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The 14 Best Dystopian Movies To Stream On Netflix, Amazon & Hulu
Because those Hunger Games rewatches can get a little stale.
Well, it's the year 2021. Sounds pretty futuristic, doesn't it? And despite the many problems facing the world today, things aren't that bad. I mean, if you look back at old movies, the planet definitely should have been plunged into a dystopian wasteland by now, so I guess it's pretty good that it hasn't. Right? Despite the delayed arrival of the apocalypse though, or perhaps because of it, post-apocalyptic movies are more en vogue than ever, so what better time than the present to brush up on all the best dystopian movies on Netflix in 2021, as well as platforms like Amazon and Hulu? After all, if a bleak dystopia does lie in Earth's immediate future, it's probably a good idea to know what to expect when it arrives.
It's always quaint now to look back at a movie from the '80s that depicts the year 2006 or something as a time period when freedom is a distant notion of the past, and I'm sure the dystopian movies of today will end up being proven as equally false when the time comes. But despite its poor batting average, dystopian sci-fi remains a popular genre and shows no signs of slowing down. So take a look at the following list of the 14 best dystopian movies on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, and be thankful that life isn't that bad... yet.
1Mad Max
When most people think of dystopian movies, this 1979 cult classic is always top of mind for a reason.
Watch on: Netflix.
2Blade Runner: The Final Cut
The original full-length cut of Blade Runner promises an unedited, extra violent look at Harrison Ford’s hunt for replicants, unseen in other versions of the dystopian film.
Watch on: Hulu.
3Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Many dystopian films are based on young adult books, and the third installment of the Maze Runner movie franchise further proves the popularity of seeing teenagers fight for their lives.
Watch on: Hulu.
4Bird Box
You’ll never look at a blindfold the same way again after watching this apocalyptic tale.
Watch on: Netflix.
5Snowpiercer
Chris Evans stars in Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi film about a constantly moving train filled with the world’s remaining survivors. Prepare for a chilling adventure.
Watch on: Netflix.
6In Time
Time waits for some... if you have money in this Justin Timberlake flick where the rich live forever and the poor must fight against the clock by the age of 25.
Watch on: Amazon Prime.
7Okja
Bong Joon-ho strikes again with his dystopian satire about a young girl’s tender and tortured relationship with a genetically modified animal named Okja.
Watch on: Amazon Prime.
8Minority Report
The year is 2054 and murderers are arrested before they even commit their crimes.
Watch on: Amazon Prime.
9Battle Royale
If you loved The Hunger Games franchise, you’ll enjoy this Japanese film about a group of high school kids taken to a deserted island with one mission: to remain the last one standing.
Watch on: Amazon Prime.
10Total Recall
One man travels to Mars without actually going to the planet, thanks to a company that implants the experience in his brain. Unfortunately, the trip goes awry and the company wants him dead.
Watch on: Netflix.
11I Am Legend
Will Smith is left alone in a devastated New York City with no one else but a group of mutants and his survival skills.
Watch on: Netflix.
12A Clockwork Orange
“Ultra-violence” is an understatement in this Stanley Kubrick film set in a dystopian England.
Watch on: Netflix.
13Hardcore Henry
This film is shot in the first-person perspective of Henry, who is half-human, half-robot, and also on a violent journey to save his wife from a powerful villain.
Watch on: Netflix.
14Judge Dredd
If the world is put under military rule, I can only hope that Sylvester Stallone is in charge.
Watch on: Hulu.
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