The Best Dystopian Stories in Film, TV, & More

The future is anything but certain. Some of the most exhilarating, inspiring, and terrifying stories out there are concerned with what the future will look like for humanity. It’s not always a pretty picture — but it does make for compelling pop culture!

From action-adventure plots about teenagers who volunteer as tribute to swanky sci-fi spy stories, let’s look at some of the best dystopian movies, television, and more.

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The Hunger Games

We’ll just come out and say it. The Hunger Games is a brilliant dystopia. First released as a young adult book trilogy, the series later evolved into a film franchise. Both still follow the same concept and plot, so we’ll be discussing both. However, we highly recommend you read and watch them all if you’re even slightly interested. Plus, a prequel film based on author Suzanne Collins’ 2020 novel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, looks at how this world’s namesake tournament transforms from horrific solution to edge-of-your seat entertainment.

What are the Hunger Games? Well, North America is divided into 12 districts and a wealthy Capitol. Every year, the Capitol selects children to compete in a televised battle royale death match for the Capitol’s amusement. Katniss Everdeen volunteers for the games in order to replace her younger sister. Thus begins a breathtaking, heart-wrenching, and inspiring tale about rebellion and corruption.

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Escape From New York

Escape From New York is set in the near-future in a world overrun by crime. Because of the prevalence of crime, the entirety of Manhattan in New York City has been converted into a maximum security prison. Every single one of America’s most dangerous and unsavory characters is relegated to this area. It’s an excellent concept for a dystopia because it shows how segregation can’t solve an intrinsically corrupt justice system.

Of course, this is similar to how criminals from New Zealand were once transported to Australia to create a prison colony. So the storyline has its roots in world history. But the reality of its execution in the film creates an apocalyptic wasteland where anarchy and evil rule. Even the movie’s protagonist Snake Plissken is a jaded antihero who blends right into that hellscape. But we wouldn’t want him any other way.

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Alita: Battle Angel

Alita: Battle Angel is a cyberpunk movie inspired by a manga. It chronicles the adventures of Alita, a cyborg who awakens with no memory of her past life. She lives in a scrapyard area called Iron City that still bears the remnants of “The Fall,” a catastrophic world war that devastated humankind. Meanwhile, her friend Hugo dreams of moving to the wealthy sky city called Zalem.

Alita becomes a star athlete, uncovers her destiny, and makes true connections along the way. Like any great cyberpunk story, the narrative asks us to question what a human is, as well as how we define humanity. Of course, the backdrop is lots of eye-catching explosions and Motorball races. But it is, at its core, full of heart.

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No. 6

No. 6 is a must-watch dystopian anime based on a best-selling novel and manga. Only 11 episodes long, it chronicles the journey of Shion, a citizen of the ideal city called No. 6. At first, Shion is sheltered, privileged, and comfortable. His world is clean and his beliefs are unquestioned. Then, everything changes one stormy night when Shion provides refuge to a dirty runaway named Nezumi — literally translated in English to “Rat.”

Because of this transgression, Shion learns of the impoverished communities outside his city’s fortified walls. He learns what it costs to keep No. 6 as idyllic and pristine as it is — and he must choose whether he’s morally ready to pay that price. No. 6 has all the beauty and horror of Ursula K. Le Guin’s The People Who Walk Away from Omelas, with a touch of magic, action, and romance.

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Aeon Flux

Much like previous cities, the futuristic biopunk settings of Bregna and Monica in Aeon Flux are shiny and pristine. The animation style itself is unlike any other TV show out there, with its clear influences from German Expressionist art. However, slinking around and dropping in from uncanny heights is a hero who’s arguably the messiest spy that pop culture has ever seen. Aeon Flux herself is immediately recognizable in her leather get-up and coiffed hair but it’s her style of movement that really catches the eye.

While she’s fluid like a spider weaving its web, her spindly limbs also invariably lead her to get tangled up like a hapless fly. The result is an assassin who is mesmerizing to watch but also full of mistakes. Many of the MTV episodes feature Aeon’s death on a mission. This transgressive storytelling choice created a show that brought viewers back every time, wondering whether Aeon would finally succeed and defy her will-they-won’t-they dynamic with Bregna’s despotic dictator.

 

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