A few days ago, I wrote an article on best Hollywood films based on the post-apocalyptic theme. If you have the read the article, you must have wondered that many films were missing from the list. However, there was a reason and quite a good one for that matter that I omitted many films from post-apocalyptic movies list.
Well, movies are based on genre and this genre actually, gives us the rough idea of the theme and concept of a particular film. Over the time, post-apocalyptic films, a sub-genre of science fiction, have seen a tremendous amount of development. The basic idea that started by making a film based on the survival of humanity after an apocalypse got evolved in the process developing a new genre called dystopian.
Although the concept of both post-apocalyptic and dystopian films is the same as both are set after an apocalyptic run on Earth, the central theme is often distinct from one another. While the post-apocalyptic films convey the story of survival post-apocalypse, the dystopian films tell us about a whole new regressive society or community that was a result after the apocalypse. In the dystopian culture, the humanity has already survived but lived under a repressive dystopia.
So, without wasting any time, let’s check out some of the best dystopian films from Hollywood over the years.
Table of Contents
Best Hollywood Dystopian Movies of All Time
The Matrix
The first on our list of best Dystopian movies is, of course, the cult favorite The Matrix. The film presented us an alternate reality that could be possible if the machines take over humanity and dominate the Earth. The Matrix basically follows the life of Neo and his team, who rebel against the sentient machines to free the people from the dream world. The movie became an instant hit among the mass and is even today considered as one of the epic movies of all time. The franchise was extended further with two other sequels; The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
Divergent
The world was influenced by the caste system during its early stage of civilization. However, the classification was decided upon the skills and occupation, which later was converted as the family background. Divergent is one such film that talks about the return of such a society in the post-apocalyptic Chicago that classifies people into different factions decided by human virtues. Although, it seems as the ideal society to sustain peace and well-being in their city, the things start rocking when Beatrice Prior, a Divergent learns about a sinister plot against the people. The film is actually based on the novel of the same name by Veronica Roth and has been converted into a franchise with 2 other sequels added to the series; Insurgent and Allegiant. A third sequel is scheduled for release in the near future titled Ascendant.
The Hunger Games
Somewhat similar to the Divergent story line, The Hunger Games follows the story of Katniss Everdeen and the theme of the film is set around a ruthless competition, where the contestants (one male and one female) are chosen by lot from every district of the nation annually to fight to the death in The Hunger Games. The story starts when Katniss Everdeen volunteers to replace her younger sister, who is initially chosen by lot, to enter the competition. Whether Katniss survives and wins the competition or not, is what forms the rest of the film. Based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games has also turned into a big franchise with 3 more sequels added to the series.
Riddick
Riddick is actually the third installment of The Riddick Series starring Vin Diesel in the titular role. The film is set in the dystopian future where new planets and civilizations are discovered. Basically, the film series is centered upon Riddick; a former mercenary and a wanted criminal. While the previous two films follow the different stories, the story of the 2013 film Riddick takes off from where it was left off during the climax of the 2nd film The Chronicles of Riddick of the series. Stranded on a desert planet, Riddick sees hope after he signals his whereabouts to a bunch of bounty hunters to come and rescue him. The film shows us a fictional view of a distant future, where we can’t be sure what kind of creatures or species we may encounter when we finally find life on other planets.
Minority Report
Minority Report is a science fiction mystery-thriller film directed by the legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Minority Report is still one of the Best Dystopian Movies. The film is set in a futuristic era where technology has become so advanced that a specialized police department called PreCrime has been established to capture criminals beforehand based on the information provided by three psychics called precogs. However, things turn ugly when Chief of PreCrime John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, is picked by the precogs, he decides to run trying to uncover the mystery about his assumed victim.
Also Read : Best Hollywood Movies Sets in Future
Wall-E
You must be wondering why is a computer-animated film Wall-E on the list. Well, if you have already watched the film then you must be aware that the film is set in a distant future where Earth has become a wasteland and Wall-E is a robot designed to clean it up. However, when another more advanced robot Eve lands on the Earth, Wall-E falls in love with her and then begins a journey to pursue his love for her and a resultant fight ensues against the rogue robots to sustain humanity and life back on Earth. One of The Best Dystopian Movies of All Time.
Also Read: Best High-Quality Animated Movies
The Book of Eli
The Book of Eli, as the title suggests, is a film that revolves around the copy of a mysterious book. Basically, the film tells the story of Eli, who lives like a nomad in a post-apocalyptic world. One day, he hears a voice that tells him to transport the mysterious in his belongings to a safe location on the West Coast of the United States. The film is directed by the Hughes brother as well as stars Denzel Washington in the lead role as Eli.
Repo Men
Repo Men is an American-Canadian film starring Jude Law as a repo man Remy, while Forest Whitaker plays his partner Jake Freivald. Adapted from the novel The Repossession Mamba written by Eric Garcia, the film is set in a dystopian era, where a corporation called “The Union” dominates and sells highly perfected bio-mechanical organs to the people with diseased organs. However, the consumers are unaware of the dark face of the corporation, which reclaims the artificial organ from the body by force with the help of a repo man whenever the consumer delays the payment. When Remy is unable to pay for his bio-mechanical organ in time, he decides to flee and delete the records of all the customers of The Union realizing that it will be the right thing to. Whether he succeeds or fails forms the rest of the film.
In Time
In Time is a 2011 American dystopian era film starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried in the lead roles. The story of the film is about a society, where people stop aging at 25 and each individual gets a clock on their arm that shows the countdown for the time left for them to live, starting from a year. The film is set during an era where time is the new currency and people can barter their time with others for resources. Such a setting has made the society divide into two different time zones; Dayton for the people with less time left on their clock and New Greenwich for the people with time to last for centuries. The film is an interesting watch and shows us the value of time in life.
A Scanner Darkly
Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel of the same name, A Scanner Darkly is an adult animated sci-fi film directed by Richard Linklater. Starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Winona Ryder in the lead roles, the film is set in a near-future dystopia which is always under high-security police surveillance. Although shot digitally, the final print of the film seems like it’s an animated feature.
