6 Movies Like The Hunger Games to Watch Next
Key takeaways
- Battle Royale is the closest match to the forced-survival contest at the heart of The Hunger Games, though it is much more violent and adult.
- The Maze Runner and Divergent offer teen-led dystopian stories, with survival and resistance taking different forms.
- The Darkest Minds focuses on teenagers targeted by the government, while Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire brings a perilous tournament to a fantasy world.
- Ready Player One offers futuristic challenges built around a virtual world rather than an arena or youth-led uprising.
Table of contents
- 6 Movies Like The Hunger Games to Watch Next
- Key takeaways
- Table of contents
- For another deadly competition
- 1. Battle Royale (2000)
- 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- For teenagers surviving a dangerous system
- 3. The Maze Runner (2014)
- 4. The Darkest Minds (2018)
- For a heroine challenging a dystopian society
- 5. Divergent (2014)
- For games in a futuristic world
- 6. Ready Player One (2018)
- Which movie should you watch first?
- The best movies like The Hunger Games, depending on your mood
If you’re looking for movies like The Hunger Games, start with what you want more of: a deadly contest, teenagers trying to survive, or a young heroine challenging an oppressive society. Battle Royale is the closest match to the arena premise, while The Maze Runner and Divergent offer teen-led dystopian stories with different kinds of danger.
These films aren’t all copies of The Hunger Games. Some share its survival stakes; others have more in common with its rebellion, young-adult characters, or controlled futures. Here are six picks, grouped by the element you might be craving.
For another deadly competition
1. Battle Royale (2000)
For the most direct match to the forced-survival contest at the heart of The Hunger Games, try the Japanese film Battle Royale. Its premise centers on students made to compete in a deadly game, putting them under pressure from both the rules of the contest and one another. That makes it a closer match to the arena setup than most YA dystopian movies.
There’s an important difference in tone: Battle Royale is a much more violent, adult thriller. It’s worth considering if you want a harsher take on the idea of a government turning young people’s survival into a spectacle, but it may not be the right choice if you’re looking for the same level of YA adventure. IGN includes it among its recommendations for The Hunger Games fans, and MovieWeb also highlights the connection.
Best for: viewers who want the closest premise match and can handle a more graphic film.
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
In The Goblet of Fire, a dangerous tournament gives the story a high-stakes competition element. It’s a looser connection to The Hunger Games: the movie is fantasy rather than dystopian science fiction, and its world and tone are very different. But if you’re drawn to the suspense of watching young characters face difficult challenges, it’s a natural option.
This is a good pick when you want a contest with escalating risks but don’t specifically need a futuristic regime or a rebellion story. PureWow also includes it in its list of movies for The Hunger Games fans.
Best for: viewers who enjoy perilous tournaments but would rather watch fantasy than a bleak dystopia.
For teenagers surviving a dangerous system
3. The Maze Runner (2014)
The Maze Runner follows teenagers trying to understand a dangerous place and find a way out. Like The Hunger Games, it puts young characters in life-threatening circumstances and leaves them facing forces they don’t fully understand. The central hook, though, isn’t a televised contest: it’s the mystery of the maze and the challenge of escaping it.
That shift changes the viewing experience. Choose this one if you want a young ensemble, tense survival scenes, and questions that unfold as the characters investigate their situation. If you’re looking for a clear arena-style competition, Battle Royale is the closer fit. PureWow and SlashFilm both recommend it to fans of The Hunger Games.
Best for: viewers who want teen survival and a central mystery, rather than a fight-to-the-death tournament.
4. The Darkest Minds (2018)
In The Darkest Minds, teenagers with special abilities are treated as threats by the government. That gives the film a different kind of danger from The Hunger Games: the young characters are targeted for what they are, rather than placed in a formal competition. Its connection to Katniss’s story is strongest in its focus on teens facing a powerful system and the possibility of resistance.
Choose it for young protagonists on the run and a dystopian setup built around government control. Don’t expect another arena story, however. The conflict is more about survival and persecution than a public contest. PopSugar includes the film among its recommendations for The Hunger Games viewers.
Best for: viewers who want young characters resisting state power and an ensemble cast of teen protagonists.
For a heroine challenging a dystopian society
5. Divergent (2014)
If what stayed with you about The Hunger Games was watching a young woman push back against a system, Divergent is a strong next choice. Its society is divided into factions, and its heroine, Tris, becomes a threat to that social order. The story shares the YA dystopian setting and themes of control and resistance, but it is not centered on a televised survival game.
That difference makes Divergent a better fit for viewers who want a heroine-led rebellion story than for those who want a direct repeat of the arena format. IGN and PureWow both draw the comparison.
Best for: viewers looking for a young heroine, a tightly controlled society, and a growing conflict with its rules.
For games in a futuristic world
6. Ready Player One (2018)
Ready Player One shares two broad ingredients with The Hunger Games: a damaged future society and high-stakes challenges built around games. But it has a very different focus and tone, leaning into a virtual world rather than an arena or a youth-led political uprising.
It’s the best pick on this list if you want futuristic challenges without the same kind of survival drama. The game element connects it to the competition side of The Hunger Games, while the setting offers a separate kind of escape. ScreenRant includes it in its recommendations for fans of the series.
Best for: viewers who want a future-set adventure with high-stakes virtual challenges.
Which movie should you watch first?
Use this quick guide to match your next pick to the part of The Hunger Games you want to revisit:
| If you want… | Start with… |
|---|---|
| A forced, deadly competition | Battle Royale |
| Teenagers surviving a dangerous mystery | The Maze Runner |
| A heroine resisting a controlled society | Divergent |
| Teens facing government persecution | The Darkest Minds |
| A perilous tournament in a fantasy world | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
| Futuristic games and challenges | Ready Player One |
The best movies like The Hunger Games, depending on your mood
There isn’t one perfect substitute, because The Hunger Games combines several different appeals: an enforced contest, a young heroine, a controlled society, and a growing resistance. For the closest match to the contest itself, choose Battle Royale, keeping its more graphic tone in mind. For a YA survival adventure, try The Maze Runner. And for a heroine confronting dystopian social rules, Divergent is the clearest fit.
The rest of the list takes one ingredient in a different direction. The Darkest Minds focuses on young people treated as threats, The Goblet of Fire offers a fantasy tournament, and Ready Player One builds its challenges around a virtual world. Pick according to the element you want most, rather than expecting every film to reproduce Katniss’s story.
