The Top 40 Best Dystopian Films More People Must See

Leading roles: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O’Connor

IMDb Score: 7.2/10

If you think our computer science is advanced, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Stephen Spielberg provides a futuristic Pinocchio story about a robot boy who just wants to be human. It’s definitely a grower, as evidenced by critic Roger Ebert. Initially he didn’t get the movie’s subtle genius but then gave it a glowing review ten years later. Maybe his conscience was his guide.

Gross profit (worldwide): $210,888,950

Number of awards: 31 wins, 117 nominations

District 9 begins as a social-commentary-slash-mockumentary about literal illegal aliens but before you know it you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat. And possibly weeping. The movie came about when Peter Jackson had $30 million spare following the cancellation of another project. First-time director Bompkamp was given free rein — and his debut knocked it out of the park.

Director: Wes Anderson

IMDb Score: 7.8

An all-star cast including Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, and Scarlett Johansson lend their voices to Isle of Dogs, a Japan-based stop-motion movie in the midst of a dog flu outbreak. If you’ve ever had a dog this movie will touch you deeply because at its core it deals with the unconditional love that man’s best friend provides. Even if the world around you is tumbling down.

Leading roles: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, Alan Tudyk

Gross profit (worldwide): $353,133,898

I, Robot brings you into a futuristic world based on renowned sci-fi author Isaac Asimov’s short stories in which robots are bound by their programming to serve man. What could possibly go wrong? The general concept may be a little old hat by now but the movie’s execution makes up for any familiar themes. And after watching it you may even find yourself thanking your toaster.

Director: Mike Judge

Leading roles: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard

Luke Wilson plays an everyman who’s put in suspended animation, wakes up 500 years into the future and becomes the most intelligent person on Earth thanks to a process of reversed natural selection called dysgenics. As you can imagine given the concept, it’s very rude and crass. But if you’re a fan of satire, then it won’t disappoint.

Number of awards: 6 wins, 9 nominations

IMDb Score: 6.2/10

Kevin Costner stars in Waterworld, which offers a chilling glimpse of our future in the aftermath of melting polar regions. When the movie first hit theaters it was considered a massive flop both critically and financially. But it’s since become a cult classic and screenwriter Peter Rader informed BBC Culture in 2020 that the film’s now “one of the most successful movies” Universal’s ever made.

Gross profit (worldwide): $358,372,926

Leading roles: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton

Tom Cruise plays the lead in this Steven Spielberg flick set in a near-future where Big Brother doesn’t just watch what people do but also what they could potentially do — and punishes them for it. Minority Report examines police corruption, makes you question the concept of free will, and offers a dark look into what the future might hold. Vomit sticks and all.

Number of awards: 94 wins, 95 nominations

IMDb score: 8.4/10

Who’d have thought a dystopian future would be delivered from the minds of PIxar? The filmmakers warn us all of the dangers of idleness and over-littering through the eyes of the adorable titular robot, WALL-E. They manage to do it in the magical way only Pixar can, too, gathering six Oscar nominations in the process.

Director: James McTeigue

Gross profit (worldwide): $132,511,035

V for Vendetta takes place in a repressive England where the ruthless authorities are opposed by the anarchist rebel V. If this sounds familiar, you may have read the original graphic novel by Alan Moore. But Moore’s horrendous experiences in Hollywood led him to sever connections with the production and his proceeds now go to the artist of the comics instead.

Leading roles: Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer

Number of awards: 3 wins, 16 nominations

On the surface, Starship Troopers is a goofy action movie about soldiers fighting a war against alien bugs. But underneath the violence and bug gloop it’s actually a misunderstood satire based on a book that — depending on who you believe — may actually itself be a misunderstood satire. Come for the critter squashing, stay for political spotlights. If you can find them under the mountains of bug bits, of course.

Gross profit (worldwide): $1,349,711

IMDb score: 8.3/10

This early dystopian movie brings you into a world where the privileged have everything but the poor live below them — both literally and in their quality of lives. Metropolis was actually revolutionary for its time, in terms special effects and vision. In fact, it’s fair to say it wasn’t until modern audiences saw the film that it received the recognition it deserved.

Leading roles: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain

Number of awards: 44 wins, 148 nominations

Interstellar’s set in a topical near-future where climate change threatens the inhabitants of Earth, which leads them to seek a new planet to call their own. For the quantum theorists and space enthusiasts out there, the movie’s been meticulously researched and director Christopher Nolan brought experts in to lend a hand with the theoretical visual FX, too. Now that’s some out-of-this-world dedication.

Director: Terry Gilliam

Gross profit (worldwide): $168,839,459

In 12 Monkeys Bruce Willis stars as a man who travels through time to stop a deadly virus from ravaging mankind to the point of the population having to take refuge underground. Interestingly, Willis worked for nothing, both because of budget constraints and for the privilege of collaborating with director Terry Gilliam. The actor only accepted payment after the movie’s successful release.

Leading roles: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law

IMDb score: 7.8/10

The denizens of Gattaca are genetically engineered to breed out flaws — but ironically critics considered the movie far from perfect when it hit cinemas. It’s since gained a cult following, though. The movie’s marketing campaign involved advertising that offered to genetically engineer children for the public. Controversially, the stunt received thousands of responses from eager parents.

