Divergent is the first film of the Divergent series, based on the best selling trilogy by Veronica Roth.

The dystopian story follows 16-year-old Beatrice Prior, who lives in the ruins of Chicago. The people in the city have no idea what life is like outside the walls. They organize their society by splitting up into five factions that have distinct personality traits. Abnegation, Beatrice’s home faction, focuss on selflessness, wearing gray and caring for the homeless or “factionless.” The members of the Candor faction are honest, those of the Amity faction are peaceful, the Erudites value intelligence, and the Dauntless are brave.

When children reach the age of 16, they must take an aptitude test that determines the faction to which they are sent. For Beatrice, her results are inconclusive. She is what they call “divergent.”

The novel is often compared to The Hunger Games because it’s a dystopian trilogy about a young girl. However, the Divergent movie is superior. The cinematography is fantastic, the characters well developed, and it is true to the text.

From the beginning, the movie masterfully reveals what makes each faction unique.

I was a little weary of the movie when I saw the first trailer. I thought that the cast looked too old and the trailers weren’t  exciting. I was prepared for disappointment, and I set my expectations low. Divergent proved me wrong. Every part of the movie was suspenseful and thrilling.

Divergent is a must see, for age 10 and older.