Maze Runner: The Death Cure

The features belonging to the trend of YA dystopian novel-to-film adaptations led by The Hunger Games have typically been parables of the modern world. The Maze Runner movies have taken on a new political resonance since their last outing, being a series that centres on walls used to segregate various groups of people. Though there’s that aspect, The Death Cure doesn’t intend to remind us of the real world since its primary service is as a means of escapism and it delivers the excitement in spades. Wes Ball’s prowess as a director of action results in a non-stop thrill ride.

In fact, we’re thrown straight into the action. The Death Cure picks up where Scorch Trials left off, with Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Frypan (Dexter Darden) setting off from camp to save fellow immune friend Minho (Ki Hong Lee) from dastardly organisation WCKD. Teresa’s (Kaya Scodelario) bombshell decision at the end of Scorch Trials relocates her to the WCKD headquarters alongside Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson). Thankfully, JJ Abrams didn’t produce the series, so answers related to the department and the characters’ pasts (and futures) are provided.

The top FAQ for every finale – “Who lives and who dies?” – has, truthfully, unsurprising answers. Book readers already know and non-readers can take a good guess at those characters who are heavily protected by plot armour and those who aren’t. Nonetheless, there still exists a genuine poignancy in the send-offs, which should be attributed to the respective actors’ efforts and John Paesano’s stirring score.

The vast world-building of the second instalment introduced us to several fascinating locations and their intriguing locals – typically played by cult actors recognisable for major TV roles, like Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito (returning here) and Firefly’s Alan Tudyk. In this threequel, Justified’s Walton Goggins joins the fray as a heavily disfigured rebel leader. More effort is put into his make-up than his character development. As for the locations, though, the production design remains top-notch with the gritty streets of South Africa helping set the stage for an intense affair and a new blue-tinted, cutting-edge city that hands the film an alternate subtitle: Maze Runner 2049.

Thomas and Teresa’s paths converge again in an emotional, exhilarating finale that caps the consistently good Maze Runner trilogy on a high. It’s been an eventful ride, and The Death Cure signals a positive future for the director and actors involved.

Musanna Ahmed

Maze Runner: The Death Cure is released nationwide on 26^th January 2018.

Watch the trailer for Maze Runner: The Death Cure here: