Dystopian movies mainly have a background of the future which portrays the contemporary side of society. If someone precisely studies the plot summary of these movies, they can understand that the storyline is designed to create pressure on the main protagonist of the drama. Possibly it was the worst situation for them.
However, the movie also provides several ways to fight against such pressurized situations. Along with that, it also provides a harsh and unique way to put forward the true nature of the superiority of mankind, which leads to the destruction of the environment.
Many such dystopian movies have been adapted from several novels that appeared with the nuclear war, alternate history, or some justice system of a certain era. These movies show what would happen if human culture did not take care of or stop whatever is happening around the globe currently.
Dystopian stories show the greater pause of disbelief and arrival of reality in an imaginative form to inform people about the upcoming trouble for the planet. However, in this genre, the makers had the freedom to show their creativity level. Not only that, but the invention of an imaginary world and some supernatural powers are also the most attractive part of these dystopian movies. This fictional genre provides the makers with a different path to show their originality and scale of thinking power.
Here is a list of 30 such dystopian movies that one can watch without any hesitation.
30. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
- Director: Francis Lawrence
- Writers: Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt
- Cast: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee
- IMDb Ratings: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90 %
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime videos
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is one of the best dystopian movies of all time. The film starts with the remarkable victory of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the 74th Annual Hunger Games. However, after acquiring such a thing, they decided to move forward with their Victors Tour. But the story takes a turn when Katniss gets to know about a revolution. The movie’s concept proceeds with the unwanted changes in the statutes for the upcoming 75th Hunger Games.
29. Mad Max: Fury Road
- Director: George Miller
- Writers: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nico Lathouris
- Cast:
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
Mad Max: Fury Road shows the post-apocalyptic scenes after the end of civilization. This dystopian fiction shows how a woman tries to find out a way for the human population. The film proceeds with the revolutionary act of a woman along with a community of female prisoners against a dominant species to find her motherland. However, Max, the man of action who wanted to feel peace of mind after his family’s death, had accompanied them.
28. Blade Runner
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Writers: Hampton Fancher and David Peoples
- Cast: Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty, Sean Young as Rachael, Edward James Olmos as Gaff, M. Emmet Walsh as Bryant, Daryl Hannah as Pris, William Sanderson as J.F. Sebastian
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix, HBO Max
Blade Runner is one of the best action dystopian movies. The movie starts when Deckard is forced by his Boss to appear with his prior employment system as a Replicant Hunter. He has been appointed to save the entire world and to throw out the Replicants who have invaded the Earth as the returnees. But before starting this assignment, he went to the girl whom he loves, Rachel, who is a Replicant girl.
27. Dark City
- Director: Alex Proyas
- Writers: Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs, and David S. Goyer
- Cast: Rufus Sewell as John Murdoch, William Hurt as Inspector Frank Bumstead, Kiefer Sutherland as Dr. Daniel P. Schroeder, Jennifer Connelly as Emma Murdoch, Richard O’Brien as Mr. Hand, Ian Richardson as Mr. Book, Bruce Spence as Mr. Wall
- IMDb Ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix, Amazon Prime videos
Dark City can be considered one of the best dystopian movies which show alien invasion in human history. The story starts when John Murdoch gets up from a long sleep and finds himself a wanted murderer. However, the problem begins when he cannot remember whether he has committed these crimes or not. But his unpuzzled identity made him a psychopath. As the story proceeds and the mystery unfolds, John realizes that a community of dreadful entities there in the background known as The Strangers.
26. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
- Director: J.J. Abrams
- Writers: J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio
- Cast: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran
- IMDb Ratings: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 52 %
- Streaming Platform: Disney + Hotstar
The movie which depicts the dystopian culture is the ninth episode of the Star Wars film trilogy. However, the drama begins with the rebirth of Emperor Palpatine. After his rejuvenation, he revived the long-term combat between the Resistance and the First Order. Whereas along with this battle, the well-known conflict between Jed and the Sith Lord also came into consideration.
