The Giver

The main problem with The Giver is, as a film, it arrived much too late compared to the rest of the genre. Written in 1993, it is a cornerstone of the YA dystopia genre of books. Unfortunately, this movie came out long after the genre had been popularized and then bled dry with mediocre imitators, so this looks like another Johnny-come-lately. The movie isn’t bad, but it feels like a checklist of the genre tropes. Chosen one? Futuristic society that looks like a utopia but really has a sinister underbelly? Wise old mentor who works within the system and against it? It’s all here and every one of the beats is hit in time, almost rigidly so. The adherence to the formula is so unflagging, the movie is practically on a guide wire. It does what it does well enough, and it never has any interest in doing anything else. So, I guess it’s fine for what it is, but when you’re not gonna try to be anything else, your ceiling is low.