The Maze Runner (2014)
Action, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller
The Kernel take
A mixed critical reception (57) paired with a $34M budget that returned nearly 10x its investment globally suggests audiences were more forgiving than critics—this is a rare case where box office muscle compensates for middling reviews.
Director track record: Wes Ball
The Maze Runner (57) trails Wes Ball's best-reviewed film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (66), but sits above their 53-point average across other scored work—a modest step up for a director still establishing a critical baseline.
Lead track record: Dylan O'Brien
Dylan O'Brien's performance here (57) lands almost exactly at their 57.4-point average across 16 other scored films, trailing their best-reviewed work, Twinless (80), in a career that's remained consistently middling for critical consensus.
Box office
Budget $34M · Box office $348.3M