Director: Bryan Singer

Number of awards: 16 wins, 48 nominations total

After a few critical misses in the X-Men franchise, Bryan Singer returned the Marvel mutants to form in Days of Future Past. This installment follows fan favorite Wolverine as he travels through time to prevent a dark future ruled by an army of homicidal machines. The way Singer balances his impressive cast and the central motif of paradox-filled second chances is nothing short of uncanny.

Gross profit (worldwide): $8,430,492

Leading roles: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton

Okay, so the title dates the movie a little but 1984 — based on the classic novel of the same name — is still commonly referenced as the epitome of a totalitarian state. Starring the late, great John Hurt, the movie plunges viewers into a nightmarish world where Big Brother’s always watching. Observing the broken protagonists is a chilling experience but you still won’t be able to look away.

Number of awards: 10 wins, 30 nominations

Director: Luc Besson

During the 23rd century evil threatens to consume the universe and only the titular fifth element — embodied in the form of Milla Jovovich’s character, Leeloo — can stop it. Though the actress had previously starred in Return to the Blue Lagoon at the tender age of 15, it was The Fifth Element that really kick-started her career and put her on the path to Hollywood stardom.

Leading roles: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss

Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski

For many people, The Matrix needs no introduction — but it might need an explanation! The movie’s plot baffled plenty of viewers when it was released but they were enthralled by its sinister A.I.-enslaved world nevertheless. And it presents an intriguing question: would you prefer to live a sweet lie if the truth was a bitter pill to swallow?

IMDb score: 6.8/10

Gross profit (worldwide): $162,949,164

Michael Bay took a departure from his usual explosion-fests to direct a futuristic movie about a group of slaves hoping to win a lottery and move to a paradise — the titular island. It actually paled in comparison to Bay’s blockbusters and that wasn’t the only hiccup. Apparently, a legal battle occurred when The Clonus Horror’s director filed for plagiarism, though the issue was eventually settled out of court.

Number of awards: 34 wins, 83 nominations

Leading roles: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden

One word sums up The Lobster: weird. We don’t mean that in a negative sense; it’s a wonderfully nonsensical story about a man forced to find a new relationship within a time limit before he turns into an animal. And it isn’t dystopian in the conventional sense, either, though its low-key tone certainly has the same unsettling effect on viewers. It’s one you’ll just have to watch to understand.

Director: Rupert Sanders

Gross profit (worldwide): $169,846,945

Based on a comic and animation of the same name, Ghost in the Shell stars Scarlett Johansson as a cyber-soldier hunting down the criminal element. For anime fans, the movie actually stays fairly true to the source material — parts of the city were even re-created from the original comic and Japanese critics consider it on a par with the classic 1995 anime.

IMDb score: 6.8/10

Number of awards: 7 wins, 4 nominations

Our current technology-driven society is metaphorically a young person’s world, And that’s literally the case in Logan’s Run, which envisions a future where anyone past 30 is reduced to human mulch. Though the film’s ironically showing its age now, the carousel scene at the start is actually still one of the most elaborate stunts in the history of cinema. Maybe age is just a number, then.

IMDb score: 8.2/10

Leading roles: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney

Can you imagine a world in which people air everything they do all day every day to an audience hanging on their every action? Oh wait… anyway, The Truman Show isn’t just a thought-provoking watch featuring the ever-entertaining Jim Carrey — it also spawned an entire psychological disorder. Yes, following its 2008 release psychologists encountered patients convinced they were in a reality TV show, a condition experts dubbed “Truman Syndrome.”

Gross profit (worldwide): $694,394,724

Director: Gary Ross

Based on a book series, The Hunger Games became a movie phenomenon that’s spawned four films to date — and more are in the works. But so far the original’s arguably the strongest and most impactful entry in the series. Viewers were transported to a future where the poor are forced to fight in a series of conflicts to earn fame and fortune for their families… if they survive.

Leading roles: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton

Number of awards: 34 wins, 105 nominations

When attempts to combat global warming backfire, the human race retreat from the plummeting temperatures to a perpetually moving train. Some theorize that Snowpiercer’s a post-apocalyptic retelling of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and there are certainly a lot of similarities. It has poverty, “chocolate” protein blocks, and a character who emblazons everything with a big “W.” Makes you think, doesn’t it?

IMDb score: 6.6/10

Gross profit (worldwide): $38,122,105

Reality TV’s getting stranger all the time but at least it isn’t as extreme as the show depicted in The Running Man. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a falsely convicted man forced into a violent game show where the prize is the contestants’ freedom — at their risk of their lives. But did you know it’s actually based on a 1982 novel by Richard Bachman, which was in turn a pen name for Stephen King?

Leading roles: Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young

Director: Richard Fleischer

The original Soylent Green novel and its subsequent film adaptation have permeated into pop culture so deeply that they’re still referenced today. So even if you haven’t seen the movie, you’ve probably encountered a spoof of it or heard the film’s most popular line — spoiler alert — “Soylent Green is people!” The real question is: what does it taste like? We think it varies from person to person.

