15 Best Movies Like Divergent

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There’s something about young adult fiction that seems well-suited for dystopian stories, as exemplified by the “Divergent” novels by Veronica Roth. Adapted into a film series starting in 2014, the science fiction story had protagonist Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) rise from humble origins in the face of an authoritarian government. Tris joins and inspires a resistance movement to topple the regime, using her unique gifts to rally her supporters. And while the “Divergent” movies may have ended prematurely, without concluding its story, there are plenty of similar films that do present a complete story.

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Many of the movies on this are dystopian science fiction, with the main characters often freedom fighters defying various tyrannies. These often involve a cataclysmic incident that facilitated a dark rise to power, with younger generations saving the day from older despots. On numerous occasions, these films are adaptations of beloved books, reimagined for the silver screen. 

Here are the 15 best movies like “Divergent” that fans should check out next.

The 1967 post-apocalyptic novel “Logan’s Run” was adapted into a science fiction movie in 1976. Taking place in 2274, humanity lives in sealed biodomes controlled by an advanced computer, with residents terminated at the age of 30 under the auspices of receiving a rebirth. Logan 5 (Michael York) is a sandman, assigned with killing anyone trying to escape from their age-based execution. After being instructed to wipe out an outside sanctuary for those who escaped death, Logan flees with a young woman, Jessica 6 (Jenny Agutter), while being pursued by other Sandmen.

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Decades after its release, “Logan’s Run” is still one of the best dystopian movies of all time, laying the narrative groundwork for so much that followed it. York and Agutter’s earnest performances as Logan and Jessica overcome the campier elements of the production, including its colorful costumes. A remake has been in various stages of development hell for years, only to consistently stall out. Maybe that’s for the best, because “Logan’s Run” continues to hold up as an imaginative and propulsive sci-fi story.

Still one of the definitive depictions of a cyberpunk dystopia, 1988’s “Akira” adapts director Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga of the same name. Set in Neo-Tokyo, a sprawling metropolis rebuilt after a devastating psychic attack in the ’80s, the movie follows biker gangs in the Japanese city. Young biker Tetsuo Shima attracts the government’s attention for possessing psychic powers similar to the attack that leveled Tokyo decades prior. This leads Tetsuo’s best friend Shōtarō Kaneda to become involved in the local resistance in an effort to rescue his friend.

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“Akira” is a haunting cyberpunk anime movie, elevated by its deep existential themes and its evocative, legendary score. More than helping the medium find audiences outside of Japan, it still stands as one of the greatest anime movies ever. From its kinetic action sequences to the immersive Neo-Tokyo, “Akira” effectively creates a moody cyberpunk world to get lost in. If you’ve somehow missed the movie or written it off because of being anime, do yourself a favor and witness the awe-inspiring majesty of “Akira.”

Given its subject matter, including the graphic depiction of children committing violence against each other, 2000’s “Battle Royale” has gained a fair amount of notoriety over the years. Based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Koushun Takami, the movie has a totalitarian Japanese government brutally crack down on juvenile delinquency. Every year, a random class of teenagers is sent to a remote island to kill each other as a vicious example to others. Protagonist Shuya Nanahara (Tatsuya Fujiwara) and his classmates are forced to turn on each other, visibly taking a heavy toll on their mental health.

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Still shocking to watch over 20 years later and after countless imitators, “Battle Royale” packs a tightly crafted wallop. Over the course of the movie, the tone often veers into outright horror, especially with Shuya’s classmates that are all too happy at the opportunity to murder their peers. A 2003 sequel follows Shuya leading an explosive insurgency against the government that condemned him to the island, while a planned American remake was eventually canceled for good. Ultra-violent and unflinching in its stakes, “Battle Royale” is an intense masterpiece deserving of its hype.

Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s searing, anti-Thatcher comic book series “V for Vendetta” was brought to life on the silver screen in 2005 by director James McTeigue. After an ultranationalist comes into power following orchestrated terrorist attacks and a pandemic ravaging the country, the United Kingdom descends into a total authoritarian state. A young woman named Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) is rescued from the British secret police by a masked anarchist known simply as V (Hugo Weaving). As V’s history is juxtaposed with the police state’s rise to power, V escalates his elaborate plan to topple the totalitarian government.

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“V for Vendetta” is one of those movies that feels both frighteningly prescient and timelessly relevant in its indictment of government overreach. Though Moore and Lloyd, with Tony Weare, crafted the original story against Margaret Thatcher’s reign as British Prime Minister in the ’80s, its anti-government tale hits harder than ever. Couched within its freedom fighter narrative is plenty of stylized action and a stirring performance from Natalie Portman. Influential and popularizing the Guy Fawkes mask as a face against governmental and corporate malfeasance, “V for Vendetta” eschews subtlety for its explosive message.

While “Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling may have become a controversial figure, including among the actors who starred in movie adaptations of her books, the franchise remains a popular draw. The stories have always revolved around children overcoming the evil that their parents’ generation failed to squash, with these themes playing a more central role in the latter installments. This resistance effort direction really takes shape in the fifth chapter, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” which was adapted in 2007. The movie has the titular order form when the Ministry of Magic suppresses any reaction to the recent resurrection of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

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Far from the children’s movie roots the film series started out as, “The Order of the Phoenix” launches the franchise firmly into young adult territory. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) are forced to grow quickly and fend for themselves, with the authorities vehemently denying them even just the acknowledgment they need. The movie also introduces one of the greatest young adult villains of all-time in Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), a remorseless personification of bureaucratic cruelty. Broadly, all the “Harry Potter” movies could arguably make this list, but “The Order of the Phoenix” is when that association becomes the most clear.

“Percy Jackson” seemed like a sure-fire hit, adapting a popular children’s book series that incorporated and modernized Greek mythology, with the original “Harry Potter” filmmaker Chris Columbus at the helm. Unfortunately, the film series concluded prematurely, like “Divergent,” adapting only the first two novels before eventually shifting to television. Still, 2010’s “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” holds up better than the countless “Harry Potter” knockoffs that it joined. Much of this comes down to the movie’s impressive ensemble cast, helping overcome the sillier elements of the story.

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The movie follows Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) the teenage son of Ancient Greek deity Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). Learning of his divine heritage, Logan teams up with his friends to recover the stolen lightning bolt of Zeus (Sean Bean) and prevent a war between the gods. Lerman really elevates the material, which was openly criticized by the novels’ author Rick Riordan after the movies’ release. Marginally better than its 2013 sequel, “The Lightning Thief” is a good time as long as one doesn’t think too hard about it.

Long before it was a Prime Video series, the action thriller “Hanna” and its tale of teenage CIA super-soldiers was originally a movie directed by Joe Wright. Released in 2011, the movie stars Saiorse Ronan as Hanna Heller, who was trained to become an assassin by the CIA since the age of two. When Hanna’s father Erik (Eric Bana) uncovers information the CIA wants to remain tightly controlled, Erik and her father are pursued by clandestine operatives around the globe. Along the way, Hanna uses her keenly honed abilities to stay alive while the truth behind her upbringing is unveiled.

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Wright proves himself adept at crafting slickly choreographed espionage-oriented action while taking full advantage of the international locations throughout the movie. As ever, Ronan is consistently good and fits seamlessly into the physically demanding role of Hanna Heller, but still finds the innocent girl at the heart of the super-soldier. In that sense, “Hanna” plays out like a modern fairy tale, with a rogue CIA as its wicked enemies while Hanna comes of age. A globe-trotting spy story for the young adult crowd, the “Hanna” movie packs in its story more effectively and concisely than its television remake.

