For any filmmaker contemplating their own YA franchise, Chaos Walking is an instructive anti-manual. For the rest of us, it's just noise.

It lacks heft, or interest. Absolutely bone-numbingly dull and stupid.

This device, of course, worked on paper, in the source novel, The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness. But it's appalling on film.

It’s attractively presented, though tonally confused and an interesting idea that does ultimately grapple with – and condemn – uncontrolled male rage/desire.