Divergent

Divergent

In a futuristic, dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions: Abnegation (the altruists), Amity (the peaceful), Truth (the sincere), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). The rest of the population are the outcasts, who have no status or privilege in this society. When children reach the age of 16, they undergo a serum-induced psychological aptitude test that indicates their most suitable faction, though they are allowed to choose any faction as their permanent group at the subsequent choosing ceremony. Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) was born into Abnegation (the faction that runs the government). Her father, Andrew Prior (Tony Goldwyn), serves on the ruling council alongside Abnegation head Marcus Eaton (Ray Stevenson). Beatrice takes her test with a Dauntless woman named Tori Wu (Maggie Q) as her proctor. Her results show equal attributes from multiple factions, meaning she is a Divergent. Her Divergence includes Abnegation, Erudition, and Dauntless. Tori records her results as Abnegation and warns her to keep the true result a secret, saying that because Divergents can think independently, the government cannot control them and they are considered threats to the existing social order.

Divergent

The next day, at the choosing ceremony, Beatrice's brother Caleb Prior (Ansel Elgort) chooses Erudite. After much thought, Beatrice chooses Dauntless. After the ceremony, Beatrice meets Christina (Zoë Kravitz), Al (Christian Madsen), and Will (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), three other initiates from other factions who also chose Dauntless. The initiates' commitment and bravery are immediately tested, and Eric Coulter (Jai Courtney), a brutal Dauntless leader, makes it clear that anyone who fails to meet Dauntless' high expectations will be cast out of the faction to become a Forsaken. Beatrice is the first to volunteer for a leap of faith from a tall building into a dark hole, landing in a net. When Four (Theo James), one of the instructors, asks for her name, she shortens it to "Tris," leaving her childhood in Abnegation behind. Tris initially struggles in training, ranking well below the cutoff after the first assessment, but with Four's help she slowly improves. Eric matches her with her nemesis, Peter (Miles Teller), in a fight. Tris is defeated and wakes up in the infirmary. Informed that she will miss the most important test, Capture the Flag, Tris leaves the infirmary and joins the other initiates, secures her team's victory, and makes the final cut.

Divergent

In the next phase of training, the initiates face their worst fears in psychological simulations. Divergents are resistant to serums and simulations, so Tris excels at these tests, solving them in peculiar ways, but Four warns her that she must solve the challenges like a normal Dauntless challenge in order to hide her abilities. Tris visits Caleb. She tells him that Erudite is planning to overthrow Abnegation and become the ruling faction. Caleb does not believe her. Upon her return to Dauntless, Tris is attacked by Al, Peter, and Drew before being rescued by Four. Four explains to Tris that fear can make people do terrible things, like what her friend Al did. The next day, Al asks for Tris' forgiveness, but she refuses, calling him a coward. She later commits suicide by jumping into a pit rather than live with the shame. Shocked at seeing the body, Tris thinks it is her fault that her friend committed suicide, but Four comforts her by telling her that he had made his choice and that the boy would fail the final Dauntless test anyway. To prepare for the final test, Four enters Tris into his own fear simulations, where Tris learns that Four was Tobias Eaton, the son of Marcus Eaton. In the simulations, Four explains to her that in order to pass the test, she must find some tool to overcome the situation. After the simulation, they go to a rooftop where Tris asks Four what the tattoo on his back is. Four shows it to her, and it shows the five factions, showing that he is also a Divergent. They later kiss. Tris then passes her test and is officially initiated into Dauntless. The members of this faction, including Tris and Four, are injected with a serum supplied by Erudite that is supposedly to control their thinking.

Divergent

The next morning, the Dauntless prepare to destroy Abnegation on Erudite's orders and the Dauntless leadership working with them. Divergents are not affected by the mind-control serum. When the mind-controlled Dauntless army is preparing for the execution of Abnegation, a confused Divergent reveals himself by asking everyone what is happening and is immediately shot by Eric. Witnessing this, Tris blends in with the army to avoid suspicion. On the train, she carefully makes her way to Four. She stands beside him and after a few seconds reveals herself as a Divergent by holding his hand and is relieved. While the Dauntless movement prepares to attack Abnegation, Tris and Four separate from the group and attempt to locate Tris's parents. Eric becomes suspicious of Four and tests him by pointing his gun at Four. Tris breaks his cover and points her gun at Eric. Their identities as Divergents are revealed to the Dauntless leaders and they are both captured. Four is taken into custody, while Tris is ordered to be executed. Her mother Natalie (Ashley Judd) shows up and frees her. Tris now knows that her mother was also a Dauntless. She tells Tris the whereabouts of her father and that they have to get back to them immediately. Tris kills one of her friends, Will, and is really affected by the fact that she had to kill her friend to survive. Unfortunately, her mother is soon shot dead as they flee. Tris has to leave her mother's corpse behind to prevent her from being killed.

Divergent

Tris finds her father hiding out with several Abnegation members, including Caleb and Marcus. The group breaks into the Dauntless headquarters, where Tris meets Peter and forces him to lead them to the Erudite control center. Her father sacrifices himself in a gunfight, and Tris goes in alone to find Four, who is now under stronger mind control designed for Divergents and attacks her. Using her knowledge of his fears, she manages to wake him from the mind control and the two enter the central control room, where Erudite leader Jeanine (Kate Winslet) is about to have the entire Abnegation faction executed by the Dauntless army. Tris uses a sample of the mind control serum on her to force her to cancel the program. The group escapes the compound and boards a train out of the complex.