The 10 Best Dystopian War Movies, Ranked

Dystopian war movies refer to a genre of fiction flicks in which a heavy part of the story centers on a war or rebellion. The time frame always occurs after some sort of apocalypse has rendered the Earth a much more hostile place than it used to be. It’s not a common genre, to be frank, but it is an interesting concept, all the same. In fact, most of the movies that fall under this category, you probably don’t even see as belonging to the genre.

With the recent release of Civil War, the genre has stepped into the spotlight a bit more. It’s going to be fresh in people’s minds for a while, and there are a good handful of movies to choose from that come from the same genre. Since it’s primarily a sci-fi-based genre, many of these movies have unique twists on them, although some can be grounded in reality.

10 ‘Civil War’ (2024)

Directed by Alex Garland

The recently-released Civil War has been making a killing at the box office thanks to its interesting premise and its outstanding quality. Distributed by A24, a company that has an impressive list of films behind it, the story follows survivors of a second, more modern civil war in the United States. The war erupts between the now Ununited States government and various secessionist groups, who all wish to recede from the States for various reasons.

The war leaves America a plain of destruction, with very few safe havens left. The survivors, mainly a group of journalists, are innocent bystanders caught in the middle of this devastating conflict. Civil War is led by Kirsten Durst, who plays a journalist documenting the war, and is supported by the likes of Nick Offerman, Wagner Moura, and Cailee Spaeny, among others. If you’re a fan of dystopian movies or war movies (or both), you’d best head out to the theatres while it’s still there, this isn’t one that you’ll want to miss.

Civil War is currently playing in theaters in the U.S.

Buy Tickets Now

9 ‘World War Z’ (2013)

Directed by Marc Forster

There’s a countless number of zombie flicks out there, but few have ever matched the sense of scale and destruction as World War Z. As the title implies, the zombies in this film really do take over the whole world, causing humans to wage a war against them in order to survive. Normally, zombie movies are limited to staying within one city or town, but World War Z shows just how badly the zombie pandemic is affecting the entire world.

The zombies have strength in numbers, which trumps any amount of firepower that the humans have. The defenses and precautions humans set up to combat the infected proves to be minor obstacles to the ever-growing horde. Starring Brad Pitt as a UN official searching for a cure before the disaster destroys the planet. World War Z is not only a standout zombie flick, but a great dystopian war flick too, as the humans fight for their lives against a literal army of the undead.

8 ‘Elysium’ (2013)

Directed by Neil Blomkamp

War has broken out between the rich and the poor in Neill Blomkamp‘s Elysium starring Matt Damon. In this bleak world, much of the Earth has become a dirty, polluted environment due to human intervention. The one percent of Earth’s elite take refuge aboard Elysium, an enormous space station with an artificial atmosphere, verdant lawns and gorgeous environments, and top-of-the-line health facilities that can instantly cure any ailment.

When Max da Costa, (Damon) suffers radiation sickness due to a workplace accident, he is given five days to live. Seeing no other choice, he opts to wage war on Elysium so that he can get the medical care he needs to survive. Unfortunately for him, this is not a new idea, as many others have tried and been killed attempting the same thing. While Elysium doesn’t quite hold a candle to Blomkamp’s feature film debut, District 9, it still stands out as an excellent action movie with unique visuals and exceptional acting performances. It also examines some very real societal issues involving the divide between the lower and upper classes, heightening the tensions within this dystopic film.

7 ‘Oblivion’ (2013)

Directed by Joseph Kosinki

Oblivion occurs after aliens invade Earth. The world’s governments opt to use nuclear weapons to eliminate them. However, this makes Earth uninhabitable. Humanity seeks refuge on space stations orbiting the planet. A select few individuals are tasked to stay behind and make sure the drones that protect the water farms are functioning as normal and aren’t being attacked by the aliens who still dwell there. One of these few is Jack, played by Tom Cruise.

This is a movie that is going to need more than one viewing to fully understand, because things become a lot less cut-and-dry as the adventure goes on. The movie’s mind-bending premise helped it stand out among other sci-fi movies, and the visuals and sound design were absolutely superb. Sadly, it remained a bit of an underrated entry in 2013’s impressive collection of summer blockbusters. Even though it may not have gotten the attention it deserved, it’s a great dystopian war film that definitely earns its spot among the greats of the genre.

