Our collective obsession with coming-of-age dystopian films has made a raging comeback this year, and Divergent is just one of the classic film series that had us all in a chokehold in the mid-2010s. If the return of The Hunger Games has you nostalgic for simpler, more dystopian times, here are the top 10 films to remind you of that Divergent nostalgia.
1. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
The latest installment in the dystopian world has seriously refueled our obsession. As of January 2023, the movie is currently only available in theaters, but it features everything you want a dystopian film to feature. A corrupt government, a very twisted class system, and a romance that is doomed from the start. Seriously what more could you want? There’s love, there’s violence, and there are insane (in a good way) costumes.
2. The Giver
The Giver came out at the height of our collective obsession, and it follows the story of a teenage boy who lives in an idyllic and extremely binary society. As he spends time with the keeper of the society’s memories, he begins to learn that everything isn’t quite what it seems. He is then tasked with whether to defy the society he grew up in, or wrestle with the secrets he has learned for the rest of his life. The movie stars Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, and Brenton Thwaites, and is available to watch on Hulu.
3. The Maze Runner
The Maze Runner trilogy features a group of teenagers who are trying to piece together their lives and the truth after being dropped in the middle of a maze with no idea what happened before then. As the movies go on, they begin to discover secrets about the world they live in, and band together to escape the evil organization that rules over them. The movies stars Dylan O’Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Kaya Scodelario. All three films are available to rent on Apple TV.
4. The 5th Wave
Chloe Grace Moritz, Alex Roe, and Nick Robinson star in the 2016 sci-fi film about a teenager desperate to reunite with her family amidst an alien apocalypse. The cast must fend for themselves in a post-apocalyptic world as they deal with the realities of their lives and their future. This may seem like a far cry from the dystopia of 2010 novels, but when it boils down to it, it’s all about teenagers saving the world, and who doesn’t love that? The movie is available on Hulu.
5. Ready Player One
Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke star in the 2018 retelling of the novel by the same name. It takes place in 2045, when society is on the brink of collapse, and their only sanctuary from real life is a complex online gaming system, whose creator dies and leaves his fortune to the player that can find his digital Easter egg. Sheridan’s character joins the contest, and learns more than he ever wanted about the dangers of his world — and may even be an unlikely hero. The movie is available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.
6. Ender’s Game
Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford star in the 2013 film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s novel. The movie follows a young boy who is recruited to help the military prepare for an upcoming alien attack. Because of his knack for the training program, the colonel takes him under his wing and together they prepare to save the world alongside the other children recruited into the program. The movie is available to watch on Peacock.
7. Blade Runner 2049
The 2017 sequel to the original Blade Runner film stars Ryan Gosling as he discovers a secret that could end society as he knows it. As the newest Blade Runner on the LAPD, he goes on a journey to find a former Blade Runner who has been missing for decades in hopes of saving the world. From a dystopian world to an end-of-world mission, this movie has everything you want in a Divergent-esque classic.
8. The Darkest Minds
Amandla Stenberg and Harris Dickinson lead a group of teens who have been detained by the government because of their special powers. After escaping from captivity, the group of teenagers realizes that rather than running away they have to join together against the adult who betrayed them when they were children. Corrupt systems and found family, what more could you want? The 2018 film is available to rent on YouTube and Apple TV.
9. Percy Jackson & The Olympians
Speaking of found family, the 2010 adaptation of the Percy Jackson book series has the makings of a really good dystopian movie — if you ignore the books completely. Maybe fantasy is a better word, but either way the story of the children of Greek Gods on a quest to save the entire world from their fury. Logan Lerman and Alexandria Daddario lead the mission to fight the battles of Greek legend and ultimately save the world. The movie is available to stream on Hulu.
10. The Lego Movie
Okay, hear me out on this one. Sure, The Lego Movie is a little more lighthearted than a lot of the classic dystopian films that you may think of, but it has all of the qualities that fantasy fans look for. First and foremost, the main character discovers secrets about the world that he lives in that force him to confront reality and try to save the world. There is also an element of found family, undiscovered superpowers, and a very corrupt ruling class. It just happens to be in an animated brick form. The movie stars Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, and Chris Pratt, and is available to watch on Max.
If these movies don’t hit you right in that 2014 nostalgia, then nothing will. And if that’s not enough for you then most of them are also based on books, which may just be the key factor in a good dystopian movie. If that’s what you’re looking for, break out the flower crowns and Tumblr edits and get to binging.