25. Minority Report
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Writers: Scott Frank and Jon Cohen
- Cast: Tom Cruise as Chief John Anderton, Max von Sydow as Lamar Burgess, Colin Farrell as Danny Witwer, Samantha Morton as Agatha Lively, Lois Smith as Dr. Iris Hineman, Kathryn Morris as Lara Anderton
- IMDb Ratings: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime videos
Tom Cruise is the main protagonist of this sci-fi thriller movie. Minority Report has been adapted from a novel of the same name which illustrates an environment in the dystopian future. The drama is set in 2054 in Washington, D.C. To control the crime situation in that era, a technology appeared which could catch the murders before perpetrating the offense. However, the movie gained interest when the head of this unit was accused of murder.
24. Battle Royale
- Director: Kinji Fukasaku
- Writers: Kenta Fukasaku
- Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara as Shuya Nanahara, Aki Maeda as Noriko Nakagawa, Tarō Yamamoto as Shogo Kawada, Takeshi Kitano as Kitano, Masanobu Andō as Kazuo Kiriyama, Kou Shibasaki as Mitsuko Souma, Chiaki Kuriyama as Takako Chigusa
- IMDb Ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- Streaming Platform: iTunes, Amazon Prime videos
Battle Royale has been adapted from a novel of the same name which shows an unbelievable game of survival and slaughtering each other. This fictional narrative starts when the 9th graders are allotted a map, food, and various weapons and dumped on an island. However, the main destructive thing of this movie was the explosive collars that are fitted around everyone’s neck. Throughout the mission, contenders have to kill each other and have to become the last survivor of the island to leave it.
23. The City of Lost Children
- Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro
- Writers: Jeunet and Gilles Adrien
- Cast: Ron Perlman as One, Judith Vittet as Miette, Daniel Emilfork as Krank, Joseph Geneviève Brunet as the Octopus, Jean-Claude Dreyfus as Marcello, Jean-Louis Trintignant as Uncle Irvin, Mireille Mossé as Martha
- IMDb Ratings: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime videos
This is one of the best dystopian films, which has a fantasy-based science fiction environment. Krank is the antagonist of this drama who lost the capability to dream. However, to fight against his death, he used to steal the dreams of children. Likewise, he chooses Denree, a 5-year-old young boy, as his subject for his evil deeds. But soon, his father, One, and his 9-year-old friend, Miette, came up together to defeat Krank and get back Denree.
22. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
- Director: Francis Lawrence
- Writers: Peter Craig and Danny Strong
- Cast: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin
- IMDb Ratings: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime videos
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is one of the best dystopian movies in the Hunger Games franchise. The movie regains life when all the members named Katniss Everdeen, Gale, Finnick, and Beetee, put a permanent end mark on the game. However, all the members rejoin again to save Peeta and the human beings.
21. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
- Director: George Miller and George Ogilvie
- Writers: Terry Hayes and George Miller
- Cast: Mel Gibson as Max “Mad Max,” Tina Turner as Aunty “Entity,” Bruce Spence as Jedediah “The Pilot,” Adam Cockburn as Jedediah Jr.
- IMDb Ratings: 6.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
- Streaming Platform: iTunes, Amazon Prime videos
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome post-apocalyptic setup. This science-fiction movie starts when Max takes shelter in a desert city named Bartertown in the post-apocalypse world. After Max shifts into the evil world of Turner, he is dumped into that desert. Over there, he tried to rescue some orphans residing there for years and sought help. However, Max tried to help them to get out of the desert and tried to settle into the town.
20. Blade Runner 2049
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Writers: Hampton Fancher and Michael Green
- Cast: Ryan Gosling as K AKA Joe, Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, Ana de Armas as Joi, Sylvia Hoeks as Luv, Robin Wright as Lt. Joshi, Mackenzie Davis as Mariette, Carla Juri as Dr. Ana Stelline, Lennie James as Mister Cotton
- IMDb Ratings: 8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
Blade Runner 2049 is the second film of the blade runner franchise. The story of this dystopian film is about Officer K, who is a newly joined blade runner of the Los Angeles Police Department. To show his efficiency towards society, he tried to unfold the mystery which has been buried for 30 years. His work created a chaotic situation in society when he found out Rick Deckard, who was a former blade runner and went missing for 30 years.
