The 2000s and early 2010s were marked with a boon of young adult books getting adapted into the big screen. This could really be seen as starting with the runaway success of 2001’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” adaptation and its subsequent sequels. However, 2008’s “Twilight” movie took things to another level, prompting studios to adapt pretty much any book that preteens were obsessed with. Some of these failed to launch, while others became cemented into the public consciousness, like “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games.” but “The Maze Runner” series absolutely belongs in that latter category too.
Out of all the films to come out during the YA craze, “The Maze Runner” had the biggest bang for its buck, grossing $348 million against a relatively paltry $34 million budget. Two film sequels followed with “The Scorch Trials” and “The Death Cure,” but it all began with that first story about a group of teens mysteriously stranded outside of a massive maze that seemed to offer their only escape, requiring them to work together to find a way out. Teens rebuilding some kind of civilization amongst a dystopian world is well-trodden territory, but “Maze Runner” capitalized on the moment to become one of the better offerings during the YA boon.
If you still find yourself thinking of Gladers rediscovering their identities, you may be in the market for some similar projects. Here are the best movies like “The Maze Runner” thatt ou should put on your watchlist to gain an even greater appreciation for what the film accomplished.