The Maze Runner 2014

As Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) regains consciousness within an ascending elevator shaft, he finds himself surrounded by crates emblazoned with the enigmatic acronym WCKD. The upward journey culminates in the opening of a door above him, bathing him in the warm glow of a sunlit glade. Yet, instead of rejoicing at his newfound freedom, Thomas is confronted by a tribe of feral young men, their eyes gleaming with a primal intensity reminiscent of the Lord of the Flies.

Undaunted, Thomas attempts to flee, only to be brought back down to earth by Gally (Will Poulter), who proves himself to be a formidable and ruthless adversary. As Thomas struggles against his captor’s grasp, he becomes aware of the imposing walls that encircle the glade, a labyrinthine structure that seems designed to contain rather than connect.

The leader of this ragtag band of youths, Alby (Ami Ameen), along with his trusted counselor Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), takes Thomas under their wing, imparting the peculiar customs and routines of the Gladers. According to their lore, a monthly delivery of supplies and a new individual arrives via the mysterious elevator, known colloquially as “the box.” Each newcomer is assimilated into the group’s hierarchical structure, with some boys tasked with constructing and maintaining the glade’s infrastructure, while others are designated as runners, venturing into the ever-changing maze that surrounds their encampment.

As Thomas learns more about his new surroundings, he discovers that each Glader has a unique role to play within this strange society. However, despite their seeming contentment, an undercurrent of unease lingers, fueled by the knowledge that those who fail to escape the maze before nightfall are doomed to fall prey to the monstrous Grievers.

In the midst of this disorienting chaos, Thomas begins to forge a bond with Chuck (Blake Cooper), a diminutive but spirited young boy who arrived in the glade a month prior. As the two share stories and laughter, Thomas starts to feel a sense of belonging within this enigmatic community.

That night, as the Gladers gather to celebrate his arrival, Gally extends an invitation for Thomas to join him in a friendly bout of wrestling. The ensuing sparring match culminates in Thomas striking his head on the ground, prompting a floodgate of memories that ultimately reveal his own name.

As the moon rises high in the night sky, Thomas is beset by a vivid and unsettling dream, replete with fleeting images and eerie whispers. It is in this mystical realm that he encounters a mysterious woman (Patricia Clarkson), who utters an enigmatic mantra: “Wicked is good.”

As Alby (character not specified) takes Thomas around the site, the boys’ camaraderie is palpable as they etch their names on the wall, marking milestones and crossing off the names of those who have fallen. Thomas’s efforts to fit in are rewarded with a task that sends him into the woods to collect fertilizer, where he unwittingly stumbles upon Ben (Chris Sheffield), a Runner, reeling from a Griever sting. As they clash, Ben reveals the gravity of the situation: his attack was not an isolated incident, but rather a symptom of the Changing, a mysterious affliction that renders its victims prone to violence and leaves no cure.

That night, Thomas is haunted by another prophetic dream, this time featuring a figure reassuring him that Wicked is benevolent. However, his subconscious also whispers fragments of memories, including visions of himself and a young girl poring over diagnostics at workstations.

The next day, Alby sets out to retrace Ben’s path, but as the rain pours down, he fails to return by nightfall. As the Gladers gather around the maze’s entrance, Minho (Ki Hong Lee), the lead Runner, appears with a gravely injured Alby. Thomas rushes into the maze to assist, only to find himself trapped as the doors close behind him.

Minho and Thomas employ vines to suspend Alby’s lifeless body, shielding it from the Grievers that now stalk them. One of these monstrous creatures, resembling giant bedbugs with mechanical legs and scorpion tails, chases Thomas through a labyrinthine maze whose walls shift and change in response to their actions. Thomas cleverly lures the Griever between colliding walls, crushing it beneath the weight of the shifting stone.

The next day, Gally summons the Gladers for an emergency meeting, where excitement about Thomas’s Griever-killing feat is tempered by dissent from a faction led by Gally himself, who fear that Thomas’s arrival has disrupted their carefully honed routine and invited danger into their sanctuary. As tensions simmer, the elevator’s unexpected arrival sends ripples of unease through the Gladers’ ranks, hinting at a deeper mystery waiting to be unraveled.

As the elevator doors slide open, the boys are met with an unexpected discovery: a young girl (Kaya Scodelario), her eyes glassy and unfocused, clutches a cryptic note in her hand. The words “She’s the last one ever” seem to hold a somber significance, as if warning of an irreversible fate. Thomas, seemingly recognized by the unconscious girl, is met with Gally’s ire for allowing this unprecedented breach of the maze’s rules. The prospect of non-Runners gaining entry sparks anxiety among the group, and tensions escalate as Newt proposes punishing Thomas by locking him up overnight without sustenance.

Meanwhile, a subset of the boys ventures into the heart of the maze to investigate the carcass of the Grievers, their gruesome visage sending shivers down the spine. Amidst this morbid discovery lies an enigmatic device bearing the WCKD insignia and displaying the numerical code 7. This finding serves as a stark reminder that the mysterious suppliers who provide sustenance are also responsible for the terrifying Grievers.

As the group ponders these developments, Minho takes Thomas on a tour of the ever-changing maze, revealing its intricate layout and numbered sections. The boys realize that last night’s opening of section 7 holds significant implications. Later, Teresa awakens atop a tower, her gaze fixed menacingly upon the boys below. When Thomas approaches her, she reveals her memories intact, including those of him. Her recollection of WCKD’s ominous mantra - “Wicked is good” - sends a chill down his spine.

