The early to mid-2010s introduced us to the world of dystopian fiction, in novels like Divergent, The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and many more. When these beloved novels turned into blockbuster films, fans watched and relived their childhoods.
In Divergent, we meet Tris Prior, who lives in a world where society is divided into five factions. As she reaches adulthood, Tris must choose a faction and commit to it for life. When she discovers she’s Divergent, having the ability to fit into more than one faction, she is thrown into a world preparing for war.
If you enjoyed watching Divergent or just like dystopian films, check out these five movies like Divergent now.
5. The Giver (2014)
Our fifth selection is The Giver, based on the novel by Lois Lowry. Like Tris, Jonas’ society has been changed to a “utopia” where society is equalized, colorless, and has no knowledge of love or pain. When Jonas receives his societal role though, he is given Receiver of Memories. He meets The Giver, travels through memories of joy, pain, and love, and realizes there’s more to life than his current one.
–IMDb score: 6.4
4. Ender’s Game (2013)
Ender’s Game takes dystopia into space after Earth gets ravaged by the Formics, an alien race determined to destroy humanity. Fifty years later, the people of Earth come together to try and prevent destruction by creating a battle school and enlisting young children to fight. This is where Ender Wiggin comes into play; a quiet but brilliant boy who will be tested and honed into an empathetic killer to try and save Earth.
–IMDb score: 6.6
3. The Maze Runner (2014)
Instead of being split into four factions like Tris, Thomas must find a way out of a seemingly impossible maze in The Maze Runner. Thomas arrives in the glade at the center of a giant maze with no memory of his previous life but quickly becomes part of the group when he scores a promotion to Runner and can explore the maze to try and find the elusive way out.
–IMDb score: 6.8
CHECK OUT: 20 Netflix Dystopian Movies That Will Change Your Worldview
2. The Hunger Games (2012)
One of the most famous dystopian franchises is The Hunger Games, prompting prequel films and books by author Suzanne Collins. In the film, the nation of Panem is divided into 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two representatives from each District must participate in The Hunger Games, a contest to crown the lone survivor. When Katniss’s younger sister Prim is selected for the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss takes her place instead and begins a revolutionary chain of events.
–IMDb score: 7.2
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1. Ready Player One (2018)
Our final selection is Ready Player One, based on the book by Ernest Cline. It’s 2045 and the real world is a harsh place prompting people to escape into the OASIS, an immersive virtual universe. The creator, James Halliday, leaves an immense fortune and control of the Oasis to the winner of a three-part contest and sets off a mad race to solve the puzzles. When Wade Watts completes the first challenge, he and his friends are thrown into a world of danger and discovery to save the OASIS.
–IMDb score: 7.4