If you’re a fan of The Hunger Games, it’s time to get excited! With a new book Sunrise on the Reaping, set to come out in March 2025, and a new movie with the same name set to come out in 2025, fans are buzzing with anticipation. To celebrate this thrilling news, we’ve put together this list of movies like The Hunger Games that capture the same intense action, gripping dystopian themes, and powerful storytelling that made Katniss Everdeen’s journey so unforgettable.
Whether you’re looking to relive the excitement or discover new adventures, these films are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. May the odds be ever in your favor as you dive into our top picks!
23 Movies Like The Hunger Games
1. The Maze Runner (2014)
Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) wakes up in a mysterious enclosed community known as the Glade, surrounded by towering walls and a deadly shifting maze. With no memory of his past, he must band together with other boys to uncover the secrets of their prison and find a way out.
Like The Hunger Games, this film delivers high-stakes survival, a dystopian society with hidden agendas, and a protagonist who challenges the system. Fans will appreciate the sense of urgency, intense action, and the battle against an oppressive force.
Be sure to check out the sequels: Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)
2. The Moral Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
Clary Fray (Lily Collins) discovers she is a Shadowhunter, a warrior with angelic blood destined to protect humanity from demons. After her mother is kidnapped, Clary is thrust into a hidden world of supernatural beings, magic, and ancient conflicts.
Much like The Hunger Games, this film features a strong female lead uncovering shocking truths about herself while navigating a dangerous and secretive society. The film also shares similar themes of rebellion, destiny, and self-discovery.
3. Divergent (2014)
In a futuristic society where people are divided into factions based on virtues, Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) learns she is Divergent—someone who doesn’t fit into just one category. As she navigates brutal training, dangerous alliances, and government conspiracies, Tris realizes she must stand against the system before it destroys her and others like her.
Divergent echoes The Hunger Games with its dystopian setting, a fierce female protagonist, and themes of rebellion against an oppressive government.
Also check out the sequels: The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015) and The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016).
4. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) discovers he is the son of Poseidon, one of the Greek gods, and is thrust into a world of ancient myths and dangerous quests. To prevent an all-out war among the gods, Percy must embark on a journey, facing powerful enemies along the way.
While it leans more into mythology than dystopia, fans of The Hunger Games will enjoy the action-packed adventure, coming-of-age themes, and the protagonist’s struggle to embrace his true identity.
Watch the sequel, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013), and the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023) for more adventures.
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Can’t really do a “chosen one” type of list without including Harry Potter and the 4th installment is the closest to The Hunger Games.
In The Goblet of Fire, Harry finds himself competing in a hazardous tournament between rival schools of magic.
Not a fan of starting a movie series in the middle? Here is the Harry Potter series in order: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part One (2010), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part Two (2011).
6. Prey (2022)
Set in the 1700s, this Predator prequel follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a skilled Comanche warrior, as she fights to protect her people from one of the first alien Predators to arrive on Earth.
The film offers intense survivalist action and a determined female lead, much like The Hunger Games. Naru’s hunting skills, strategic mind, and fierce independence make her a character fans of Katniss will admire.
7. Winter’s Bone (2010)
An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl (Jennifer Lawrence) hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.
Not dystopian at all, but if you love Jennifer Lawrence and survival type stories, this is a great movie.
8. The Giver (2014)
Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) lives in a seemingly utopian society devoid of pain, conflict, or free will. When he is chosen to receive memories of the past, he learns the disturbing truth about his world and sets out to change it.
Much like The Hunger Games, The Giver explores the cost of a controlled society, a young protagonist awakening to the truth, and the fight against a manipulative government.
9.Ender’s Game (2013)
Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a brilliant young strategist, is recruited into a military program designed to prepare children to fight an impending alien invasion. As he trains in zero-gravity battle simulations, he begins to question the morality of war and his role in it.
Like The Hunger Games, the film presents a young protagonist manipulated by powerful authorities and forced to navigate a brutal competition for survival.
10. The Darkest Minds (2018)
After a mysterious disease wipes out most children, those who survive develop extraordinary powers and are hunted by the government. Ruby (Amandla Stenberg) escapes captivity and joins a resistance movement, fighting for freedom.
