Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials - Movie Reviews (2024)

Unlike other YA franchises, the basic emotional underpinnings remain vacant in The Maze Runner movies, and the action isn’t good enough to keep our attention.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | May 27, 2022

Scorch Trials does not present any new themes or much character development but it does cement the concepts of truth and freedom that The Maze Runner introduced.

Full Review | Sep 13, 2021

Yes, there are the standard story beats to hit, but Wes Ball doesn't seem interested in simply hitting them and moving on. Instead, he wants to understand why something might happen and what the implications of it are.

Full Review | Jan 15, 2021

It's difficult not to compare this film to the numerous sources from which it clearly derives inspiration - and sometimes uncanny similarities.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Dec 4, 2020

The Maze Runner is like an innocent new born baby and Scorch Trails is a blooming, daring adolescent.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 20, 2020

If you enjoyed the first film it's not necessary that you will enjoy this too.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 12, 2020

Cheesy, trite, and predictable, the sheer breakneck pace and frenetic energy is more than enough to whip the movie along and the result is an entertaining, if a bit overlong, teen-centric action flick.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jul 3, 2020

As a whole, The Scorch Trials is not a perfect movie. Nor is it a great one. But it is very good, and most of that has to do with director Wes Ball who wrangled derivative, cliched content into a thrilling, emotionally captivating adventure-gasm.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jul 30, 2019

Out of the frying pan, into the fire - the first film's promise is compromised here by a bloated running time; a transitional movie with lots of running and dust in the face, etc.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 4, 2019

If last year's hit The Maze Runner was the first child in the family - ambitious, concise - bridge film Maze Runner: Scorch Trials is very much the middle sibling in that it is changeable, desperate to please and generally all over the map.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Apr 18, 2019

An excellent sequel. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Feb 15, 2019

I look forward to the next round of scares and thrills.

Full Review | Jan 24, 2019

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials has everything one could ask from the middle of an action-adventure trilogy - it's brisk, it's clever and it's very well-made.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Dec 7, 2018

...a post-apocalyptic Young Adult-oriented narrative...For the second time around it is kind of a tough sell for Scorch Trials to get the obligatory mouse to chase after the cheese in this particular misplaced maze.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 10, 2018

Like the first film, it too often feels like they're making up the story as they go.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Nov 1, 2018

The Scorch Trials too often feels like just another post-apocalyptic worldwide zombie nightmare. But at least it's a mostly entertaining one.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Oct 31, 2018

Better than it has any right to be, this middle chapter doesn't answer nearly enough questions, but is entertaining nonetheless.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 20, 2018

It is a true sequel, a film that cannot exist on its own terms, with nothing new to offer except more of the same.

Full Review | Apr 10, 2018

Wes Ball's sequel to 2014's The Maze Runner never slows down as its heroes sprint through a post-apocalyptic nightmare and keeps tension high at the expense of character development.

Full Review | Feb 7, 2018

The Scorch Trials fares best in its almost shockingly entertaining opening half hour...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jan 18, 2018