In case you somehow missed it, there was a major federal election this week in the United States and if there is one thing about decisions on power, no matter the outcome or what side you’re on, once the votes have been cast and the winner declared, people turn to entertainment. Be it for comfort or distraction, entertainment is a go-to when things are uncertain or complicated and particularly around political cycles, entertainment with dystopian themes are surprisingly popular. It’s kind of like during the pandemic when people were really interested in movies and television series about fictional pandemics and the end of the world — remember when COVID first started to have a global impact in early 2020 and Steven Soderberg’s Contagion started topping rental charts? There’s just something about films that are “on theme” with how a population is feeling during complicated times that makes them go-to entertainment for folks.
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Given that general trend, people might be looking to dive into some dystopias and as someone who generally just enjoys the genre both in film, television and even books, I’ve got a few recommendations of movies you can stream if watching the (fictional) end of the world is your thing. To be very clear: there is nothing political in this list per se. Sure, the societies and worlds in these stories do have their own political issues and challenges that depending on how you see the world may or may not align with your own. That’s not what this list is about. This list is about just some good end of the world as we know it entertainment options you can stream after a long election cycle. From newer releases to classics and from franchises to stand-alone projects, there’s a little something for everyone here. Now, onto the list.
1. Civil War
Let’s just get the newest and possibly the most divisive film on this list out of the way up front, Alex Garland’s Civil War. Released earlier this year, the film stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman and follows a team of war journalists who are travelling from New York City to Washington D.C. during a civil war in the U.S. With the war being fought across the country between the federal government and secessionist movements, the journalists are trying to get to the capitol to interview the president before the rebel forces take the White House. The film, A24’s second highest-grossing film to date, is streaming on Max.
2. Planet of the Apes (1968)
I could put pretty much the entire Planet of the Apes franchise on here, but if you’re only going to watch one, watch this one. Loosely based on Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel and starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly, and Linda Harrison, the film follows Astronaut Taylor who crash lands on a distant planet ruled by intelligent and advanced apes who dominate the primitive humans, either killing them, enslaving them or experimenting on them. The film’s ending twist is iconic and stunning. The film is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video. Selected other films in the overall franchise, including 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, are available to stream on Disney+.
3. The Purge (2013)
Another situation where there is a whole film series, the entry I’m going to put on this list is the first film: 2013’s The Purge. Written and directed by James DeMonaco, The Purge stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, and Max Burkholder and follows a wealthy family who has to protect themselves during a home invasion. The twist here is that this home invasion is taking place during the annual Purge, an event where all crime is legal for 12 hours thanks to a law passed by the ruling political party in a post-economic collapse United States. The film is currently available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
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4. Equilibrium
Set in a dystopian, post-World War III future, Equilibrium tells the story of a world where feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and the citizens are required to take drugs that suppress emotions. However, when an enforcement officer accidentally misses a dose of the drugs, his own emotions begin to awaken and he discovers unsettling truths about the totalitarian regime in control. The film stars Christian Bale, Emily Watson, and Taye Diggs. The film doesn’t have the best reviews, but there are some cool fight scenes. It’s available to rent on Amazon Prime Video but may also be available on Pluto TV.
5. The Giver
Yes, Taylor Swift is briefly in The Giver and yes, that does factor into why I’m putting this on the list but The Giver is also just a good story. Based on Lois Lowry’s novel of the same name (which is phenomenal so read it), the film is set in a perfect world that is devoid of all pain and suffering but that comes at a cost, with all memories of the past held by one person, the Receiver of Memory. In the movie, a young man named Jonas is set to become the next Receiver of Memory. As he learns from The Giver, Jonas discovers things about the illusion of perfection that will change everything. In addition to Swift, the film stars Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Odeya Rush, Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes, Cameron Monaghan, and Emma Tremblay. The Giver is available on Max.
6. Interstellar
Yes, I’m calling Interstellar a dystopia. Directed by Christopher Nolan (who also co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan), Interstellar follows a group of astronauts who leave a near-future dystopian Earth ravaged by blight and famine as they travel through a wormhole near Saturn as they try to find a new home for mankind who is rapidly running out of time. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Matt Damon, and Michael Caine. While the film is largely considered a science fiction film as most of its story centers around the space aspects of the story, it’s the elements of the ecological destruction of Earth that is the dystopian element. The film is available to stream on Peacock and Paramount+. Additionally, the film celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and will be returning to theaters in December.
7. High Rise
Released in 2015, High Rise is a British dystopian thriller adapted from the 1975 novel of the same name by J.G. Ballard. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, and Elisabeth Moss, the film is set in a luxury high rise building that has everything its residents need contained in the building but it is also divided by income with the lower classes on the bottom floors and the wealthy up top. When a class struggle breaks out, so does violence between the haves and the have nots. High Rise is streaming on Max.
Bonus: The Hunger Games films
Possibly one of the most popular dystopian franchises in recent years, this list simply would not be complete without The Hunger Games films, particularly the first four films in the series that follow the original trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins. The films follow Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a young woman forced to compete in an elaborate, televised event that is essentially a fight to the death against other teens from the 12 Districts of Panem — a nation born out of the former United States with the games serving as a punishment for a past rebellion against the Capitol. The films are available on Hulu with a STARZ subscription, including the most recent film in the overall franchise, prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. A sixth movie in the franchise, Sunrise on the Reaping is set to hit theaters in 2026 (with a novel preceding it on March 18, 2025.)
