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Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials poster

Is Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials OK for Kids?

Science FictionActionThrillerAdventure
13+
PG-13⭐ 6.3 / 102015 · 2h 11m
Wes Ball

Where to Watch

United States

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Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay
🗡️Violence
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Cartoon / Comedic
7
Action & Peril
1
Injuries & Death Shown
3
Graphic & Disturbing
  • The film opens with characters fleeing Cranks amid gunfire and combat, setting an intense tone from the start
  • The group discovers bodies strung up with tubes inside the WICKED medical facility, a graphic and unsettling reveal of the organization's true purpose
  • Winston becomes infected with the Flare virus and, in a graphic and emotional scene, is implied to end his own life with a gunshot
  • Minho is struck by lightning during a storm, shown as a sudden injury
  • Mary Cooper is shot by Janson at the film's climax, and the final battle includes casualties among Right Arm members
  • Extended chase and combat sequences occur throughout, including escapes from the WICKED compound and encounters with Cranks in an abandoned settlement
  • Overall the violence is frequent and intense, blending action-adventure combat with a few genuinely graphic and disturbing moments involving death
💬Language
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Mild Words
(damn, hell)
8
Moderate
(ass, b**ch)
58
Strong
(sh*t)
0
Extreme
(f**k)
  • Strong language is frequent: s**t (28 times), hell (15 times), a** (8 times), da** (5 times), and b**ch (2 times)
  • Moderate language also appears: cr*p (2 times), b**tard (2 times), and the invented insult shank (4 times)
  • No f-words, c-words, or slurs are used in the film
👻Scary Scenes
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
1
Mildly Tense
1
Startling Moments
3
Genuinely Scary
2
Deeply Disturbing
  • The discovery of harvested bodies with tubes in the medical facility is a scary and unsettling scene revealing WICKED's deception
  • The first encounter with an infected Crank creature with unusual eyes is a startling jump-scare moment
  • Winston's infection progression and his request to be killed is deeply disturbing, dealing directly with mortality and suffering
  • Teresa's story about her mother's self-harm during Flare infection is disturbing content told through dialogue
  • Teresa's revelation that she was working with WICKED all along is a scary betrayal that recontextualizes earlier trust
  • The WICKED compound assault, with soldiers rounding up immune children, is a scary and tense sequence
  • Scary moments are generally resolved through the group's escape or through emotional processing (as with Winston's death), not left unaddressed
💕Romance
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
2
Crushes & Holding Hands
1
Kissing & Dating
1
Suggestive
0
Sexual Content
  • Thomas shows ongoing concern for Teresa throughout the film with emotional conversations, indicating a crush-level connection
  • A developing connection forms between Thomas and Brenda during escape sequences
  • In a drug-induced state at an underground settlement, Thomas and Brenda share a brief intimate moment described as suggestive
  • Teresa kisses Thomas's hand during an emotional apology scene shortly before her betrayal is revealed
  • No explicit sexual content is depicted
🍺Substances
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
2
Mentioned in Passing
1
Shown Casually
1
Featured Prominently
0
Glorified or Abused
  • New arrivals at the sanctuary are given a nutritional drink cocktail in a casual, non-threatening context
  • A mandatory drink at an underground party affects characters' perception and is featured prominently in that sequence
  • The Flare virus and blood-borne contamination are mentioned repeatedly as plot elements
  • Characters discuss an enzyme harvested from immune blood for a potential cure, framed as a scientific/medical topic rather than recreational substance use
⚡Stimulation
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Gently Engaging
0
Exciting
4
Intense
1
Overwhelming
  • The opening action sequence with Cranks and gunfire is intense from the very start of the film
  • An extended chase through the WICKED facility involves explosions and combat at a fast, intense pace
  • Multiple extended action sequences with gunfire and combat occur throughout the runtime
  • The final battle sequence, with casualties and an emotional climax, is described as overwhelming in intensity
  • This film's pacing and sensory intensity are likely too much for sensory-sensitive children or those under 10
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials — Heads Up for Parents

Despite being a YA action film, Winston's Flare infection leads to a graphic scene where he requests death and is implied to shoot himself, which may be more emotionally intense than parents expect from the franchise's typical action-adventure tone.

About Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials follows Thomas and his fellow Glade survivors as they escape a supposed sanctuary run by the sinister organization WICKED, only to discover it was harvesting their blood, and flee across a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with zombie-like 'Cranks' infected by the Flare virus. The tone is intense YA dystopian action-thriller, dealing with betrayal, sacrifice, and survival under near-constant threat.

👨‍👧
Best watched together
Heavy strong language (shit used 28 times, hell 15 times) combined with disturbing content like Winston's suicide and Teresa's betrayal make this worth discussing with younger teens (13-15) rather than leaving them to watch entirely alone.

Family Takeaways from Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

What it gets right

  • ✓The film shows the group comforting each other with genuine compassion after losses, including gathering around Winston in his final moments
  • ✓Thomas's unwavering loyalty in going after Minho despite the danger models selflessness and found-family bonds

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes
●Traditional family values

The entire film is driven by Thomas's loyalty to his fellow Gladers who become his chosen family, with the group's survival and protection of each other serving as the central emotional core throughout their journey through the Scorch.

Cast:Dylan O'BrienKaya ScodelarioThomas Brodie-SangsterGiancarlo EspositoKi Hong Lee

Is Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Appropriate for Your Child's Age?

✗Age 5: Not recommended for 5-year-olds
✗Age 8: Not recommended for 8-year-olds
✗Age 10: Not recommended for 10-year-olds
✗Age 12: Not recommended for 12-year-olds
✓Age 13: Generally appropriate for 13-year-olds
✓Age 15: Generally appropriate for 15-year-olds
✓Age 17: Generally appropriate for 17-year-olds

Individual children may vary — use your judgment.

Parents also ask about Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

  • Is Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials appropriate for a 13-year-old?
  • Does Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials have violence?
  • Is Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials OK for kids?
  • What is the age rating for Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials?

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