19. Children of Men
- Director: Alfonso Cuarón
- Writers: Alfonso Cuarón
- Cast: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam
- IMDb Ratings: 7.9 /10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime videos
Children of Men is a sci-fi thriller movie that has a background of 2027. When infertility invades the human race and questions its existence, miraculously, an individual presents her as the first pregnant woman of that era who appeared as a ray of hope for the made suffering. However, the sci-fi film proceeds with the protection of the dystopian future of the Earth.
18. Never Let Me Go
- Director: Mark Romanek
- Writers: Alex Garland
- Cast: Carey Mulligan as Kathy H, Isobel Meikle-Small as young Kathy, Keira Knightley as Ruth C, Ella Purnell as young Ruth, Andrew Garfield as Tommy D, Charlie Rowe as young Tommy, Sally Hawkins as Miss Lucy
- IMDb Ratings: 7.1 /10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime videos
This science-fiction romantic movie depicts feelings of love, hatred, and jealousy. Friends Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth are the main protagonists of this film who had grown together in a boarding school named Hailsham. However, after finishing their schooling, they face the real truth that their fate has already been written, and their lives will be proceeding on that scripted path. Simultaneously, they faced different genres in their lives, which helped them to taste reality.
17. Artificial Intelligence: AI
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Writers: Steven Spielberg
- Cast: Haley Joel Osment as David, Frances O’Connor as Monica Swinton, Sam Robards as Henry Swinton, Jude Law as Gigolo Joe, Jake Thomas as Martin Swinton, William Hurt as Professor Allen Hobby
- IMDb Ratings: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
- Streaming Platform: iTunes, Hulu
This movie is one of the best dystopian films in which a robotic boy named David is the main protagonist. For a test case, he was programmed with the feeling of love. However, this programming turns David just like a human child for that Cybertronics employee and his wife. But David’s luge became hard when he tried to gain acceptance just like a human. Gradually, he discerned where did he belong.
16. THX 1138
- Director: George Lucas
- Writers: Lucas and Walter Murch
- Cast: Robert Duvall as THX 1138, Donald Pleasence as SEN 5241, Maggie McOmie as LUH 3417, Don Pedro Colley as the hologram actor SRT 5752, Ian Wolfe as the old prisoner PTO, Marshall Efron as prisoner TWA
- IMDb Ratings: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon prime videos
The movie is set in a distant future were where mankind used to live in the crash lands of the underground city which was situated under the surface of the Earth. Over there it was necessary to have medication that control human nature and emotions. However, the story takes turns when THX 1138 and LUH 3417 fall for each other and wanted to escape from this futuristic world.
15. X-Men: Days of Future Past
- Director: Bryan Singer
- Writers: Simon Kinberg
- Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Elliot Page, Peter Dinklage, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart
- IMDb Ratings: 8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Streaming Platform: Disney + Hotstar
To save the dystopian world from the mutants who were trying to mankind, Dr. Bolivar Trask invented the Sentinels. Sentinels are robotic weapons that can detect mutant genes. However, as time passed, this weapon was termed as one of the most important ones. On the other hand, Wolverine travels to the past to meet his only hope, X-Men, to reverse the momentum of history and save the futuristic cities.
14. Gattaca
- Director: Andrew Niccol
- Writers: Andrew Niccol
- Cast: Ethan Hawke as Vincent Freeman, Uma Thurman às Irene Cassini, Jude Law as Jerome Eugene Morrow, Loren Dean as Anton Freeman, Vincent Nielson as young Anton, William Lee Scott as teenage Anton
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon prime videos
This space opera movie is about Vincent Freeman who always wishes to travel to outer space. But as he has an inferior genetic structure, he was not allowed to do so. As an option, he decided to purchase valid genes from Jerome Morrow which will help him to join the Gattaca space program. Wherein a turn came into the story when a Gattaca officer died, which put Vincent in trouble.
