Adapted from the book trilogy by Victoria Roth, The Divergent series came at the height of the YA dystopia genre. The franchise stood as the perfect representation of the genre’s quick rise to fame and just as quick fall, with the final film canceled, ending the franchise on a disappointing cliffhanger.
Starring Shailene Woodley and Theo James in lead roles, we enter a world where everyone is separated into factions depending on their personality and aptitude (think an extreme Myers-Briggs test). Beatrice (Woodley) discovers that she is “divergent,” belonging to neither, which is a serious issue in a society that demands a rigid structure. She goes on to fight the system and the powers that be, only to discover that their entire way of life is a test from unseen powers beyond their borders, whom she must also fight.
Though the first two films didn’t do too badly at the box office, the first film of the two-part finale (the final book Allegiant was split into two films) saw a downturn in interest, which resulted in the fourth film being put on hold and eventually canceled. This heralded the end of the YA dystopia genre, which fizzled out almost as quickly as it started.
Though this genre didn’t remain in the zeitgeist for long, plenty of films were created as studios jumped on The Hunger Games bandwagon. So, that being said, let’s take a look at the 10 best movies like Divergent.
10. The Fifth Wave (2016)
Less dystopian and more sci-fi, The Fifth Wave sees teenager Cassie Sullivan (Chloë Grace Moretz) trying to survive in a world that has seen multiple invasions by an alien species known as “The Others.” The fifth wave sees children and adults pitted against one another as The Others, who have taken over human bodies during the fourth wave, cause chaos and confusion.
The film shares many similarities with Divergent: a strong female protagonist, mistrust in authority figures, fighting for survival, and a sprinkling of romance.
9. The Host (2013)
Another adaption of a Stephanie Meyer novel, The Host also fits the bill. Starring Saoirse Ronan as Melanie Stryder, the film has a lot more in common with the above film, The Fifth Wave, considering it’s more sci-fi than dystopian. Melanie is a human host to an extraterrestrial being called Wanderer, but Melanie is too strong to be pushed out, so the two share a body and eventually become friends.
The film has all the classic hallmarks of a Meyer creation: a complicated love triangle with some pretty toxic behavior, a non-human entity that comes to love humans, and plenty of personal sacrifice. This isn’t Twilight, though, and the film didn’t receive anywhere near as much acclaim as Meyer’s first adaption.
8. The Giver (2014)
Jonas (Brendan Thwaites) is born into what seems to be a utopia, rather than a dystopia. Humanity has no memory of the past, except one person, whose job it is to hold onto their collective history. Jonas is called upon to be this person, but once he discovers what humanity once was, he cannot simply comply with his society and so seeks to free them all.
Despite having a stellar cast that includes Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep, many felt the film fell very short of the book, and it failed to make any major impact.
7. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
Another film that tried to replicate the success of The Hunger Games’ strong female lead with a confusing love life was The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Lily Collins plays Clary Fray, who, after seeing strange symbols and events, discovers she is a Shadowhunter, a being of power who belongs to the world lurking within our own, the Shadow World.
More a fantasy than a dystopia, it still contains many elements found in Divergent. Both of them also share the fact that they were canceled after performing poorly. At least Mortal Instruments got a television adaption to further the story.
6. Maze Runner (2014-2018)
One of the more successful dystopian franchises is the Maze Runner franchise, which stars Dylan O’Brien as Thomas, a young man sent to the “Glade” with no memory of who he is or what’s happening. Here, a group of teenage boys is trapped, with their only escape being through a maze infested with biomechanical beasts called Grievers. Thomas eventually remembers his past and starts to understand that there is more to their situation than they could possibly have imagined.
Just like in Divergent, this film also sees a group of young people go up against a corrupt adult government that is trying to fix a broken world in a truly messed up way.
5. Ender’s Game (2013)
Another sci-fi film, Ender’s Game sees the fate of humanity rest on the shoulders of talented young outer space military strategist Andrew “Ender” Wiggins. Young soldiers are trained to enter a battle against an alien race that invaded Earth and killed millions. Now they take the battle to the aliens’ homeworld in the hopes of wiping them out once and for all.
This film sees young people playing a strategic part in a battle against what appears to be an enemy, but just as with many films on this list, not all is what it seems.
4. Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
This sci-fi film also features a somewhat dystopian world but one with a much more cyberpunk look than the ones mentioned previously. Alita is a battle robot with a human brain from a time forgotten by most, woken up in a world separated by those who live on the ground and the wealthy, who live in the sky city of Zalem. She comes to discover the inequality rife in this system and, at the end of the film, is poised to challenge it.
The film ends on a cliffhanger but has yet to receive a sequel, though director Robert Rodriguez and producer James Cameron are pushing for one, with claims it is in development.
3. Ready Player One (2018)
In a future where virtual reality has completely taken over, one avid fan (Tye Sheriden) of the virtual world of OASIS sets off on a quest to find the world’s Golden Egg, sought by many over the years. What starts as a competition in a game soon takes on epic proportions as the corporation that seeks to control the OASIS, and thereby the people in it, will stop at nothing to gain total control, even if it means killing in real life.
Directed by Steven Speilberg, the film is full of ’80s nostalgia as well as great visuals and storytelling. Ready Player One was a hit at the box office and went down pretty well with critics, too.
2. The Hunger Games (2012-2015)
The Hunger Games franchise is the one that started it all. Starring the phenomenal Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, we enter a dystopian future where the rich live in a city where all their needs are met while the rest of society suffers in poverty and cruelty. (Wait … did I say this was a dystopian future?) Katniss enters the Hunger Games, an annual tournament that sees children/teenagers pitted against one another in a battle royal, where she overturns the rules and all hell breaks loose.
The Hunger Games was one of the most successful YA adaptions of all time and is currently the 20th highest-grossing franchise of all time. It has also potentially restarted the genre in 2023, with the prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
1. Dune (2021)
Based on the famous science fiction novels by Frank Hubert, Dune may not strictly fall under the YA dystopian future genre, but the elements are there, just executed in a much more elegant manner. This epic science fiction story centers on the character of Paul Atreides, the chosen one with great power prophesied to turn a desert planet into a lush green world.
Dune rises where others may stumble, with intelligent storytelling, characters with depth, and incredible world-building. Yes, it may have a “chosen one” character destined to save worlds, yes it has a love story, and yes there is a small faction rising against a greater power, but it plays out on such an epic scale and shows the perils of trusting your heroes.
Though dystopian films and shows aren’t going anywhere, though real life feels like a dystopia enough at the moment, the YA dystopian genre could make a comeback thanks to The Hunger Games prequel. Maybe soon we can add more to this list. I just hope that they leave some of the less convincing tropes (love triangles have gotten so old) behind.
(featured image: Summit Entertainment)
