The government, fearful of this group, hastily label them enemies of the state, and begin the exercise of herding them into brutal government “rehabilitation camps” in an effort to contain and study them.
However, wily 16-year-old Ruby Daly, (Amandla Stenberg of The Hunger Games), escapes from the camp and joins a group of other teens like her, who are also on the run from government forces.
The movie, the first live-action film for director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, best known for her work on the Kung Fu Panda franchise, is an adaptation of the best-selling book by Alexandra Bracken, the first in a YA trilogy (The Darkest Minds, Never Fade, and In the Afterlight).
“The movie is about kids being able to use these powers in order to survive. It’s a lot of action, but it’s also a lot of heart,” says Nelson.
She added, “This story follows a character that, in the beginning, is powerless and essentially frightened and ashamed of what she is. And by the end, you watch her grow. You watch her become this empowered strong character being able to do things she never thought she could do. Everyone can identify with that journey.”
Commenting on the movie’s plot, 21 Laps producer Dan Levine said, “I think this story had a timeless theme. And it’s so universal, in that it’s about kids growing up into teenagers and discovering that they’re different, that people don’t understand, especially adults and the government.”
In discussing what drew her to play Ruby, actress Stenberg said, “The storyline and the meaning of the storyline was something that immediately excited me about this project. I think there are some parallels between this story and the world we’re living in today.”
Stenberg also said her character was tough but introverted, and passionate, and added, “She stands her ground. She knows what she wants. That’s what I like a lot about her. But she’s also really thoughtful and kind of keeps to herself. I think she’s a lot like me.”
Along with Ruby, are the others who also slip the camp – Liam (Harris Dickinson), Zu (Miya Cech), and Chubs (Skylan Brooks).
The teens’ sudden superpowers are classified by the authorities into four colours:
• Orange (Ruby): Telepathic powers – the ability to read minds and influence people’s actions
• Gold (Zu) : Electrokinetic powers – the ability to create and control electricity
• Blue (Chubs) : Telekinetic powers – the ability to move objects with one’s mind
• Red (Liam) : Pyrokinetic powers – the ability to create and manipulate fire
Two very different female characters help round out the cast and further the complexity of the plot: Cate (Mandy Moore of This Is Us), a doctor who tries to help Ruby, and Lady Jane (Gwendoline Christie), a ruthless bounty hunter who hunts the children down.
While these colourful characters make for non-stop heart-racing action throughout the movie, it soon becomes apparent that the four teens, now considered outcasts, have to learn to trust and lean on each other for their very survival in a cruel world that has turned against them.
Rated PG-13, The Darkest Minds is brought to you by 20th Century Fox and opens in cinemas Aug 16.