12 Movies Like Hunger Games You Must See

Hunger Games is a movie which has been appreciated a lot internationally, primarily because of the breathtaking acting displayed by Jennifer Lawrence. Other than being a brilliantly conveyed story, it is one of the few films which have given the plot’s reins to an actress. And when it is someone like J-Law who has proved her prowess on the silver screen by winning an Academy Award, it is an added advantage.

On a separate note, there are quite many movies released in the past decade which are based on dystopian and post-apocalyptic futures. These films describe a society where humanity has had to start essentially from scratch, and the people are more or less under a regime they don’t like. Here is the list of movies similar to Hunger Game series. Many of them are on the similar theme. We have also included some which are not precisely identical but have the same ethos. Mention in the comments if you liked our recommendations. You can watch some of these movies like Hunger Games on Netflix or Amazon Prime or Hulu.

12. I Am Number Four (2011)

Starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, and Teresa Palmer, this science-fiction thriller tells the story of John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), an alien from the planet of Lorien. To escape from a species of invaders called Mogadorians who want to kill all Loriens, he and eight other gifted children are hiding on Earth alongwith their guardians. John’s guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant) is bent on protecting him at any cost because he’s special. This sometimes gets in the way of his teenager social life. While in a new town trying to evade the Mogadorians who have already killed three of the gifted children, John befriends a fellow classmate and amateur photographer Sarah Hart (Dianna Agron). Alongwith her and another Lorien child Number Six (Teresa Palmer), John is trying to face off the villains who want to kill them in cold blood. Will he succeed?

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11. Ender’s Game (2013)

Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is a silent but brilliant child who has been recruited by the International Military regime of the New Earth. Fifty years ago, an alien race called the Formics nearly destroyed the Earth in an invasion. Present day, the Military is building an offensive for which Ender Wiggin and many other gifted teenagers have been enlisted. Children are selected to lead an army of robot spaceships, due to their tendency to follow orders without questions and adapt very quickly to challenges. In other words, they are dumb and brilliant at the same time. Ender turns out to be the child protégé as promised. He becomes ruthless and emotionless during the course of the training. However, when he realizes he has to make an entire race of organisms extinct in his mission, his faith dwindles. Will he be able to choose between the lesser evils? A Dystopian fantasy with a mind-boggling climax.

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10. The Giver (2014)

Featuring a fictional utilitarian society, this movie describes a world where there are no emotions, no free will, and no colors. Freaky right? No colors. How do they even live? I mean what do they call an orange? Not-Orange? So in this dystopian world, several years after ‘The Ruin’ –a world ending event- the Chief Elder (Meryl Streep) and other Elders have set up an impartial system of governing. Or so it seems. In this new world, a teenager Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is chosen to receive the knowledge of earth before the Ruin, from the Giver (Jeff Bridges). Being the keeper of all knowledge before and after the supposed implementation of a drug system that dulls the human senses, the Giver imparts it to the eager Jonas and opens his eyes to the reality of the way they live. He gives him books to read and music to listen to making him realize what the people are missing in this seemingly peaceful existence. Can the new receiver of history change the course of the coming history and liberate everyone from the evil intentions of the Chief Elder?

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9. Riddick (2013)

The third installment in the popular science-fiction series Chronicles of Riddick, this movie is a continuation of the life of a rogue galactic assassin. Going by the name Riddick, he is a notorious criminal and murderer who has a big prize on his head. He is also known throughout the galaxies for killing every mercenary who comes to after him. After becoming the king of the Necromongers, Riddick has been betrayed by his commander and left to die on a desolate and sun-scorched planet. But the relentless survivor he is, Riddick refuses to die and slowly but surely finds a way to live in the hostile environment. Then after discovering an emergency beacon, he himself calls a team of mercenaries to capture him. Where will you get this type of confidence? Hordes of groups start to come in to catch the infamous Riddick. Will the lone-wolf be apprehended this time? Or will he as usual kill one by one every fool who makes the mistake of coming in his way? I think you know the answer.

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8. The Maze Runner (2014)

Stuck inside a strange and ever-changing maze, a group of boys (no gender ratio maintained) are trying to understand their purpose. With no memory and no instructions on how to proceed, they await the ‘elevator’ which delivers a new boy every 30 days. They don’t know why they’re being held captive there; just that they have to get out. Each day they run the length of the maze -which keeps shifting every day under a set pattern- to map it.  The plot thickens when one day a boy Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and a girl Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) arrive, after which the elevator stops coming back. The incumbents are frightened by the new development and start blaming the couple for what has happened. With no memory of how he ended up there and what purpose he needs to fulfill, what will Thomas do? Maze Runner is yet another ultra-entertaining beginning to a dystopian-world series, which will entice you in the same way as the Hunger Game series.