13. The lobster
- Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
- Writers: Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou
- Cast: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen, Ariane Labed, Angeliki Papoulia, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux, Michael Smiley, Ben Whishaw
- IMDb Ratings: 7.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon prime videos
The story of the drama is about David who becomes devastated when his wife leaves him for another man. After that, he moved to a hotel where within 45 days he has to find a partner or he will be transformed into an animal according to his liking. However, David chose to be a lobster if he failed to get a partner.
12. Okja
- Director: Bong Joon-ho
- Writers: Bong Joon-ho and Jon Ronson
- Cast: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Ahn Seo-hyun, Byun Hee-bong, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Yoon Je-moon, Shirley Henderson, Daniel Henshall, Devon Bostick, Choi Woo-Shik
- IMDb Ratings: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
In an alternate reality, Mija has been wished to be the constant caretaker of Okja who is a massive animal for ten years in the mountains of South Korea. But the situation changed when Okja was transported to New York for multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation. Later, Mija went out to rescue Okja without any presentable plan.
11. WALL-E
- Director: Andrew Stanton
- Writers: Andrew Stanton
- Cast: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver
- IMDb Ratings: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
- Streaming Platform: Disney + Hotstar
The movie shows the love story of two robots. Shortly, WALL-E is the only robot left on Earth. Cleaning the entire Earth is his only work. However, he develops a lonely character since he was alone on Earth for 700 years. However, then he noticed EVE who came back to the Earth for a scanning mission, and fell for her. Well, both the robots join each other’s company and try to alter the near future of mankind.
10. Dredd
- Director: Pete Travis
- Writers: Alex Garland
- Cast: Karl Urban as Dredd, Olivia Thirlby as Cassandra Anderson, Lena Headey as Madeline “Ma-Ma” Madrigal, Wood Harris as Kay, Warrick Grier as Ma-Ma’s right-hand man, DeObia Oparei as TJ, Peach Trees’ medic; Francis Chouler as Judge Guthrie, Daniel Hadebe as Judge Volt
- IMDb Ratings: 7.1 /10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix, Amazon prime videos
The story of this futuristic city is about the crime and violence of the metropolis. This crime background led to several murder and death scenes which have been investigated by a furious cop name Dredd and psychic tookie Cassandra. During the investigation, an underground society of drugs emerged which has been run by lord Ma-Ma.
9. Snowpiercer
- Director: Bong Joon-ho
- Writers: Bong Joon-ho and Kelly Masterson
- Cast: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremner, Ko Asung, John Hurt, Ed Harris
- IMDb Ratings: 7.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon prime videos
This post-apocalyptic future sci-fi drama depicts the lifestyle of the people who have survived Earth’s second ice age. However, they planned to travel around the globe on a luxurious train. Well, the plan goes on track until the team and strategy, headed by Curtis, control the engine of the train.
8. Idiocracy
- Director: Mike Judge
- Writers: Mike Judge and Etan Cohen
- Cast: Luke Wilson as Joe Bauers, Maya Rudolph as Rita, Dax Shepard as Frito Pendejo, David Herman as Secretary of State, Justin Long as Doctor Lexus, Andrew Wilson as Beef Supreme, Randal Reeder as Secret Service Thug
- IMDb Ratings: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon prime videos
The story of this American sci-fi drama starts when Joe Bowers gets selected for a secret experiment. The experiment was to put Joe in hibernation with Rita for a year. However, the movie gained the interest of the viewers when both of them got out of their hibernation period. After waking up Joe termed him as the most intelligent and smartest man in the world because of the average intelligence of humans.
7. Sleeper
- Director: Woody Allen
- Writers: Marshall Brickman
- Cast: Woody Allen as Miles Monroe, Diane Keaton as Luna Schlosser, Don Keefer as Doctor Tryon, John Beck as Erno Windt
- IMDb Ratings: 7.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon prime videos
The story of this sci-fi movie with the essence of comedy shows the tale of Miles Monroe. After his death, his family wanted to cryogenically freeze him. However, he wakes up near future with the help of certain radicals. After this when the cops tried to arrest Miles he disguised himself as a robot. During this process, he met Luna with whom he fell in love.
