Summary

• Movies like The Hunger Games, such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, feature rebellious heroes fighting against powerful empires.
• The Hunt is a satirical horror film that mirrors The Hunger Games' themes of social divide and political commentary.
• Ready Player One, like The Hunger Games, explores a dystopian future where young heroes must engage in high-stakes games to escape poverty and find purpose.

Movies like The Hunger Games cross a variety of genres, and aren't limited to just sci-fi and fantasy films aimed at young adults — though all of them channel the same core themes of rebellion and defiance as Katniss Everdeen's story. The Hunger Games franchise follows Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) as she steps up to represent District 12 in the annual Hunger Games, then brings down Snow and the entire corrupt establishment across the three sequels to the 2012 original. Like the Suzanne Collins novels they're based on, the Hunger Games movies were praised for mixing a solid coming-of-age tale with an intriguing sci-fi fantasy universe.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part Two ended Katniss's story in 2015. Though the 2023 prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes arrived to breathe new life into the franchise, there still haven't been new Hunger Games movies released at the same frequency as the originals between 2012 and 2015. How long it will be until the next one is also unknown. Fortunately, there are many movies like The Hunger Games for viewers who want a similar experience.

image small The Hunger Gamesimage small The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The entire Hunger Games franchise is available to stream on Max.

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25 The Matrix (1999)

Keanu Reeves Becomes The Unexpected Savior

While the final two Hunger Games movies are often seen as a mixed two-parter ending to the story, there are some interesting aspects, especially with Katniss becoming the face of the rebellion. Katniss is a fighter and a survivor, but she has never been comfortable with being the beacon of hope and a source of inspiration for others which mirrors the journey Neo takes in The Matrix.

The Matrix is a groundbreaking sci-fi movie that is another story about a rebellion against oppressors, in this case, machines who enslave humanity by putting them in a simulated world they think is reality. Keanu Reeves stars as Neo, a mild-mannered hacker who is exposed to the truth, and like Katniss, is told he is "the one" who will bring them victory. Neo and Katniss both show heroism and help their respective causes, but their paths as saviors are complex.

24 Prey (2022)

A Comanche Warrior Fights An Alien Invader

Katniss Everdeen ed the ranks of some of the greatest female action movie heroes of all time and Naru in Prey is another worthy member of that club. Prey is the latest movie in the Predator franchise but it takes a new approach by focusing on the first time the Predator alien visited Earth to hunt for sport. Naru is a young Comanche warrior who finds herself facing off with the deadly visitor.

Naru is a little more eager to prove herself a warrior than Katniss is, but she is also a strong protagonist who wants to protect her family above all else. Amber Midthunder gives a commanding performance in the lead role while the movie itself is a terrific reinvention of the franchise and one that was desperately needed to move the series forward.

23 Winter's Bone (2010)

Jennifer Lawrence Fights For Her Family In A Mountain Community

Winter's Bone is likely the movie that earned Jennifer Lawrence the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and it is not hard to see why the filmmakers chose her. The dark and grounded crime movie stars Lawrence as a teen who is the primary caregiver for her young siblings out in their isolated mountain home. When their father goes missing, they risk losing their house which sends Lawrence on a mission to locate him.

From the early moments of Lawrence hunting for squirrels to feed her family, the similarities between Winter's Bone's Ree and The Hunger Games' Katniss are clear. She is another strong protagonist who wants as little trouble as possible but is willing to go to great lengths to protect her loved ones. Lawrence earned her first Oscar nomination for her stirring performance.

22 The Running Man (1987)

Arnold Schwarzenegger Fights For His Life On A Game Show

The concept of a fight to the death being broadcast on television for entertainment value is a chilling and impactful one which has been seen in several other movies. Perhaps the most famous outside of The Hunger Games is the sci-fi action movie The Running Man. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a wrongfully convicted soldier who is forced to participate in a reality game show where he is chased by deadly advesaries through the show's elaborate maze.

The Hunger Games take on violence for entertainment features similar satire with The Running Man's villain feeling similar to Stanley Tucci's Hunger Games character of Caesar Flickerman. With it being an 80s action movie with Schwarzenegger as the lead, it is a little silly at times but always good fun. With Edgar Wright and Geln Powell teaming for The Running Man remake, it could be a somewhat more grounded take.

