TL;DR: The Maze Runner is the "safe" middle ground of the YA dystopian craze—less politically heavy than The Hunger Games and significantly better acted than Divergent. It’s solid for ages 12+ but watch out for the "Grievers" (bio-mechanical spider monsters) which are legit nightmare fuel. Dylan O’Brien is the glue holding this franchise together with a performance that actually makes you care about the survival of a bunch of kids in a concrete box.
Check out our full list of dystopian movies for teens
If you missed the 2014 YA boom, here’s the gist: Thomas (played by Dylan O'Brien) wakes up in a rusty elevator—the "Box"—with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He emerges into "The Glade," a massive open field surrounded by colossal stone walls.
He’s greeted by a community of dozens of other boys who have built a functioning society while trying to find an exit through the ever-shifting, monster-infested Maze that surrounds them. Every month, a new boy arrives. Every day, "Runners" go into the Maze to map it. Every night, the doors close.
It’s basically Lord of the Flies meets a high-stakes escape room, but with better hair and more running. The series is based on the books by James Dashner, and while the movies take some massive liberties with the plot (especially in the sequels), the core vibe of "kids vs. a shadowy organization called WCKD" stays intact.
You can’t talk about this series without talking about Dylan O’Brien. For a lot of teens, he is the primary reason to watch. Before he was Thomas, he was the fan-favorite Stiles Stilinski on Teen Wolf, where he basically mastered the art of being the relatable, sarcastic, and deeply loyal best friend.
In The Maze Runner, he brings a grounded, athletic intensity that keeps the movie from feeling like a "chosen one" trope-fest. He doesn't have superpowers; he’s just a kid who is brave enough (or stubborn enough) to keep running when everyone else has given up.
If your kid is obsessed with Dylan, they’ve probably also seen him in Love and Monsters or that Taylor Swift music video everyone was talking about a few years ago. He has that "internet’s boyfriend" energy—talented, seemingly down-to-earth, and largely avoids the toxic celebrity drama.
This is, by far, the best of the three. It’s a tight, suspenseful mystery. The world-building is fascinating, and the stakes feel real. The "Glade" feels like a place you can actually understand, and the first time they encounter a Griever, it’s genuinely pulse-pounding. Verdict: A must-watch for any teen into action or sci-fi.
Here is where things get messy. The "Maze" is gone, and now the kids are wandering a post-apocalyptic wasteland. This movie introduces "Cranks"—which are essentially fast-moving zombies. It pivots from a mystery-thriller to a standard "run from the monsters" action flick. It’s significantly more violent and jump-scary than the first one. Verdict: It’s fine, but it loses the unique identity of the first film. If your kid hates zombie-style horror, skip it.
The finale. It’s long (nearly 2.5 hours) and focuses on a massive heist/rescue mission. It wraps up the story of WCKD and the search for a cure for the "Flare" virus. Dylan O'Brien actually had a massive, scary accident on set during filming, which delayed the movie for a year. You can see the grit in his performance here. Verdict: Satisfying for fans of the characters, but it feels a bit like "Generic Action Movie #4" at times.
Common Sense Media usually pegs this series at 13+, and I’d agree with that, though a mature 11 or 12-year-old who has already handled The Hunger Games will be totally fine.
The Violence Factor: It’s PG-13, so there’s no "Game of Thrones" level gore, but it is intense.
- The Grievers: These are disgusting. They are part-slug, part-spider, part-machine. They impale people with metal needles. If your kid is sensitive to creature-horror, the first movie might be a struggle.
- The Cranks: In the second and third movies, the "Cranks" are humans infected by a virus. They look like traditional zombies—peeling skin, screeching, and aggressive.
- Character Death: Without spoiling anything, some major, beloved characters do not make it. The emotional weight of these deaths is heavy, especially for kids who get deeply attached to the cast.
Language and Sex: This is the "cleanest" part of the series. There’s some mild profanity (the books actually invented their own slang like "shuck-face" and "klunk" to avoid real-world swearing), and there is almost zero sexual content. There’s a slight hint of a romance, but it’s mostly pushed aside in favor of, you know, not getting eaten by monsters.
Look, The Maze Runner isn't Shakespeare, but it’s definitely not brain rot. Unlike some of the low-effort content on YouTube or TikTok, these movies actually explore some pretty heavy ethical questions:
- The Greater Good: WCKD (World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department) believes that sacrificing a few kids to find a cure for a virus that is wiping out humanity is a fair trade. The movies ask: Is it ever okay to do something evil for a "good" reason?
- Leadership Styles: You see different ways of running a society. Alby (the leader) focuses on order and rules. Thomas focuses on progress and risk. It’s a great jumping-off point for talking about how groups of people work together.
- Agency: The series is all about kids reclaiming their right to make their own choices, even if those choices are dangerous.
Read our guide on the best books to read after The Maze Runner
If your teen wants to watch this, they are likely either:
- A fan of the "Dystopian Teen" genre (which is making a comeback thanks to the new Hunger Games prequel).
- Obsessed with Dylan O’Brien.
- Looking for something "edgy" but not quite R-rated.
The first movie is genuinely good cinema. The sequels are "popcorn movies"—fun to watch, but don't think too hard about the plot holes, because there are many. For example, the logistics of how WCKD built a multi-billion dollar mechanical maze in the middle of a literal apocalypse are... questionable at best.
Also, if your child is a reader, be prepared for them to complain that the movies changed everything. In the Maze Runner books, Thomas and Teresa can talk to each other telepathically. The movie completely cuts that out (which was probably a smart move, honestly, as telepathy is hard to film without it looking cheesy).
If you watch it together, here are a few ways to engage without being "that" parent:
- "Do you think WCKD was actually 'good' like their name says?" (This usually sparks a big debate about ethics).
- "If you were in the Glade, what job would you want? Runner, Slicer, or Builder?"
- "Why do you think Thomas was willing to risk everything to go into the Maze when everyone else was safe in the Glade?"
The Maze Runner is a solid, high-energy trilogy that respects its audience's intelligence more than your average teen soap opera. It’s a great choice for a Friday night movie marathon with middle or high schoolers. It’s scary enough to be exciting, but grounded enough in themes of friendship and bravery to be "Screenwise approved."
Just maybe keep a pillow nearby for the jump scares in The Scorch Trials.
Next Steps:
- If they loved the survival aspect: Try Alone (the reality show) for a real-world look at survival.
- If they loved the Dylan O'Brien vibe: Check out Teen Wolf (but be warned, it’s much "soapy-er" and has more mature themes).
- If they want more dystopian worlds: The Giver or Uglies are the natural next steps.
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