The Maze Runner

Certificate 12.

113 mins.

Action/Sci-Fi/ Fantasy/Thriller/ Romance.

Starring Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Aml Ameen, Ki Hong Lee, Blake Cooper, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, Patricia Clarkson.

THOMAS (Dylan O’Brien) emerges from the darkness of a lift shaft into an enclosed green space called The Glade, unable to remember anything including his identity.

“You get your name back in a day or two,” explains de facto leader Alby (Aml Ameen), who emerged into this strange prison three years ago.

Gargantuan walls enclose The Glade and every morning, one wall opens to reveal a maze which ‘runners’ like Minho (Ki Hong Lee) explore while avoiding hideous denizens called Grievers.

The runners must return before dusk when the wall closes and the maze reconfigures.

Having plucked his name from the fog of his mind, Thomas forges friendships with Alby, second-in-command Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and runt of the litter Chuck (Blake Cooper).

However, he falls foul of brutish rival Gally (Will Poulter).

Tribal divisions are exacerbated when a girl called Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) emerges from the lift and woozily recognizes Thomas.

Based on the bestselling novel by James Dashner, The Maze Runner is a testosterone-fuelled survival thriller cast from the same robust mould as The Hunger Games and Divergent.

For the opening hour, Wes Ball’s film is lean and taut, rattling along at breakneck speed to the beat of composer John Paesano’s propulsive score.

The threat of bloodshed hangs in the air but it’s only when Thomas strays into the labyrinth that the film unveils a surprisingly nasty streak, dispatching the good-looking cast in a cold, clinical fashion.

O’Brien and Ameen anchor the young ensemble with strong performances, with sterling support from Lee, Brodie-Sangster and Poulter, the latter fleshing out his punishment-fixated bully with aplomb.