"The Maze Runner" is the latest entry into the genre of movies based on best-selling Young Adult (YA) teen dystopian novels, following on the heels of "The Hunger Games," "Twilight" and "Justin Bieber's Believe."

JK (Just Kidding) about the 2013 Justin Bieber documentary. Then again, given the dystopian trajectory of his career, maybe not.

"Twilight" is a curious mix of corny vampire family in their modern manse scenes and CGI action (no, not those involving Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart).

"The Hunger Games" is grounded by the remarkable Jennifer Lawrence surrounded by loopy characters with preposterous names (Caesar Flickerman, Haymitch Abernathy) and actors slumming for pay day (Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson).

"The Maze Runner" has a no-nonsense excellent young cast within the framework of a taut science fiction action-thriller.

"The Maze Runner" is one of four commercially-successful YA books. "The Maze Runner" movie opened at No. 1 opening weekend.

The sequel, "The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials," set for release September 2015, is in pre-production.

The conclusion of "The Maze Runner" leaves no doubt of a sequel. While one can't predict how this particular dystopian future will play out (unless you've read the books), the first one is off to a rip-roaring good start, as are the careers of its young stars.

In "The Maze Runner," Thomas (Dylan O'Brien, "The First Time," 2012; "'The Internship," 2013; TV's "Teen Wolf") is the latest young man, (dubbed a Greenie) to arrive, lifted by a freight elevator filled with supplies to The Glade, an area inside the fortress walls of The Maze.

Thomas is greeted by a group of boys known as Gladers, including Alby (Aml Ameen), Minho (Ki Hong Lee), Gally (Will Poulter), Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Chuck (Blake Cooper).

Everything's going more or less routine for the Gladers, who are resigned to their fate. Thomas questions what's going on in The Maze. He's told that only the designated Runners can go there.

The Gladers' semi-idyllic life is shaken up with the arrival of the first female, Teresa (Kaya Scodelario, "The Truth About Emmanuel," 2013; TV's "Southcliffe," "Skins").

"The Maze Runner" is one-part "Lord Of The Flies" (1963), one-part "Labyrinth" (1986) and one-part "Arachnophobia" (1990).

The acting by the young cast is superb. They are not playing teens, so much as young adults as befits the YA genre of fiction that spawned the movie.

The movie has its share of thrills and chills. Because of the fine acting and directing, you care when the lead characters are imperiled, which is often. "The Maze Runner" keeps you on edge, not unlike the way you feel when you're in a fall season cornfield maze.

Spoiler alert: The less said about arachnophobia, the better. Let's just say that The Grievers that dwell in The Maze are big and hairy and mechanical and have a wicked appetite.

Speaking of wicked, there's a mysterious acronym, W.C.K.D (pronounced wicked), which stands for World In Catastrophe, Killzone Experiment Department.

That should give you some idea that "The Maze Runnier" may represent the dystopia to end all dystopias.

Wes Ball's background in movie graphics informs his feature film directorial debut with a clear-eyed sense of frame composition, storyboard pacing and brisk plotting.

The screenplay by Noah Oppenheim (TV's "The Buried Life"), T.S Nowlin (upcoming, "The Fantastic Four") and Grant Pierce Myers, in his feature screenplay debut, is based on the YA book by James Dashner.

There are two sequels to "The Maze Runner," first published in 2007: "The Scorch Trials" (2010) and "The Death Cure" (2011), and one prequel, "The Kill Order" (2012).

While I'm well beyond the target YA demographic of "The Maze Runner," this OA (Older Adult) got lost in "The Maze Runner." You may, too.

"The Maze Runner," MPAA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13) for thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images; Run Time: 1 hr., 53 min.; Distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Credit Readers Anonymous: "The Maze Runner" was filmed in Baton Rouge, Jackson and Plantation Village Studios, all Louisiana.

Box Office, Sept. 26: Denzel Washington proved he's again No. 1 at the box office, with "The Equalizer" opening with $35 million, passing "The Maze Runner," dropping to No. 2, with $17.5 million, $58 million, two weeks, and keeping "The Boxtrolls" opening at No. 3, with $17.2 million;

4. "This Is Where I Leave You," $7 million, $22.5 million, two weeks; 5. "Dolphin Tale 2," $4.8 million, $33.6 million, three weeks; 6. "No Good Deed," $4.6 million, $46.6 million, three weeks; 7. "A Walk Among The Tombstones," $4.2 million, $20.8 million, two weeks; 8. "Guardians Of The Galaxy," $3.7 million, $319.1 million, nine weeks; 9. "Let's Be Cops," $1.5 million, $79.6 million, seven weeks; 10. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," $1.4 million, $187.1 million, eight weeks

Unreel, Oct. 3:

"Gone Girl," R: David Fincher directs a screenplay by Gillian Flynn, which she adapted from her best-seller. The mystery-thriller stars Ben Affleck as a husband who becomes a prime suspect after his wife disappears. Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry co-star.

"The Good Lie," PG-13: Sudanese refugees find that they are in Kansas. Reese Witherspoon and Corey Stoll star in the drama.

"Annabelle," R: A couple buys a vintage doll. That's when the horror begins. No, it's not a vintage Barbie. Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Alfre Woodard and Eric Ladin star in the horror film.

Read Paul Willistein's movie reviews at the Lehigh Valley Press web site, thelehighvalley-press.com; the Times-News web site, tnonline.com; and hear them on "Lehigh Valley Art Salon," 6 - 6:30 p.m. Mondays, WDIY 88.1 FM, and wdiy.org, where they're archived. Email Paul Willistein: pwillistein@ tnonline.com. You can follow Paul Willistein on Twitter and friend Paul Willistein on facebook.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes