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The 2014 dystopian sci-fi action film, Divergent, has been among the most streamed titles this past week on Netflix, following its addition to the platform this month.
Divergent is the first part of the Divergent trilogy from the house of Lionsgate. The first film premiered in 2014, followed by Insurgent in 2015 and Allegiant in 2016, all three of which are currently streaming on Netflix.
The universe portrayed in the Divergent series is a dystopian future where a major war has left society segregated into restricted factions, each based on certain character traits and serving specific functions. However, this system does not allow any anomalies as the retainment of governance and power stands on the backs of the divided factions.
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If you recently streamed any of the titles of the Divergent series on Netflix, and are on the lookout for similar movies set in dystopian realities, here is a list of movies that might be right up your alley if you loved Divergent.
The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and 6 more films set in a dystopian world
1) The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is a dystopian sci-fi action film franchise from the house of Lionsgate. The franchise started in 2012 and has since released five films till now, with a new one, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, set for a November 2026 release.
The first film was directed by Gary Ross, while the next four were directed by Francis Lawrence. The film is based on the 2008 novel of the same name authored by Suzanne Collins, who also helped write the screenplay. The cast featured Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, and Woody Harrelson in pivotal roles.
The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian future in a nation called Panem where social disparity and war have segregated society into binaries - a wealthy capitol and thirteen districts suffering from oppression and poverty, which are ruled by the capitol.
The original three films under the Hunger Games banner are currently streaming on AMC+, while the latest, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, can be streamed on Starz.
2) Maze Runner
Maze Runner is a sci-fi dystopian action-adventure film trilogy from 20th Century Fox. The franchise started in 2014 with the first film, The Maze Runner, followed by The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure in 2015 and 2018. Inspired by James Dashner's novel series of the same name, all three films were directed by Wes Ball.
The cast features Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Dexter Darden, Patricia Clarkson, and others in pivotal roles. The trilogy received critical as well as commercial success, even becoming one of the highest-grossing young-adult themed literary-adapted film series.
Maze Runner is set in a dystopian world where a group of teenagers with no memories of their past, find themselves in a deadly and ever-changing maze.
Only the second part is currently available to stream on Max, while the other two titles need to be rented.
3) Dune
Dune is an epic sci-fi adventure drama film series from Warner Bros. Pictures. With Denis Villeneuve at the helm as the director, this is the third rebooted screen adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi epic novel after David Lynch's 1984 film and John Harrison's 2000 miniseries.
The first film, Dune: Part One, was released in 2021 to widespread critical and commercial success. Dune: Part Two, released recently in theaters in March 2024 has already surpassed its predecessor's success. The films feature an ensemble cast including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård,and others in pivotal roles.
Set in a distant future on the fictional desert planet of Arrakis, the story revolves around the production and control of melange, a spice that enables interstellar travel and extends human life in this dystopia.
Dune is ready to stream on Apple TV+, while Max hosts both parts of the film series.
4) The Matrix
The Matrix is a sci-fi action film franchise from Warner Bros. Pictures. With the Wachowski sisters at the helm as the writers and directors, the first film in the series was released in 1999, followed by The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions in 2003. A fourth installation, The Matrix Resurrections, was recently released in 2021.
The pivotal cast members throughout the franchise include prominent actors like Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weavings, and Gloria Foster among others. The Matrix film series is arguably one of the most popular film series out there and has made a considerable splash in both pop culture and the film industry.
The story is set in a dystopian cyberpunk future, where artificially intelligent machines have imprisoned humanity in a neural-interactive simulation called the Matrix, and use them as sources for harvesting energy.
All Matrix films can be streamed on Netflix right now.
5) Ender's Game
Ender's Game is a military sci-fi action film from Lionsgate. The film is both written and directed by Gavin Hood, with inspiration from Orson Scott Card's 1985 novel of the same name. The film was released in theaters in 2013 to a mild reception from both critics and audiences. However, over the years, the film has garnered a cult following.
The film starred Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, and others in pivotal roles. Ender's Game takes place in a dystopian future, where the Earth is at war with an alien species of space invaders.
Ender's Game is currently streaming on Netflix.
6) Chaos Walking
Chaos Walking is a dystopian sci-fi action thriller from the house of Lionsgate. Directed by Doug Liman, the screenplay for the film is written by Christopher Ford alongside Patrick Ness, who also authored the Chaos Walking series of books that inspired the film.
The film released in theaters in 2021 starring Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Mads Mikkelsen, Demián Bichir, David Oyelowo, and others in pivotal roles. While the source literature has been praised widely and received multiple accolades, the screen adaptation for it could not fare well and was both a letdown for the critics as well as the box office.
Set a few centuries in the future, the story takes place on the dystopian planet of the 'New World', which is populated by only men. What sets it apart from any other interstellar human fiction is the Noise, which reveals everyone's thoughts as visible and audible cues.
Chaos Walking is available to the subscribers of FXNow in the U.S.
7) The 5th Wave
The 5th Wave is a sci-fi action film from Sony. Directed by J Blakeson, the screenplay is written by Susannah Grant, Akiva Goldsman, and Jeff Pinkner, with inspiration from Rick Yancey's 2010s sci-fi novel trilogy of the same name.
The cast features Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Alex Roe, Ron Livingston, Gabriela Lopez, and others in pivotal roles. While the film could not hit home with the critics, it did fairly well commercially, in spite of being different than its source material.
Set on an alternate dystopian Earth, The 5th Wave has aliens invading Earth through an elaborate strategic approach. Already having faced four different waves of their attacks, humanity is on its last leg in its fight for survival.
The 5th Wave is currently available on Starz.
8) Ready Player One
Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg is a sci-fi action film from the house of Warner Bros. Pictures. The screenplay was written by Zak Penn alongside Ernest Cline, who authored the 2011 book the film is based on.
The film starred Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Lena Waithe among others in pivotal roles. Premiered at the 2018 South by Southwest, Ready Player One was a Spielberg success for the critics as well as the audience. The film received multiple accolades as well as a green-lit sequel, which is currently in development.
Ready Player One is set in a different kind of dystopia compared to the other titles on this list. The film is set in an alternate near-future where most of humanity has chosen to detach from reality and immerse themselves in a virtual world called the OASIS.
Ready Player One has to be rented for anybody willing to catch the movie.