Number of awards: 11 wins, 24 nominations

Gross profit (worldwide): $185,382,813

Though Watchmen’s based on a graphic novel by Alan Moore, it’s quite far removed from the original source material. Still, its gritty world where superheroes aren’t the bright beacons of hope they’re usually portrayed as is a fine film in its own right. And it turns out that almost none of the actors had even heard of the graphic novel before casting. Rorschach actor Jackie Earle Haley’s the only exception.

IMDb score: 7.9/10

Leading roles: Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Children of Men’s another example of a movie based on a novel. But this time it didn’t even stick to the plot of the original book — and it’s one of the fairly rare examples where that choice paid off. Yes, despite this departure, the film adaption’s a tense, emotional journey through a world where a refugee’s wondrous pregnancy brings hope to end mankind’s infertility problem. Or does it?

Gross profit (worldwide): $404,980,543

Number of awards: 10 wins, 25 nominations

Based on a cyberpunk manga called Battle Angel Alita, the movie had a lot of hype to live up to. It took around 15 years to develop, after all, and even then James Cameron had other commitments and so needed to collaborate with Robert Rodriguez to finish it. The end result was considered a financial failure, despite worldwide box office profits of $400 million. Sounds like a lot of Benjamins to us, though.

Director: Stanley Kubrick

IMDb score: 8.3/10

Set in a dystopian Britain, A Clockwork Orange follows a crazed gang leader and an experiment gone awry. The movie was available worldwide except for in the U.K. because director Stanley Kubrick withdrew it shortly after its release due to copycat violence. The embargo was still in effect at the time of the Kubrick’s death in 1999, though that didn’t stop determined British viewers from tracking down such a forbidden fruit.

Leading roles: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee

Director: John Hillcoat

Cormac McCarthy paved the way for a movie adaptation of his novel The Road, which documents a post-apocalyptic trip by an unnamed father and son across a dark and hopeless wasteland. It’s bleak and the protagonists are always one step away from being becoming a meal. But the film proves that even when things are at their darkest, if you carry the fire there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

IMDb score: 8.1/10

Number of awards: 12 wins, 19 nominations

Few sci-fi movies reach the heights of the cyberpunk phenomenon that is Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford at his very best. While the film raises the question of where humanity begins and ends, it isn’t the impressive themes that make the movie what it is. It’s the incredible world-building that transports you to its dark future and refuses to let go long after the credits roll.

Leading roles: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter

IMDb score: 8.0/10

Despite being over 50 years old, the original Planet of the Apes still holds up thanks to the cast’s excellent performances and special effects that were revolutionary for the time. Actually, the ape masks took so long to reapply that the cast left them on all day — including when they were on breaks. What’s more, actors with masks of the same species naturally gravitated to each other. That’s bananas!

Gross profit (worldwide): $261,317,921

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Schwarzenegger takes the lead role in Total Recall, which is based on a short story called “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.” From second-class mutant citizens to a main character with false memories, the movie touches on so many tropes that it should be a giant cliché. Instead, though, director Paul Verhoeven zigs rather than zags and provides an incredibly imaginative experience that defies all expectations.

Number of awards: 4 Nominations

Leading roles: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine

Kurt Russell stars as sneering anti-hero Snake Plissken, a criminal sent to rescue the president from the high-security prison island of Manhattan in the far-flung year of 1997. Before Russell was cast as Snake — which incidentally remains his favorite role — his image was family-friendly thanks to his previous work with Disney. Escape From New York showed Hollywood his acting chops and he never looked back.

IMDb score: 8.6/10

Director: James Cameron

When a hostile supercomputer called Skynet takes over the world, it produces an army of killer robots to terminate mankind. The time-jumping Terminator series is a sci-fi fan favorite and Judgment Day in particular stands out in the franchise. Who doesn’t love to watch two killing machines fighting each other? It’s like a hi-tech Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots.

Gross profit (worldwide): $53,425,389

Leading roles: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O’Herlihy

Robocop tells the story of a wounded police officer who’s given a new lease of life as a cyborg enforcer in a crime-ridden, futuristic Detroit. It’s an instant classic but virtually every director who saw the script rejected it — and even Paul Verhoeven almost left it in the trash. Thankfully, his wife also read the screenplay and persuaded Verhoeven that Robocop was more than just a generic action flick.

Number of awards: 7 wins, 9 nominations

Leading roles: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto

Before The Hunger Games there was Battle Royale and, though comparisons are inevitable, these are actually very different movies. The latter takes place in dystopian Japan and its “participants” are all captives. It shares the same brutality and if you like one, you’ll enjoy the other. But for the record The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins says any similarities are entirely coincidental.

Number of awards: 247 wins, 233 nominations

IMDb score: 8.1

Based on the original 1979 wasteland warrior movie, Mad Max: Fury Road’s a re-imagining with a difference — both films were made by director George Miller. As such, it stays true to the spirit of its predecessor, albeit at a much higher octane. Miller even still prefers practical effects over CGI and so out of the 150 specially made vehicles, half were totaled in the process of filming. Now that’s just crazy!