Fans of The Hunger Games will appreciate the dystopian setting, rebellion against oppressive forces, and young characters discovering their own strength.
11. The Purge (2013)
In a near-future America, the government sanctions a 12-hour period where all crime is legal, including murder. A wealthy family finds themselves under siege during the annual Purge, forcing them to fight for survival. While it lacks the structured arena of The Hunger Games, The Purge shares themes of societal control, ruthless violence, and moral dilemmas in a dystopian world.
Check out the prequels and sequels: The Purge: Anarchy (2014), The Purge: Election Year (2016), The First Purge (2018), and The Forever Purge (2021).
More Movies Like The Hunger Games
12. Battle Royale (2000)
A Japanese cult classic, Battle Royale follows a class of ninth-grade students forced to fight to the death on an isolated island.
The brutal survival game, government control, and the moral complexities of killing for survival make this film one of the clearest inspirations for The Hunger Games.
13. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Furiosa (Charlize Theron) rebels against a tyrannical warlord, leading a daring escape across the desert. With stunning action sequences, strong female leads, and themes of oppression and resistance, this film delivers the adrenaline-fueled spectacle that Hunger Games fans will love.
Want more crazy wasteland goodness? A prequel, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024), is out now.
14. Equilibrium (2002)
In a dystopian future where emotions are outlawed, a top enforcer of the regime begins to question the system he upholds. Like The Hunger Games, Equilibrium explores rebellion against an oppressive government, with a protagonist who evolves from blind loyalty to a fierce determination to dismantle tyranny.
15. Lord Of The Flies (1963)
Stranded on a deserted island, a group of young boys form their own society—one that quickly descends into chaos and brutality. Much like The Hunger Games, this film examines the dark side of human nature when survival is at stake, questioning the fragility of civilization.
16. Mortal Engines (2018)
In a world where entire cities move on wheels and consume smaller settlements, two unlikely heroes must stop a deadly conspiracy.
Similar to The Hunger Games, this film presents a post-apocalyptic setting, a determined female protagonist, and a rebellion against a ruling power.
17. Snowpiercer (2013)
The last remnants of humanity survive aboard a constantly moving train, where the poor are oppressed by the wealthy elite. Like The Hunger Games, Snowpiercer portrays a rigid class system, rebellion against an unfair hierarchy, and a protagonist fighting for equality.
Was this 126 minute train ride too short for you? Check out the Snowpiercer TV series with 4 seasons.
18. Running Man (1987)
A wrongly convicted man is forced to compete in a deadly televised game show where he must fight for survival. This film directly parallels The Hunger Games with its dystopian spectacle of violence as entertainment, a corrupt government, and a protagonist who refuses to play by their rules.
19. Logan’s Run (1976)
In a future where no one is allowed to live past 30, a law enforcer discovers the truth behind this utopian façade and attempts to escape. Like The Hunger Games, Logan’s Run follows a protagonist who defies a controlling society’s brutal policies and seeks freedom.
20. Ready Player One (2018)
In a dystopian future, people escape reality by immersing themselves in a vast virtual world. When its creator dies, he leaves behind a challenge to find a hidden Easter egg, granting control of the OASIS to whoever finds it first.
Like The Hunger Games, this film features a protagonist navigating a deadly competition where the stakes couldn’t be higher.
21. The Fifth Wave (2016)
After Earth is ravaged by alien invasions, a teenage girl embarks on a desperate journey to save her younger brother.
Like The Hunger Games, this film features a resilient young heroine navigating a dangerous world and resisting those who seek to control humanity.
22. V for Vendetta (2005)
In a totalitarian future Britain, a masked vigilante seeks to overthrow a brutal dictatorship with the help of an ordinary woman who becomes a revolutionary.
This film shares The Hunger Games‘ themes of rebellion, government oppression, and a symbol of resistance inspiring the masses.
23. Gattaca (1997)
In a future where society is ruled by genetic perfection, a man born with inferior DNA assumes another’s identity to achieve his dream of space travel. Like The Hunger Games, Gattaca explores themes of defying societal expectations and overcoming an unjust system through determination and deception.
