Timesless Thrills: The Maze Runner Film Review

When I watch some films that have been around for a long time—say, ten years or more—I wonder just how I may have missed out on them if they turn out to be really good. The Maze Runner is one such film.

Scrolling through Netflix, the only thing that piqued my interest about this film was its title. Usually, I am sceptical about old films, and I would need something compelling enough to dive in. Sometimes, though, I forget that a well-written film can stay golden for a long time. I just need to find it.

A few of the most enjoyable things in this film are the novelty of the story and the level of performance by the actors. The film turned out to be a little more than I expected, and it got me nose-diving into its sequel afterwards.

Thomas loses his memory and finds himself trapped in a massive maze called the Glade. He and his friends try to escape from the maze and eventually learn that they are subjects of an experiment. _Source

A couple of kids, trapped in a maze with no idea how to leave for years and forced to live primitive lifestyles to survive, are surrounded by a maze that appears to be their only way out. The maze, however, was no ordinary maze, as if it wasn't already complex enough. The first few scenes were already intriguing enough to make me curious about what's to come.

Something particularly interesting for me was how, just as the main character was perplexed about his situation, I was enlightened alongside him on his whereabouts and his new life, as well as the people around him. It was more like walking at the same pace as the characters and feeling what they were feeling.

The film cuts to the chase with its story. Although it took enough time to develop its stories and important characters, it was well paced, keeping the film entertaining for most parts.

Perplexity, survival, enlightenment, courage, despair, and loyalty. In the 1 hour, 50 minute run time, the film cuts across these themes seamlessly. And at many points, there were elevations of surprises that all made me eager to see how it would all end.

Trapped in the middle of a maze and not knowing where to go, the kids had to form their own little community with order, lifestyle, and rules. I found the names given to certain functional groups of people to be not so unique, yet natural and creative. For example, we had some called runners, builders, and slicers. The phenomenons that often occurred, especially in the maze, had interesting names too, as well as some creatures.

You know this feeling where you sort of feel your heart racing while watching parts that make you feel the adrenaline in the characters? Yeah, there are not just a couple of those in the film, but so many. Surely, it wasn't overly done. Gradually, the intensity builds up, and you're looking forward to "where they'll go from here." And when the film ended, it felt like everything I had just watched was only the beginning, with the befitting ending they gave it.

A reason why this film was mostly enjoyable was because of the performances of the actors and how they sold their characters with their dedication and zeal. I personally appreciate how natural their dialogue was and how realistic they were with their personalities in the film.

For a film shot a decade ago, I think that the cinematography was really good and sufficient to do the visual storytelling. It was engaging for me, especially with the moving parts of the maze.

"Old is gold" is something I can attribute to The Maze Runner for how novel, entertaining, and well-written this film is, as well as how good its cast is in it, even after a decade. It delivers well enough to make one eagerly continue into its sequels.

I totally recommend it to anyone who's interested in gripping, thrilling, and immersive cinematic experience. I rate it 8/10.

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