6. Equilibrium
- Director: Kurt Wimmer
- Writers: Kurt Wimmer
- Cast: Christian Bale as John Preston, Emily Watson as Mary O’Brien, Taye Diggs as Andrew Brandt, Angus Macfadyen as Vice Counsel DuPont, Sean Bean as Errol Partridge
- IMDb Ratings: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 41%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon prime videos
The movie is about a world where human emotions are prohibited and these feelings are criminal offenses that can lead to death. The main protagonist is John Preston who is a government agent who punishes those who do not follow these rules. However, he skipped his mind-altering drug, Prozium, which led to the arrival of certain emotions in his life.
5. Escape from New York
- Director: John Carpenter
- Writers: John Carpenter and Nick Castle
- Cast: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau
- IMDb Ratings: 7.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix, Amazon prime videos
This sci-fi movie is set in the background of 1997 when the end of the war between the United States and the Soviet Union had turned the whole island of Manhattan into a security prison. When the president was held hostage by some individuals, a former Special Forces soldier was appointed for the rescue mission. However, he was a soldier who turned into a criminal, and as a reward for this mission, he yearned for his freedom.
4. Videodrome
- Director: David Cronenberg
- Writers: David Cronenberg
- Cast: James Woods, Sonja Smits, Deborah Harry, Peter Dvorsky, Les Carlson, Jack Creley, Lynne Gorman
- IMDb Ratings: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon prime videos
The story starts with the curiosity of Max Renn who is the president of a trashy TV channel. To increase his social status he has been searching for a new program to attract more viewers. As a result, Max broadcasted “Videodrome,” a TV show which shows a different aspect of a tortured life. Nonetheless, Max’s investigation begins about the show when his girlfriend went missing after the audition. Later he unfolds that the violence that has been put forward in this show is not fake.
3. The Matrix
- Director: The Wachowskis
- Writers: The Wachowskis
- Cast: Keanu Reeves as Thomas Anderson AKA Neo, Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus, Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity, Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith, Joe Pantoliano as Cypher, Marcus Chong as Tank, Anthony Ray Parker as Dozer
- IMDb Ratings: 8.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
The story of the drama shows Neo’s belief that Morpheus was the most dangerous man alive came into consideration when Morpheus tried to capture his entire life in The Matrix. After contacting Trinity Neo went to Morpheus’s world to fight a battle against him for the sake of the lives of the intelligent secret agents.
2. Total Recall
- Director: Paul Verhoeven
- Writers: Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon, and Gary Goldman
- Cast: Colin Farrell as Douglas Quaid AKA Agent Carl Hauser, Jessica Biel as Melina, Bryan Cranston as Chancellor Vilos Cohaagen, Bokeem Woodbine as Agent Harry
- IMDb Ratings: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
This sci-fi movie is about Douglas Quaid who is a construction worker and dreams to visit Mars. However, he came in contact with a company that can implant fake scenarios and memories into brains named “Rekall”. The real reason to contact such a company is to experience the essence of visiting Mars. Later he learned that his entire life was a lie and the people who had implanted such memories wanted him to die
1. Moon
- Director: Duncan Jones
- Writers: Nathan Parker
- Cast: Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell, Kevin Spacey as the voice of GERTY, Dominique McElligott as Tess Bell, Kaya Scodelario as Eve Bell, Rosie Shaw as Younger Even, Benedict Wong as Thompson, Matt Berry as Overmeyers, Malcolm Stewart as the technician
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Streaming Platform: Hulu, Amazon prime videos
The story of this film is about Astronaut Sam Bell who has been on the three-year shift at a lunar mine work contract. He was excited to meet his family but the movie took a turn when his health worsened. Painful headaches and hallucinations were the main causes of his deteriorating health. During this process, he met his clone, a younger version of him.
The above-mentioned movies will provide the viewer with the perfect feeling of a dystopian background and the essence of dystopian societies. Not only action but also the essence of romance and comedy too are also a big part of these movies. Dystopian dramas have a dark tone of the human nationality which is harming and threatening the future and it’s existence. Hopefully, these movies will provide the spectators with a clear idea about where and why one can watch dystopian films.
