2oth Century Fox film “The Darkest Minds” follows the journey of a young teen, Ruby, (Amandla Stenberg) who finds herself in a world where the government fears a group of teens who have developed powerful super abilities and aims to contain all those who are affected.
The quick turn of events faced by Ruby shockingly appear as she is classified as having top tier powers, which by government orders must be terminated.
Within moments in the film, Ruby escapes the detention camp and begins her journey at survival where she must trust her instincts with who she can confide in and embrace her powers to help her along the way.
The journey begins when Ruby joins three other teens; Liam (Harris Dickinson), Chubs (Skylan Brooks), and Zu (Miya Cech), who all have different super abilities. Together the four delve into an expedition to reach a safe haven that has been rumored to exist. A place where the teens who possess these abilities coexist with one another without living in fear of being detained.
As the movie plot builds up, the audience is taken into a world of beautiful scenery, yet adrenaline filled moments that Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, managed to capture. Jennifer’s past major credits entail directing positions in both Kung Fu Panda and its sequel Kung Fu Panda 2. The film ‘The Darkest Minds’ is Director Nelson’s first Live Action project that she has led. Due to her extensive history working on story board ventures it is no surprise that the film is filled with many intricate scenes that reflect the detail from the YA book that the movie is based on.
Jennifer Yuh successfully captures the perfect dynamic between the four lead teens while maintaining the individuality each character brings to the group. Following the plot of the film with these characters hooks you into the emotional aspect of the journey and leaves you wanting more screen time with each character. The development of these characters and their chemistry throughout the film is what pushes them to make decisions and take paths that the audience would not expect. The unpredictable ending is what will have the audience hooked to the film until the very last second.
‘The Darkest Minds’ hits theatres on August 3rd.