Divergent (2014)
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In a society divided into factions based on human virtues, a girl who doesn't fit into any one of them must navigate a brewing conspiracy.
The story
In a futuristic dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. Beatrice Prior, a member of Abnegation, discovers she is 'Divergent' during a psychological aptitude test, meaning she possesses traits from multiple factions. Her mentor warns her to hide this fact, as Divergents are seen as a threat to the social order. After choosing the Dauntless faction, Beatrice must undergo rigorous training and navigate the complexities of her new life while realizing that a sinister plot is brewing within the seemingly perfect society, forcing her to decide how much of her true self she can reveal.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a futuristic, post-apocalyptic Chicago, the population is divided into five factions based on human virtues. Beatrice Prior is identified as 'Divergent' because her aptitude test shows traits from multiple groups. She joins the Dauntless faction, where she trains under the instructor Four. During her training, she faces various challenges, including a fight with Peter Hayes and a series of psychological simulations where she must confront her fears. She eventually learns that the Erudite faction plans to overthrow the Abnegation government. After a series of attacks and the death of her mother, Natalie, Beatrice and Four discover that the Dauntless have been injected with a mind-control serum by the Erudite. During a raid on the Abnegation headquarters, they find themselves in a struggle against the Erudite's leadership. Beatrice manages to wake Four from the mind control and confronts Jeanine Matthews, ultimately forcing her to stop the plot. The group escapes the facility and flees the city.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 139
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Neil Burger
- Writers
- Evan Daugherty · screenplay; Vanessa Taylor · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Shailene Woodley · Beatrice "Tris" Prior; Theo James · Tobias "Four" Eaton; Ashley Judd · Natalie Prior; Jai Courtney · Eric Coulter; Ray Stevenson · Marcus Eaton; Zoë Kravitz · Christina; Miles Teller · Peter Hayes; Tony Goldwyn · Andrew Prior; Ansel Elgort · Caleb Prior; Maggie Q · Tori Wu; Kate Winslet · Jeanine Matthews
- Genres
- dystopian; science fiction; action
- Themes
- identity; conformity
- Tone and mood
- tense; action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- dystopian; post-apocalyptic; young adult; action
- Source material / true-story basis
- the 2011 novel by Veronica Roth
- Franchise connections
- The Divergent Series
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with praise for the action sequences and Shailene Woodley's performance, but criticism regarding its generic execution and unoriginal handling of themes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 41% · scale: percentage · review count: 238; Metacritic · score: 48 · scale: 100 · review count: 38; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: letter
- Production trivia
- The film's budget was increased from $40 million to $85 million due to the success of The Hunger Games.; Kate Winslet's pregnancy was concealed during filming using various props.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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