an Orange and a helpful doctor, Cate, helps her escape. Cate tells Ruby that she is a part of a group called The League and only wants to help. After reading the memories of Cate's partner and seeing him holding down a child she decided to run away. Running into a young Gold with giant yellow gloves, she follows after her into a van pleading for help to escape from The League.
The Gold opens the van door for her and soon after 2 other boys enter, they quickly introduce each other. The young Gold's name is Zu, the nerdy one with glasses is a Green. He's named Charles but his friends call him Chubs, but Ruby needs to earn his trust to call him that. And the tall boy is named Liam who's a Blue and has an instant attraction towards Ruby.
They run into a tracer that goes by the named Lady Jane, they're put in a car chase with her behind them and The League behind Lady Jane. Their goal is to find the Haven that has been rumored to be the only safe place for colors alike, it's said to be run by another Orange known as "Slip Kid."
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the premise but I'm sure I would like to read the book more since it gives more depth. Although it didn't bring anything original to the plate, following the stereotypical dystopian movies like Hunger Games, The Host, or Maze Runner, I enjoyed the relationship that Ruby and Liam had built over their time together. I noticed a lot of reviews that gave this movie a bad rating for being unoriginal, but I feel that overall it was a good movie with a decent set of actors with a intruiging plot. I'm interested to see where the story goes from where it left. My family and I all really enjoyed the movie, it had a bittersweet ending that was full of heartbreak that my sister found a bit close to home, but it left us wanting more.
Rating: 8/10
Sources:
CinemaBlend Quote
The Darkest Minds
Ruby Daly