Films like The Hunger Games

10 picks with a similar feel

What defines The Hunger Games, going by its Boxlist taste profile: An otherworldly sci-fi film that is breakneck, expansive and original. Best if you like the extraordinary over the everyday. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of competition, coming of age and social commentary, plus tags such as bow and arrow, revolution and game.

Here are 10 films with a similar feel, ranked by how closely they match that profile. Treat them as picks to try, not a definitive list.

Based on The Hunger Games (2012).

  1. 1

    Divergent (2014)

    Film6.9

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and inventive, with themes of coming of age and social commentary. Common ground: dystopia.

  2. 2

    Nerve (2016)

    Film7.1

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and fast-paced, with themes of competition and coming of age. Common ground: game.

  3. 3

    Serenity (2005)

    Film7.4

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and inventive, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.

  4. 4

    Chaos Walking (2021)

    Film6.9Lighter option

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary. Common ground: dystopia.

  5. 5

    V for Vendetta (2006)

    Film7.9

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and fast-paced, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: revolution, dystopia.

  6. 6

    Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

    Film6.9Slower burn

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.

  7. 7

    Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)

    Film6.7Easier to follow

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and fast-paced, with themes of coming of age and social commentary. Common ground: dystopia.

  8. 8

    Doctor Strange (2016)

    Film7.4Lighter option

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of competition and underdogs.

  9. 9

    Pacific Rim (2013)

    Film6.8

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary. Common ground: dystopia.

  10. 10

    Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

    Film7.2

    Why it's like The Hunger Games: Also heightened and inventive, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.

Boxlist compares The Hunger Games with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point. Ratings are TMDB audience scores out of 10.

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Questions

What should I watch if I like The Hunger Games?
Picks with a similar feel include Divergent, Nerve, Serenity and Chaos Walking. Each shares part of The Hunger Games's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 10 films.
How are these films like The Hunger Games chosen?
Boxlist compares The Hunger Games with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point.
Is there a lighter film like The Hunger Games?
Chaos Walking has a similar feel but scores lighter on Boxlist's weightiness scale.

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