The Best Dystopian Movies To Watch Right Now

We've all seen disaster movies, whether they're about a sudden real-world event like a tsunami or earthquake or focused on a fictional zombie outbreak, but what happens after those disasters? After the world falls apart, new orders often take control, and in movies, that's typically not a good thing, as people looking for power swoop in and take over a damaged, broken society, creating a dystopia. The opposite of an ideal utopia, the word "dystopia" means "an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives," and while none of us would ever want to live in one of these worlds, there's plenty of pop culture depicting what any number of dystopian scenarios could look like.

From a world where children fight to the death to protect their families to monsters that attack at the smallest noise, mass infertility, and virtual realities, there are all kinds of dystopian worlds you can experience without having to live them in real life. Here are the best dystopian movies you can watch right now.

Based on Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel and adapted by the Wachowskis (better known as the minds behind The Matrix), the 2005 film V for Vendetta explores a future in which a religious oligarchy controls the United Kingdom, forcing an extraordinarily devout form of Christianity on its residents and using fascism to control citizens. One night, Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) is unexpectedly "rescued" from her every day life by a vigilante in a Guy Fawkes mask known only as "V" (Hugo Weaving), with whom she works to dismantle the fascist government. A symbol for the masses, V is an inspiration to rebels trying to take down their controlling captors, and as she works alongside him, Evey realizes the power one man can wield.

In the years since V for Vendetta was released, its signature Guy Fawkes mask has become inextricably linked with rebellion and a symbol that opposes oppression; clearly, the film and Moore's story left a strong legacy behind. It was also praised for its strong and progressive LGBTQ+ message, indicating that even as it ages, V for Vendetta remains as relevant as ever.

Long-awaited sequels don't always work out, but in 2015, George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth installment in his Mad Max franchise, proved an exception to the rule. Though the franchise launched in 1979 with Mel Gibson in the starring role, Miller took his sweet time for Fury Road — which turned out to be completely worth it. With Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron leading the cast as Max and Imperator Furiosa, respectively, the film focuses on these two unlikely allies, who must fight the tyrant Immortan Joe and his army of War Boys while also protecting a group of Joe's captive wives (played by familiar faces like Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Riley Keogh).

A Mad Max film might not seem like a particularly likely candidate to become a big Oscar winner, but after earning ten nominations — including Best Picture — Fury Road won the most Oscars of any film that night, crushing the technical categories and earning an Editing statue for Miller's talented wife Margaret Sixel. Still consistently ranked as one of the best films of the 2010s, Fury Road remains relevant whether the world is at peace or in crisis.

Not all dystopian films need to be super-serious, and one of the best is actually a satire of possible things to come. Created by Mike Judge, who brought us Office Space and Beavis & Butthead, 2006's Idiocracy presents a vision of a much stupider future which might be bleak, but at least makes us laugh. The film stars Luke Wilson as Joe Bauers, a soldier who agrees to a hibernation experiment that puts him to sleep for 500 years; when he wakes up, the world has become insanely stupid, commercial, and insane, mostly because the smarter people in the world chose to stop having children. After realizing what happened, Joe, along with Rita (Maya Rudolph), who underwent the experiment with him, tries to fix the world, but ends up ascending to some of the highest ranks of the U.S. government under President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews).

Upon its initial release, Idiocracy was never screened for critics, and those involved claimed that its studio, 20th Century Fox, seemingly gave up on the film. However, over the years, Idiocracy has gained serious traction, earning cult classic status thanks to its sharply funny vision of what will happen to society if we unleash our worst impulses.

In 2020, South Korean director Bong Joon Ho made history when his masterpiece Parasite became the first non-English speaking film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but if you're really a part of the "Bonghive," you were already familiar with the director's body of work, including Snowpiercer. One of the director's most popular films, Snowpiercer, released in 2013, is a true crossover between South Korea and America; not only does it feature popular stars like Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton alongside South Korean movie stars like Sang Kong-ho, but in a true departure for Bong, most of the dialogue is in English. Evans stars in the film as Curtis Everett, a young man stuck at the back of a train that contains the last living humans after the world froze over, and because the train is divided by class, he and the rest of the members of the tail section must rise up against the rich to protect themselves and the world.

