From page to screen: 'The Darkest Minds'
'The Darkest Minds' is an American Sci-Fi Thriller based on the young adult novel of the same name by Alexandra Bracken. The story follows a group of teens who are on the run from the government after mysteriously obtaining superpowers.
In a market now overrun with dystopian young adult novel adaptations, there's little that 'The Darkest Minds' does to stand out. The YA dystopians had their time with the likes of 'The Hunger Games' at the top of the list, and it feels like now, we are at the back end of this genre's era.
Right now, this story feels like a deja vu of all the tropes we've seen before. Unfortunately for 'The Darkest Minds' is that it has the potential to stand out from the crowd, but plays it safe; As a result, the film comes across as little more than a poor road movie with a token romance plot set against the backdrop of a dystopian world.
Essentially, what makes the film so different is that the power and abilities one possesses are based on colour: greens = genius; blues = telepaths; golds = electrical powers; reds and oranges = rare but considered dangerous, and kill on sight. Our protagonist, Ruby (played by Amandla Stenberg), is an orange who has to discover how to use her powers in order to survive.
Whether or not you've read the novels, the story is amongst a slew of young adult dystopian ideas that has flooded the market over the last near-decade. It's difficult to enjoy the film without the feeling that you've seen something like this before.
While it may have had it's own twists and turns, it's a film that will most likely see no sequels despite the need to fully explore the world created within the books.
'The Darkest Minds' is in cinemas now.
