Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is the 2015 sequel to the 2014 action thriller, The Maze Runner. It continues the story of Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his friends, a group of teens who were trapped in a giant science experiment gone wrong. After escaping the mysterious maze and coming face to face with their captors, the teens must face a ravaged and desolate Earth. The Scorch Trials once again defies expectations, giving us a sequel that feels very different in tone from the original.
How to Stream or Download Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
You can stream it or you can download the film from iTunes. Be also sure to watch the first part and the sequel Maze Runner: The Death Cure, which was released in 2018.
The Film Review
Instead of a sci-fi mystery, The Scorch Trials delivers an action-packed journey through azombie-infestedd wasteland, where one wrong move can spell certain death. Disease, famine, and disgusting creatures all threaten the lives of Thomas and his crew, as they set out on yet another death-defying journey.
Where the original movie built upon the idea of an interesting singular location, The Scorch Trials spreads its story across a wide array of locations. The story picks up immediately after the end of the first movie, with Thomas and the maze survivors being rescued by a group of soldiers. Shuffled onto a helicopter and sent to a facility to rehabilitate, the teens get their first good look at the outside world.
When a terrible virus known as the Flare wipes out most of humanity, civilization has all but crumbled. After a brief run-in with the evil corporation known as WICKD (and those responsible for their imprisonment in the original movie), the group of survivors must navigate this treacherous new terrain.
The Scorch Trials is a much different movie than the original Maze Runner, but it still contains the same memorable characters and effective cast performances. This journey is far more founded in the action and horror genre, with countless adrenaline pumping scenes. During their journey, a few new faces get added to Thomas’ group, including Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito) and Brenda (Rosa Salazar).
These new characters are welcome additions to the main cast, and offer another perspective on the post-apocalyptic world.
As a book adaptation, The Scorch Trials changes some key components of the original narrative, but still succeeds. It doesn’t nail the tone quite as well as book fans would hope (like most book adaptations), but it does a good job recounting the events and keeping the narrative accessible. The action scenes are consistently entertaining, and the scale is bigger than ever before.
As the former Gladers explore the destroyed countryside, they often encounter interesting locations and formidable enemies, which often turn into epic set-piece moments. From a narrow escape in a crumbled skyscraped to a terrifying fight in the shadowy tunnels, The Scorch Trials brings a substantial amount of exciting moments.
Overall, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials succeeds in its goals. It continues the story of Thomas and his friends in an interesting way, and their journey is full of drama and excitement. Although the story is occasionally predictable, it is held together by great performances from the entire cast.
Fans of the original movie will definitely enjoy this sequel, and will eagerly anticipate the conclusion of the trilogy. The Scorch Trials also has merit as a standalone movie, as its narrative about surviving in a post-apocalyptic America remains interesting, despite the tropes it encounters.
