Film Review: Divergent

Director: Neil Burger

A 2014 science fiction action film following in the footsteps of The Hunger Games in looking to a dystopian future with the world split into different factions by oppressive governments. The film is based on the series of books by Veronica Roth which was published in 2011. The sequel Insurgent has already been scheduled for release in March 2015.

The story takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic version of Chicago where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned that she is Divergent and thus will never fit into any one of the factions and soon learns that a sinister plot is brewing in her seemingly perfect society as she tries to learn to fit into one of the factions.

Beatrice (Woodley) with Four (Theo James)

The comparisons to Hunger Games were inevitable given the similarities in the lead actresses character and the bleak depiction of a future world controlled by governments. Unfortunately it doesn't compare favourably with plot feeling rather like a re-tread and with Shailene Woodley struggling to produce the strong yet caring lead performance you get from Jennifer Lawrence. Woodley and Theo James in particularly work hard with the tired script to stop the film being a complete washout but it doesn't reach the highs that you'd hope for.

The overall plot suffers as the focus is too narrow in blindly following the character of Beatrice rather than looking at the factions as a whole. So when the plot develops its hard to care for anyone but the main character, as her family are all sidelined very quickly for example. I'd be intrigued to know how faithful the film is to the novel but the early reports seem to be that it has pleased the fans of the books but for me it really lacked that killer punch.

1.5/4 Unremarkable and formulaic opening film