‘The Darkest Minds’ Trailer: Teens Get Superpowers And Revolt Against Parents In New YA Film
In a world that hates and fears them, a group of teens with superpowers fights for freedom. Yes, this is the basic premise of “X-Men,” but also apparently, the premise for the upcoming film, “The Darkest Minds.” It’s like “X-Men” but with a heaping helping of “The Hunger Games.”
Just when you think the YA movie trend had come to a close, with “Divergent” never finishing its film series and “Maze Runner” stumbling to the end, it looks like there’s another teen franchise hoping to take off. In the first trailer for “The Darkest Minds,” we see what happens when kids suddenly get superpowers. Namely, the adults get freaked out and start imprisoning them.
But let’s be honest, did you really expect the trailer for a YA film to focus on the plot only? No, no, no. We get the hint of a young romance, a young female rallying a large group of prisoners, and enough half-baked special effects to just give you the hint of superpowers, all while an unknown song by some pop singer plays in the background. Yes, this is your typical YA movie, but with kids making things float in mid-air. Brace yourselves.
Right now, it looks like the main selling point of the film is producer Shawn Levy, and his company 21 Laps Entertainment. Levy is most recently known for being one of the producers of the massive Netflix series “Stranger Things” and the award-winning 2016 sci-fi film “Arrival.” However, there’s nothing in “The Darkest Hour” that shows a resemblance to those properties. Well, like “Stranger Things,” the focus is on kids, so there’s that, we guess?
“The Darkest Minds” is based on the book by Alexandra Bracken, and stars Amandla Stenberg, Mandy Moore, and Gwendoline Christie. The film is directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, best known for her extensive work in animation and previously directed “Kung Fu Panda 2” and “Kung Fu Panda 3.”
“The Darkest Minds” will hit theaters August 3.