An Underrated Sci-Fi Dystopian Movie Based On A Book Is One Of The Biggest Movies On Streaming

Published Aug 6, 2026, 4:00 AM EDT Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts. An underrated sci-fi dystopian movie is back in the public eye. The action-packed movie, which is based on a bestselling book, is now one of the biggest films on streaming 12 years after it was released. Sci-fi dystopian movies were a trending movie category in the 2010s, mostly aimed at a young adult audience and based on bestselling book series. The most famous of these is The Hunger Games movies, which are still being made thanks to prequel material written by author Suzanne Collins. Others include the Divergent series, whose final movie was cancelled, and an attempt at The Mortal Instruments series. But one movie that's still underrated to this day is The Maze Runner. Based on James Dashner's novel of the same name, the movie follows Thomas, a boy who wakes up in a grassy area called the Glade with no memory of who he is. He arrives amid a group of other boys who've been surviving in the area, with a maze separating them from the rest of the world. Despite the dangers of monstrous creatures, Thomas and the other boys begin a mission to escape the maze and discover why they've been held captive there. Now, The Maze Runner has become a streaming success on HBO Max, earning a top spot on the platform just a few days after it became available internationally. As of writing, the movie sits at Number 6 on the streaming service worldwide, an impressive feat for a 12-year-old film. It's currently Number 1 in nine countries around the world, too, those being Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The Maze Runner reviews were generally positive upon release. The movie currently holds a 66% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 172 reviews, alongside a 68% from audiences based on over 50,000 ratings. In addition, it managed to become a major box office success, earning $348 million against a relatively small $34 million budget. The movie was also a massive boost for the careers of its stars, bringing the likes of Dylan O'Brien and Will Poulter to prominence for a larger American audience. Dashner's The Maze Runner was the first in a trilogy, with the other two books eventually being adapted. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials was released in 2015, while Maze Runner: The Death Cure came out in 2018. Both movies earned mixed reviews but became box office successes. Dashner has gone on to write a novella, two prequel novels, and a sequel trilogy in The Maze Runner universe, none of which have been adapted as of writing. However, plans for a reboot that may continue the story of the original were floated in 2024. The first movie's sudden success on HBO Max proves The Maze Runner is still a beloved film, even if the movie trilogy never reached the same heights with its sequels. Its global recognition on streaming proves that it still has what it takes to make a mark in dystopian movie history. As it continues to perform well, it will garner even more eyes around the world compelled by its intriguing, mysterious premise. Release Date September 10, 2014 Runtime 113 minutes Director Wes Ball Cast Kaya Scodelario Teresa Agnes