One of the biggest cinematic successes from the young adult crowd, 2012’s “The Hunger Games” adapts Suzanne Collins’ dystopian novel series of the same name. Set in the near-future, the United States has been replaced by the nation of Panem, which is divided into multiple districts by its totalitarian government. To suppress the populace’s spirits, the districts participate in an annual contest where two minors representing each district fight to the death in a public broadcast. Representing Appalachia, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) competes in the Hunger Games, inspiring the people with her determination and romantic feelings for two of her friends.

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Spread across four movies, “The Hunger Games” grows from a survivalist struggle and satire of the media to a full-blown tale of open revolution. Lawrence consistently shines through a stacked ensemble cast right from the opening film, tackling both the physical and dramatic aspects of her performance with ease. Above all, “The Hunger Games” movies are expertly crafted, with genuine pathos behind every action set piece and dramatic plot twist. The franchise’s success went on to inspire countless imitators, with development on “Divergent” gaining traction after its release.

The “Caster Chronicles” novels by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl were acquired by Warner Bros., though only the first book, “Beautiful Creatures,” was adapted to the screen. Released in 2013, the story focuses on the budding romance between high school classmates Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich) and Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert). Ethan discovers that Lena is from a family of witches, with him and Lena connected to each other through their ancestors. This includes a deadly curse on Lena with lethal implications for Ethan while Lena is tempted by dark magic.

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Though plans for sequels were scuttled by the movie’s disappointing box office earnings and tepid critical response, there’s a lot to like in “Beautiful Creatures.” The movie takes full advantage of its Southern Gothic setting and history to weave an atmospheric supernatural story while the ensemble cast does a great job with their characters. Filmmaker Richard LaGravenese, who wrote and directed the adaptation, recalled that the story felt overstuffed for the movie he was trying to make. That criticism is well-founded because at its core, “Beautiful Creatures” is a great coming-of-age love story that just happens to have paranormal elements throughout it.

After her best-selling “Twilight” books were successfully made into movies, author Stephenie Meyer’s 2008 novel “The Host” was adapted into a film in 2013. Whereas Meyer’s previous work focused on supernatural romance, “The Host” is decidedly set within the genre of science fiction, with humanity subjugated by extraterrestrials, known as Souls. A young woman, Melanie Stryder (Saiorse Ronan), is infused with a special Soul and given the mission to find the last unassimilated pockets of humanity. Retaining her own consciousness, Melanie befriends her Soul and uses it to help this enclave of humans face their otherworldly overlords.

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With its absurd premise and unintentional comedy, “The Host” is admittedly something of a guilty pleasure, not unlike the campier moments in “Twilight.” Saiorse Ronan delivers a solid performance, as usual, doing far more justice to the material she’s given than it deserves. The usual genre action and romance are present, keeping the proceedings entertaining enough. Best appreciated by fans of young adult sci-fi willing to overlook its glaring flaws, “The Host” is single-handedly saved by Ronan’s starring performance.

Many an American middle schooler has read 1993’s “The Giver” by Lois Lowry, with the classic novel finally getting adapted to the big screen in 2014. After enduring a cataclysmic event, society has reorganized to eliminate all emotions, genetically engineer the births of additional humans, and suppress sexuality. A lone individual, known as the Receiver of Memory, maintains the collective emotion-filled memories of humanity, eventually imparting this responsibility to the next generation. A teenager named Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is designated as the next Receiver, experiencing emotions for the first time as he is trained by the Giver (Jeff Bridges).

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Jeff Bridges had been linked to an adaptation of “The Giver” since the ’90s, with it becoming something of a passion project for him. The movie itself is a serviceable retelling of, with Bridges and co-star Meryl Streep reliably good in their wizened roles in the story. The other noteworthy element of the adaptation is its imaginative use of color, breathing visual life into this emotionless civilization. A solid take on a classic story, “The Giver” doesn’t so much redefine the young adult story as it does provide a straightforward translation.