Evans, Sang, and Swinton star alongside Ed Harris, John Hurt, Octavia Spencer, and more, and thanks to Bong's signature social commentary on class divides and his unsurprisingly brilliant direction, Snowpiercer earned rave reviews across the world. Years later, Netflix and TNT teamed up to create a Snowpiercer series starring Hamilton's Daveed Diggs, proving that the story of Snowpiercer has held up over time.

Based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson, the 2007 film I Am Legend, directed by Francis Lawrence (Constantine, multiple Hunger Games films) stars Will Smith as scientist Robert Neville, who is stuck alone in an abandoned New York City after zombies ravage the country. A trained virologist, Robert may be able to find a cure for the disease, and spends his days wandering the city and his nights trapping the mutants, which only come out at night — the job has fallen to him, because somehow, he is immune to the virus. Accompanied by his faithful German shepherd Sam, Robert discovers more about the mutants, ultimately meeting other survivors and continuing his quest for a cure.

Though the film drew some controversy for changing its ending — in the book and a filmed alternate ending, Robert gains a better understanding of why the mutants hunt humans — it earned generally positive reviews (particularly for Smith's performance), showing audiences what life could look like for one human alone in the aftermath of a devastating pandemic.

Directed by the groundbreaking Terry Gilliam, who also wrote the screenplay with award-winning playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard, 1985's Brazil explores one of the weirder visions of a dystopian universe. Jonathan Pryce (also seen in projects like Game of Thrones and Pirates of the Caribbean as well as prestige films like Two Popes) stars as Sam Lowry, a low-level worker trying to track down a woman he's only seen in his dreams. The movie is set in a bizarre totalitarian age; before long, Sam finds himself involved in a strange sequence of events. After meeting a woman who looks like the one from his dreams, Sam discovers a conspiracy involving, of all things, air conditioners, and ends up facing down the oppressive government.

Supported by acclaimed actors like Robert De Niro, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, and Jim Broadbent, Pryce — who describes the experience as a career highlight — shines in the film, which has become a cult favorite over the years. Ranked as one of the best science fiction films of all time, Brazil's bizarre plot and underlying message remain as relevant as ever.

A clear influence on The Hunger Games, the Japanese action thriller Battle Royale was released abroad in 2000, telling the story of children forced to fight to the death in a dystopian world. Taking place in a world where junior high students are put into an arena for sheer entertainment, the film sparked serious controversy upon its release; in fact, the United States was hesitant to release it at all, which just goes to show how much would ultimately change between 2000 and the advent of The Hunger Games. In fact, the film has never gotten a wide release in North America, and the reactions in Japan weren't particularly enthusiastic either.

Despite the fact that it never got a wide release in the States, Battle Royale has achieved cult status, and obviously, it inspired many dystopian classics to come. By stirring up so much controversy, Battle Royale became infamous, making it one of the most familiar names for film buffs curious about divisive, boundary-pushing movies.

A story of the potential evils of eugenics and genetic engineering, 1997's Gattaca issues a stark warning about what can happen when humans try to mold nature to their will. Starring Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, the film takes place in a society where parents can use the best parts of their DNA to create the perfect child; however, some people, like Vincent Freeman (Hawke), weren't born within the system and have fewer opportunities as a result. Vincent and his co-worker Irene (Thurman) try to overcome their genetic faults and go to space, risking their lives as they seek to achieve their ultimate dream.

Gattaca — which is named for the letters G, A, T, and C, representing the four bases that make up DNA — earned positive reviews upon its release for challenging some of the darker aspects of scientific advances, with some even arguing that the film brought debates about genetic engineering to the forefront. In any case, it remains relevant as science continues to evolve, proving that creating the "perfect" human could lead to a terrifying outcome.