21 Equilibrium (2002)

Christian Bale Becomes A Fighter Against An Oppressive Ruler

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has the most exciting depiction of the games in the franchise, but some of the most interesting developments happen before that. With Katniss and Peeta winning the games, they are viewed as enemies of the Capitol and Katniss tries to do everything to appear like a cooperative member of their oppressive society. This is also reflected in the character of Preston in Equilibrium.

As he attempts to himself off as one of the emotionless of the population, he s a rebellion's attempts to overcome the oppressors

Christian Bale stars as Preston in the sci-fi action movie which is set in a society in which the government has outlawed emotion. Preston is an officer meant to enforce this law but soon finds himself overcome with the emotions he is meant to suppress. As he attempts to himself off as one of the emotionless of the population, he s a rebellion's attempts to overcome the oppressors.

20 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Jyn Erso Is A Katniss-Like Hero In The Morally Complex Star Wars Movie

Most of the Star Wars franchise bears some resemblance to The Hunger Games, as these movies tend to feature a band of heroes fighting a rebellion against a more powerful tyrannical empire. However, the movie that best exemplifies these aspects is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. As the first Star Wars spinoff, Rogue One tells the story of a band of rebels who steal the Death Star plans, allowing for the climactic battle in A New Hope.

Like Katniss, Rogue One protagonist Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is a reluctant hero at first but finds her purpose through rebellion. Meanwhile, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) shows the morally grey areas of the Star Wars rebellion, which is a theme shared in The Hunger Games. However, their sacrifice to simply ensure that the rebellion can live on another day makes for one of the most thrilling Star Wars stories to date.

19 The Hunt (2020)

The Hunger Games Themes Of Social Divide Are Mirrored In This Satirical Horror

The Hunger Games uses the deadly games as a commentary on various aspects of modern society. The Hunt also uses the concept of a deadly game, but it's used for an even less subtle, yet more comedic, social commentary on the divisive nature of modern culture. The Hunt centers around a group of right-wing people who are abducted and hunted for sport by "liberal elites" who disagree with their political leanings.

The Hunt is a satire on both extremes of the left-right political divide while infusing a lot of dark humor to ensure it is still a fun ride. The right-wingers' ignorance and hatred show through even in life-or-death situations, while the leftists are filled with hypocrisy, failing to recognize their own faults. It is a wild and outrageous satire that is more clever than it initially seems.

18 Ready Player One (2018)

Steven Spielberg's Dystopian YA Novel Adaptation Has A Spiritual Kinship With The Hunger Games

The dystopian world of high-stakes games played by young heroes is also at the center of Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One. Like The Hunger Games, Ready Player One is based on a book and takes a look at a bleak future. In the dystopia presented by Ready Player One, the creator of a virtual reality world that the downtrodden of society use for escapism. The creator has left an Easter egg to be found inside the games, and winning will give one player control of his vast empire.

It's clear why this is a movie like The Hunger Games, although the motivations of Katniss and Ready Player One hero Wade (Tye Sheridan) are slightly different. While Katniss can escape the poverty of District 12 if she wins, her primary motivation for entering the games was to protect her sister. Wade, on the other hand, is simply seeking a better life. The mix of virtual reality gives Ready Player One its own unique spin on the premise of a deadly challenge being the only way to escape abject poverty.

17 The Most Dangerous Game (1932)

One Of The Earliest Movies Like The Hunger Games

The idea of a game being played for entertainment that will cost people lives has been around long before The Hunger Games, perhaps going back to the 1924 short story by Richard Connell called The Most Dangerous Game. The story has been adapted many times including as recently as 2022, but the 1932 original was one of the first movies like The Hunger Games to appear.

1932's The Most Dangerous Game follows Bob (Joel McCrea), a man who finds himself on an island where he is hunted for sport by an aristocrat, much like the original novel. The idea of the rich using people's lives for pure entertainment is an idea that has stayed with storytellers and certainly inspired The Hunger Games, but it is also a thrilling adventure with a twisted premise. Though the violence isn't as intense as modern takes on this kind of story, it is amazing how thrilling the movie is nearly a century later.