2014’s “The Maze Runner” takes on a decidedly unique approach to its young adult dystopian tale, with a group of teenagers and young adults trapped in a strange stone maze. Adapting the 2009 novel series by James Dashner, the story starts with amnesiac protagonist Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) awakening in the middle of the intricate labyrinth. While regaining his memories, Thomas searches for an exit and battles the monstrous Grievers prowling the premises. The movie’s two sequels present different challenges for Thomas and his friends as they confront the sinister organization ruling the world.

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Of all the young adult film franchises to launch in the wake of “The Hunger Games,” “The Maze Runner” is among the more successful. In comparison to “Divergent,” the adaptation of Dashner’s novels were at least able to finish their story on the silver screen. A big part of the trilogy’s appeal is lead actor Dylan O’Brien and its more pronounced sci-fi premise, right down to its distinct obstacles. Packed with engaging thrills and led by a charismatic O’Brien, “The Maze Runner” is well worth binging over a weekend.

While taking place in a dystopian near-future, 2018’s “Ready Player One” is an all-around celebration of modern pop culture, particularly from the ’80s. Adapting Ernest Cline’s hit 2011 novel, the movie takes place in a world where society escapes their unpleasant reality by immersing themselves in the virtual reality program, the OASIS. Protagonist Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) and his friends become involved in a search for a hidden key granting ownership of the OASIS by its late co-creator James Halliday (Mark Rylance). Unscrupulous CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) also seeks the key for himself, enlisting a private digital army to find it at any cost.

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From its high-octane car race, including the “Back to the Future” DeLorean time machine and a sequence set in the Overlook Hotel, “Ready Player One” is pure popcorn. Director Steven Spielberg knows when to lean hard into the fan service and come up for the emotional investment in the characters between all the CG trickery. But, like the source material, “Ready Player One” works best when it focuses on its pop culture love fest, culminating in its climactic battle packed with plenty of familiar faces.

Director Robert Rodriguez teamed up with screenwriter and producer James Cameron for “Alita: Battle Angel,” an adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s manga “Battle Angel Alita.” Set centuries in the future, humanity on Earth continues to recover from a devastating war against its Martian colonies. Young cyborg Alita (Rosa Salazar) gains fame playing into the gladiatorial sport of Motorball, gaining the murderous jealousy of other killer cyborgs. Alita falls in love with Hugo (Keean Johnson), who dreams of moving to the wealthy city of Zalem, hovering over his scrappy home.

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“Alita: Battle Angel” is arguably Rodriguez’s best film in nearly 20 years, and he forms a tighter collaboration with Cameron than Tim Miller had for “Terminator: Dark Fate.” While the movie has an impressive ensemble cast, Salazar really shines in her motion capture-heavy performance as Alita. Earning an army of vocal fans, hope remains for a sequel, with the creative team still interested. A rollicking cyberpunk thrill ride, “Alita: Battle Angel” is an ambitious adventure that entertains as it world-builds.

After being introduced in the universally acclaimed action movie “Mad Max: Fury Road” in 2015, the no-nonsense Furiosa gets her own origin story in 2024’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” Anya Taylor-Joy plays the younger Furiosa, who swears revenge on the wasteland warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) for murdering her mother. This leads her to work with the other post-apocalyptic leader Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) as she slowly formulates her vengeance. Having developed her own lethal skills for years, Furiosa launches her renewed vendetta against Dementus and his small army.

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Whereas “Fury Road” was a tightly focused narrative unfolding largely across a single chase, “Furiosa” features the most expansive world-building in the “Mad Max” franchise. Taylor-Joy delivers her most steely-eyed performance yet as Furiosa while Hemsworth clearly has a blast as the flamboyantly sadistic Dementus. At its core, “Furiosa” is a revenge story, and wisely keeps its story focused on the two subjects of this feud prominently in focus. Firing on all cylinders, “Furiosa” keeps the “Mad Max” legacy alive and well nearly a decade after “Fury Road.”