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7. Equilibrium (2002)

Welcome to a world where emotions don’t exist. Humans have identified that the root of all their problems is useless and meaningless emotions. They have invented a pill to eliminate all feelings from a human. The government has been successful in avoiding all suffering and wars, but have also erased the essential human element in the process. In between this silent madness, an agent John Preston (Christian Bale) charged with maintaining law and order misses a dose of the mind-altering drug. He realizes that living without sentiments is not practical, and ventures out on a solo mission to overthrow the mindless and ruthless regime. The action in this movie and the acting displayed by Christian Bale -as usual- are something to savor.

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6. Divergent (2014)

Interested in Dystopian fantasies? I have an entire series for you. The Divergent series started in 2014 with the first installment starring Theo James and Shailene Woodley. Based on the book series of the same name, Divergent is also centered on a female protagonist named Tris, just like Hunger Games. In a world divided into factions, Tris is trying to find her place in a society which bases your entire life on your predominant skills. The twist is that Tris has the qualities of every faction and more. She’s an outlier, and that is a direct threat to the current regime. When the leader of the factions comes to know about Tris and other Divergents like her, they are hunted down by the army. Alongwith her trusted partner Four (yeah I know it’s a strange name) she flees the capital to find safe ground and retaliate. A great beginning to a great series.

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5. Passengers (2016)

Jennifer Lawrence fans are going to be super-excited because they’ll be able to get a lot of face-time involving the very talented actress. At the same time, this movie will make you question your morality and common-sense. Set in deep space, the starship Avalon is carrying over 5000 passengers -deep in cryosleep- through a 120-year journey to their new planet Homestead II. Midway, the ship malfunctions, awakening only one passenger Jim Preston (Chris Pratt). After being alone for one year, Jim contemplates suicide but instead wakes up another passenger Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence). In order to gain her confidence, he tells her that her cryo-pod malfunctioned. After accepting her fate that she’ll probably never see the new planet, Aurora begins writing her life story and falls in love with Jim eventually. But when she finds out what Jim had done, she resents him for destroying her life. A near brush with death makes the couple recheck their priorities. Instead of sleeping again, Aurora chooses to spend her life aboard the starship with Jim. Tell me, what would you have preferred: a life with people you don’t even know or spending a short time with only one person who you can’t live without?

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4. Oblivion (2013)

Wanna see the world get destroyed and starting over? Well, you’re in luck. It’s the year 2077, and sixty years after a war with extraterrestrials, the planet now lies in waste with toxic-radiation everywhere. All humans have left Earth except two people, Jack (Tom Cruise) and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). whose duty is to oversee the extraction of remaining natural resources especially water. The couple’s life changes when a girl called Julia (Olga Kurylenko) crashes with her cryo-pad in their sector. She knows everything about Jack and a darker truth which makes them both realise that a twisted conspiracy is at work against the entire humankind. Can one man defy all odds and save the rest of humanity from a complete wipeout?

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3. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Keen on watching a revolution against a brutal and autocratic regime? You’re in the right place. After a nuclear holocaust destroyed the Earth, a ruthless dictator called Immortan Joe had made the survivors his slaves, with false promises of rendering them to Valhalla. His commander Imperator Furiosa, i.e. the ultra-talented Charlize Theron, has rebelled and ran off with the five wives of Immortan Joe, who he had selected specially for breeding. Joe, fearful of losing his prized possessions sends the army of his best War boys to capture Furiosa. Amidst all this frenzy, is a human Max (Tom Hardy) who has been caught by the War Boys and is being used as a blood bag. After getting himself freed, Max invariably ends up with Furiosa which starts a chain of events. Watch this strange couple travel together on the path to death with several mindless freaks on their trail. This ultra-entertaining movie received ten Oscar nominations, out of which it won six. Trust me you will not be disappointed.

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2. The Fifth Element (1997)

From French modern father of action Luc Besson, “The Fifth Element” is a story with imagination, determination and result. Set in a futuristic world more than 200 years from now, it revolves around the salvation of planet Earth against evil, where 5 elements (4 stones and one human) play a big part in this adventurous pursuit who’s destiny mix up with the path of a taxi driver played by Bruce Willis. Colourfully exciting, it contains the director’s signature style and cinematography combined with amazing costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. An eye-grabbing action venture for everyone’s taste.

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1. V For Vendetta (2005)

“Remember, Remember the fifth of November.” If you are interested in one person standing up against a corrupt government for the common people, you can’t do any better than this. With some exceptional acting displayed by Hugo Weaving and Academy Award Winner Natalie Portman, this movie is bound to make your hair stand up. Set in the year 2027, it tells of a time where the whole world is in turmoil. Unites States is in Civil unrest and plagued by a pandemic. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, is ruled by a fascist regime which executes whoever the government finds ‘inappropriate.’ In this Chaos rises an unknown revolutionary called V (Hugo Weaving). Alongwith a spirited young girl Every Hammond (Natalie Portman), he blows up the House of Parliament to recreate the Gunpowder Treason. The sound of freedom resounds across the city with the explosion. The deaf indeed pay attention when the scream is loud.

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