Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials opens with a simple question: can the Gladers escape the Scorch? The answer is yes, but the journey there is a mess. This is the second film in the Maze Runner series, and it tries to do everything at once: chase scenes, character drama, a villain with a plan, and a new maze. None of it lands.
Trailer, via 20th Century Studios.
The Escape From The Maze
The film picks up after the events of the first movie. The Gladers have escaped the Maze, but they find themselves in a desert wasteland ruled by a group called the Cranks. The Cranks are infected survivors who hunt anyone who enters their territory. The Gladers need to reach a safe haven called the Haven, but the path is blocked by a massive wall guarded by the organization WCKD, which built the Maze in the first place.
The setup is strong. The Scorch is a harsh, brutal landscape, and the threat of the Cranks gives the film a sense of constant danger. But the execution drags. The pacing is uneven, and the middle section slows to a crawl as the film spends too much time on side characters and their internal conflicts.
Thomas And Minho At The Center
Thomas, played by Dylan O’Brien, remains the emotional core of the film. He carries the weight of the group’s mission and his own memories of the Maze. Minho, played by Ki Hong Lee, provides the comic relief and the action chops. Together they anchor the film’s few moments of genuine tension.
But the supporting cast gets short shrift. Brenda, played by Rosa Salazar, and Frypan, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, are given little to do beyond running and fighting. The film’s attempt to add a romantic subplot between Thomas and Brenda feels forced and underwritten.
The Cranks And The Villain
The Cranks are the film’s main threat, and they are terrifying in concept. They are former humans turned into monstrous creatures by some unseen disease. The problem is that the film rarely shows them doing anything. They appear mostly as background noise, and their attacks feel more like obstacles than a real threat.
WCKD’s leader, Mr. Janson, played by Alexander Powell, is supposed to be the villain. He wants the Gladers alive so he can study them. But his scenes are thin, and his motivations are never fully explained. The film introduces a new villain, Clive Cussler’s Ian, played by Matthew Laborteaux, in the final act, but the reveal comes too late to matter.
The Chase Scenes
The film’s best sequences are the action set pieces. A chase through a flooded tunnel system is tense, and a car chase across the Scorch is thrilling. These moments show what the film could have been if it had spent less time on exposition and more time on movement.
But the action is often undercut by poor editing. The cuts are fast, but they don’t build suspense. Instead, they create confusion about where the characters are and what they’re doing. The result is a film that looks exciting on paper but feels chaotic on screen.
The Ending
The film ends with the Gladers reaching the Haven, but the victory is hollow. The final shot promises a sequel, but it leaves the audience with more questions than answers. The film’s central mystery — why WCKD built the Maze — is barely touched upon.
That’s the biggest problem with Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. It spends two hours setting up a larger conflict without delivering on it. The film is a bridge between stories, and bridges are rarely the destination.
Key Facts Box
- Title: Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
- Year: 2015
- Director: Wes Ball
- Runtime: 131 minutes
- Score: 4.3/10
The film is not a failure. It has a solid premise, a capable lead, and a few great action scenes. But it is a disappointment. It squanders its potential by focusing on the wrong things at the wrong times. The Scorch is a vast, empty canvas, and the film fills it with filler.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is a letdown, not a disaster. It’s a film that knows what it wants to be but can’t quite get there. The final score reflects that gap between ambition and execution.
