The YA Genre Took A Gifted Turn In “The Darkest Minds” Trailer

I’ight, so I had jokes when the first trailer dropped…but after this one?! I dunno fam, this movie might be a problem. Before, this joint just looked like Family Dollar X-Men meets any Amandla Stenberg movie, post Hunger Games After this trailer though? Seems the Asian woman director helming The Darkest Minds, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, might be onto something. The story features a somewhat typical dystopian future where 98% of the population has been wiped out. This YA novel adaptation focuses on losing nearly all of the youth, specifically. Only 2% of children are left behind, and those that made it begin to develop superpowers.

Image Credit: thebooknymph   Of course, the government rounds them up to do Lord knows what with. Here, we have our makings of a slightly intriguing story. Best known for creating legions of Kung Fu Panda 2 fans, Jennifer Yu Nelson is hitting all the right notes that could translate into a surprise hit this summer. Where the 1st trailer dropped the ball was rehashing the same old tired trailer tropes of dread and hopelessness. This new one steps away from the ‘imprisoned child’ angle to offer up a fantasized, optimistic version of the oppressed life they lead. It’s cute: the music is epic, then BOOM! Thanos snaps, and Amandla goes to dust. Despite that obvious Marvel fan-baiting, I think this has some potential, so I’m giving it a shot.

Lastly, if you watched either trailer and failed to sense the ICE Immigrant Detention Center vibes, you should …