Insurgent (2015) Spoiler-free Review

I went to check out Insurgent in 3D a couple of weeks ago. I had awesome company, which usually means that I don’t pay 100% attention to the movie. This much was mostly true for this one too, but I payed enough attention to the film to give you this review.

Insurgent is the second installment in the Divergent series, based on the books by Veronica Roth. The story is set in a dystopian future where what appears to be the last living members of the human race have split their society into personality-based factions that each play a unique part in the new world they’ve created.

Look, it’s pointless I don’t spoil part one of the series for you, because you generally wouldn’t watch Insurgent without watching the first movie, so here goes: The story follows Tris Prior, who takes her personality/ aptitude test to see which faction she’ll be sorted into. Turns out she’s got a bit of a mix in her, and apparently society hates that (sound familiar?). And voilà, a rebellion is born! Go watch it if you want more details.

Back to Insurgent: the film has a delicate balance of action, drama and romance, which works really well from page to screen. I love that there are elements of the narrative, as well as certain characters, who are still able to surprise you. It gives greater depth to everyone and everything; tons of fun to watch.

The most beautiful thing about the world in which they are living is that it is finite. There’s a wall up, and nobody knows what is beyond that wall; however the way Roth has created so much depth in this limited world is amazing. Each faction has a unique look, feel, and culture; each simulation (probably based on some form of their actual world) has unlimited elements and detail that make up beautiful collages that are hard to separate from reality.

Overall, a thrilling story, set in a stunning world, with some kick-ass actresses and actors like Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller bringing these interesting characters to life.

See it/ don’t see it: See it! And the 3D is definitely worth it: not overdone, but enough there to make you feel like magic is real.

Who to watch it with: Insurgent is an awesome date movie, or one to watch with a group of buddies.

Rating: 7.2/10

Check out the trailer for Insurgent below:

About the Author: Stephen is a film critic who loves dystopian youth fantasy stories, because #YOLO. Follow him on Twitter @thesnagel