For a real glimpse into the future, albeit a fictional one, here are some of the best dystopian movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu to stream right now.
Gattaca
In a distant future where parents are encouraged to genetically engineer their children, every new generation is expected to form an ideal society. There is no severe punishment for fathers and mothers who keep their kids perfectly natural, but those born the usual way are bound to work menial jobs. Vincent is a natural-born individual, whereas his brother Anton is an engineered one. Vincent is better than his brother in nearly every way into their teens, except he also has a 99% chance of having heart failure by the time he’s forty.
Stowaway
Being trapped in space with very little hope of returning home triggers a quickly escalating fear. Regardless of the decision taken, there is never a plausible win-win situation. With a heavy emphasis on the internal horror of loneliness, Stowaway delivers both a heartbreaking spectacle and a heartwarming treatment in one brilliant run.
I Am Mother
There doesn’t seem to be anyone left on Earth except for a young girl under the care of an android mother in an underground laboratory. Inside the facility, the mother also looks after a large number of unborn human embryos. The sudden appearance of a stranger puts a strain on the Mother-Daughter relationship. What the android has been telling the girl may be nothing but lies after all. Outside the confines of the facility, there are still remnants of humanity – survivors of a genocide masterminded by androids.
Awake
A solar flare causes a temporary blackout, but a permanent inability to sleep in humans. There are only three people in the world immune to the condition: Matilda, Noah, and an older woman who has been taken into a secret lab for research. When the old woman dies, Matilda and Noah become primary targets for research and are perhaps the sole hopes of restoring humanity from the insanity triggered by sleep deprivation.
Mars Attacks!
A massive failure upon release, Mars Attacks! is now regarded as a comedy sci-fi great. It also is dystopian in the sense that alien invasion and takeover threaten the very existence of humanity. Tim Burton took an old-school approach to the presentation, bringing a 1950s vibe into a 1990s feature. Some say it was deliberate humorous take on the much more seriously crafted Independence Day released months earlier.
Mobile Suit Gundam
Overpopulation forces humans to colonize space. In the furthest frontiers of the new universe, some colonies want to stand as their own entities devoid of any political ties to the Earth Federation. The subsequent war destroys what’s left of Earth. A teenage pilot named Amuro Ray steps up, flying a giant fighter robot known as the RX-78-2 Gundam.
What Happened to Monday
Still on the same subject of overpopulation, a possible solution is to limit every household to having one child only. Breaking the rule is punishable by euthanasia. A grandfather doesn’t want any of his seven identical granddaughters arrested and executed. His workaround is to name them after days of the week. Only one girl is allowed to come out each day, pretending to be the same girl every time. And then one day, Monday doesn’t return home.
The Book of Eli
A nuclear holocaust has turned much of the United States into a wasteland. Eli sets out on a journey to deliver a book to a group of people inhabiting the Alcatraz Island. It is not an easy journey, especially after he comes across Carnegie, who is also on the hunt for the same book Eli carries. Mesmerizing action sequences and a backdrop of endless desert blend into a satisfying dystopian visual treatment.
World War Z
Brad Pitt is Gerry Lane, a former UN investigator brought back to discover the origin of a zombie outbreak and to search for a possible defense against the attack. With hard work and a tiny bit of luck, Lane comes to realize that the madness-inducing virus only infects the healthy. People have to be sick to stand a chance against the brutal onslaught of the undead.
C. H. U. D.
An abbreviation for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, the 1984 film is all about what the title says. A photojournalist discovers that the underground population of New York City starts disappearing, leading to a seemingly farfetched theory about the presence of cannibals in the vicinity. When he figures out the theory is actually true, the photojournalist must step up and stop the horror.
The City of Lost Children
Krank is unable to dream, a condition that makes him suffer from premature aging. To slow down his growth rate, he devises a plan to steal dreams from children in a nearby city. Somebody has to quickly put Krank’s sinister dream-harvesting terror to an end, otherwise innocent kids will no longer have the joy of childhood.
Light of My Life
A plague has rendered British Columbia devoid of women. The only female in existence is a teen girl named Rags. Her father, known only as Dad in the film, is determined to keep her safe by never staying in one spot for too long. Light of My Life is a package of father-daughter love in the struggle against difficult and unlikely circumstances.
The Blackout
An attack of extraterrestrial origin has made the world go dark. Everything powered by electricity no longer works. The only place unaffected by the strange phenomenon is a small region in Eastern Europe, comprised of northern Ukraine, western Russia, Belarus, and southern Finland. When the aliens actually come to invade, they concentrate the assault on this area.
Akira
Another slick mixture of sci-fi and dystopian genres, Akira is a cyberpunk anime set in a much-changed future version of Tokyo. In a city where public unrest and gang warfare are commonplace, the government runs a secret experiment to develop telekinesis power in humans. Shotaro, leader of a biker gang, and his friend Tetsuo find themselves involved in the project in the worst way.
Possessor
Future technology allows certain individuals to transfer their mind and soul into another person’s body. Tasya takes full advantage of the technology for her work as a contract killer. Over time she gets overly accustomed to living pretentiously as someone else. She gradually has difficulties returning fully as herself and must find a solution.
Mother/Android
Not to be mistaken with the previously mentioned I Am Mother, this 2021 dystopian film sets events during a future full-blown battle between humans and robots. As the machines develop advanced self-awareness, they embark on a mission to eradicate the people from the planet. Georgia, Sam, and their unborn child are struggling to find refuge amidst the war.
The Fifth Element
All the actions, drama, and comedy in The Fifth Element are presented through a line of dystopian narrative. A 23rd century taxi driver named Dallas involuntarily gets involved in a cosmic battle when Leeloo drops into his ride. Leeloo is hunted by extraterrestrial force for being the embodiment of an ancient weaponry, and thus, is a threat to world power.
How many of these dystopian movies have you seen? Which is your favorite? Let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
Other things you might want to know about.
1. What are some more dystopian movies?
The following list are some more dystopian movies:
- The Matrix series
- 12 Monkeys
- 1984
- The Man Who Fell to Earth
- A.I. Artificial Intelligence
- Akira
- Alphaville
- Any Batman movie or show
- Blade Runner
- Cherry 2000
- The Hunger Games series
- Death Race
- Ghost in the Shell
2. Is The Lorax dystopian?
The Lorax, a children’s book by Dr. Seuss, can be interpreted as having elements of dystopian themes. It portrays a society in which corporations exploit the environment for profit, leading to ecological destruction and harm to the animals that live there. This can be seen as a warning about the consequences of unchecked industrialization and environmental degradation. However, the book is primarily a fable and its overall tone is hopeful, as the protagonist is able to plant a seed that will help restore the damaged ecosystem.
3. Does dystopia have to be in the future?
No, dystopia does not necessarily have to be set in the future. Dystopian stories can be set in the present or in the past, as well as in imagined future societies. The important characteristic of a dystopian work is its portrayal of a society that is oppressive, controlled, or otherwise undesirable. The setting, whether in the future or not, is used to explore issues such as the abuse of power, the dangers of technology, environmental degradation, or the loss of individual freedom.