That night, as Thomas endures his punishment in solitude, Chuck pays him a visit, bearing food and a poignant gift: a carved statue meant for his parents. Though Thomas lacks recollections of his family, he acknowledges the significance of this small token, knowing that he will one day reunite with them and present it personally.

The morning after, Thomas (no actor name provided) and Minho venture into the labyrinthine maze, accompanied by the enigmatic device retrieved from the Griever’s grasp. The device’s clicking cadence guides them through a previously unexplored section of the maze, much to Minho’s fascination. As they navigate the twisting corridors, they notice an unsettling phenomenon - the outer rim of the maze appears to be open, unlike any previous encounter. Their journey culminates in the WCKD Loading Dock, only to find themselves confronted with a dead end. The device, however, undergoes a transformation, its red hue giving way to a vibrant green as it unlocks a hidden path.

This newly revealed passageway leads them to a damp, dimly lit sewer tunnel, replete with the same viscous slime secreted by the Grievers. The duo’s trepidation prompts their hasty retreat back to the relative safety of the Glade. Thomas, driven by concern for Alby’s well-being, decides to administer one of the syringes, hoping to hasten his recovery. Miraculously, the treatment proves effective, and Alby awakens, his mind foggy but his words laced with a cryptic warning: “You were their favorite.” Though the true meaning of this statement remains shrouded in mystery, it is soon overshadowed by an ominous development - the sudden, synchronized opening of doors throughout the maze, as scores of Grievers pour forth like a malevolent tide.

The ensuing attack ravages the Glade, claiming numerous lives and leaving destruction in its wake. Alby’s fate is sealed, while Chuck narrowly escapes being claimed by one of the monsters, his rescue efforts culminating in the gruesome amputation of the Griever’s tail. In the aftermath of this devastating assault, Thomas comes to a startling realization - the venomous stings of the Grievers possess an unexpected property: they facilitate recall and memory retrieval. Seizing upon this insight, Thomas administers the extracted venom to himself, and a floodgate of recollections bursts forth.

As his memories resurface, Thomas comprehends that the maze is not a prison, but rather a test designed to evaluate the worthiness of its occupants. His gaze falls upon the incubation tubes, where many of his fellow Gladers are suspended in anxious anticipation. Moreover, he beholds a vision of himself as a scientist, collaborating with Teresa (no actor name provided). This epiphanic revelation precipitates a sea change within Thomas, who confesses to his comrades that he is one of the architects responsible for their confinement.

Gally’s ire knows no bounds upon learning this truth, and he leads a faction in binding Thomas and Teresa to stakes outside the maze’s entrance, intending them as a sacrificial offering. However, a segment of the Gladers remains loyal to Thomas, ultimately freeing him and his companion from their bindings. The consequences of this division are far-reaching, leaving the community fractured and uncertain about its future course.

As Thomas’s determination reaches a fever pitch, he implores Gally to join him on a perilous quest for escape from the Glade. The pair sets out with a small group, navigating treacherous terrain in search of freedom. Their journey takes them back to the Loading Dock area, where they’re once again beset by the deadly Grievers. Undaunted, Thomas leads his companions through the sewer tunnel, which ultimately yields to a locked door that can only be accessed by deciphering a numerical code. Realizing the sequence must be tied to the maze’s usual opening patterns, Theresa skillfully inputs the correct combination, allowing the group to pass through the barrier and leave their pursuers crushed beneath the closing walls.

As they navigate the labyrinthine corridors, the kids stumble upon a seemingly ordinary exit door, which leads them into the very lab Thomas had previously glimpsed in his memories. The scene is one of eerie silence, with the only signs of life being the still bodies of the scientists who once worked here. A video recording begins to play, featuring Dr. Ava Paige, whose words are laced with a sense of irony and foreboding. She reveals that the world was ravaged by the Flare, a cataclysmic event that left only a handful of survivors. WCKD, the organization she founded, sought to harness the unique abilities of the Glade’s inhabitants to develop a cure for this devastating affliction.

As Paige speaks, a group of guerrilla soldiers bursts into the room, slaughtering their former colleagues with ruthless efficiency. She congratulates the kids on passing their first test and reiterates the mantra that WICKED is, indeed, good. Her words are punctuated by a tragic act of self-sacrifice as she takes her own life.

The group’s momentary silence is shattered by the opening of a door, revealing a path to freedom outside. However, before they can take their first steps into the unknown, Gally materializes, gun in hand, determined to reassert the kids’ place within the Glade. Thomas becomes his target, but Chuck intervenes, sacrificing his life to save his friend’s. As the dust settles, a new group of soldiers arrives on the scene, whisking the kids away to waiting helicopters.

The aircraft lifts off, and as they soar above the devastation below, the full extent of the post-Flare world becomes apparent: a desolate wasteland where buildings lie in ruin, buried beneath a thick layer of sand. The maze and the Glade shrink to insignificance as the group gazes out upon the ruins of what once was, their minds reeling with the implications of their new reality.

As the curtain closes on this chapter of chaos, Paige (character name) emerges from the shadows, her triumphant smile tempered by the crimson smudge on her forehead. Her eyes gleam with a calculating intensity as she reveals that the unsuspecting youth have taken the bait, hook, line, and sinker - a far greater number than her most optimistic projections had envisioned. The Maze’s trial run has proven a resounding success, paving the way for “Phase 2” to unfold its sinister plans. As the helicopter’s rotor blades slice through the ruin-strewn cityscape, Paige’s knowing gaze seems to pierce the very fabric of reality, hinting at a far more insidious and far-reaching conspiracy yet to come…