6 ‘Spectral’ (2016)

Directed by Nic Mathieu

Spectral is a super underrated dystopian war movie released by Netflix. Taking place in the future, where a civil war is ravaging the tiny Eastern European nation of Moldova, the soldiers in the conflict find themselves not only fighting other soldiers, but also ghostly, invisible beings. The exact nature of these things begins as a mystery, leaving audiences hooked, wondering what will happen next, or what big reveal will come about later on.

Aside from this fresh premise in the genre, the movie also features the signature sci-fi visuals of the mid-2010s, along with some pretty cool new weaponry never seen before in film. This film is available in four different languages, including English, Russian, Romanian, and Slovene. Despite its European roots, it features a lot of prominent Hollywood actors, with James Badge Dale taking the leading role. This is a dystopian war flick that offers an enemy not commonly explored in the genre, which is part of what makes it fun aside from its stellar action.

5 ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2’ (2015)

Directed by Francis Lawrence

The dystopian world of The Hunger Games is filled with authoritative governments running a series of districts, which force its young members to compete every year in a battle royale to the death, in exchange for a huge supply of food, which has become scarce. This system is, obviously, quite ridiculous. The government clearly has enough food to sufficiently feed everyone, they just choose not to. Realizing this, a group of teens and young adults, led by Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) are determined to put a stop to it.

The rebellion, known in-universe as the Second Rebellion, culminates during the penultimate film, but draws to a satisfying conclusion in the final film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay–Part 2. The courageous rebels lead a crusade against the oppressive government, using whatever weapons they can get ahold of, combined with their skills learned during the titular Hunger Games. This is a movie that was a huge buzz at the time of its release, thanks to the success of the previous films, and the success of the original books by Suzanne Collins. It’s become an iconic staple of young adult pop culture, and is nearly synonymous with the mid-2010s. The whole trilogy features great action, romance, storylines, and fantastic and satisfying conclusions.

4 ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (2014)

Directed by Doug Liman

Despite its subpar marketing effort, Edge of Tomorrow proved to be an amazing movie, boasting loads of incredible visuals and a complex plotline with a time loop format. This is another dystopian war flick starring Tom Cruise, only this time he plays William Cage, a military official unwillingly thrust into frontline combat. His lack of combat experience results in his death. The catch is that every time he dies, he is resurrected, going back to the morning of the day he died, forced to live the same day over and over again until he gets it right.

Cruise is expertly supported by Emily Blunt, who also plays a soldier, as aliens invade Earth to the point where much of the planet is nearly destroyed. Soldiers are given bulky, but powerful exosuits which not only look cool, but really add to the world of the movie, too. Also known as Live. Die. Repeat., Edge of Tomorrow proved to be a science-fiction powerhouse, with great reviews praising its acting, action, and thought-provoking storyline.

3 ‘The Matrix’ (1999)

Directed by The Wachowskis

The Matrix and its subsequent sequels occur in the future, when machines have taken over human society. Human consciousness is then uploaded onto a computer program known as the Matrix, where they can live in a world much like the one they used to know. Meanwhile, the machines keep humans imprisoned to harvest their bioelectric energy. Hacker Neo, played by the beloved Keanu Reeves, eventually discovers the truth about the Matrix, and opts to wage war against the machines to liberate humanity and reclaim their own planet.

The original film is a classic that needs no introduction. The remaining films have all varied in quality, but at the time, were huge cultural phenomena. Even 25 years later, the original film stands as a milestone in dystopian war movies and sci-fi flicks, using a variety of revolutionary techniques for the sake of visuals and story. It was unlike anything of its kind, and still is. If you like sci-fi, this movie is a must-see.

The Matrix can be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.

WATCH ON NETFLIX

2 ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ (2017)

Directed by Matt Reeves

The conclusion of the 21st Century Planet of the Apes trilogy was an extremely satisfying conclusion to an ambitious, albeit well-executed project. Beginning with 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the trilogy portrays the decline of human civilization and the uprising of the Apes, who learn to speak like humans, as well as ride horses and use weapons. Like their human cousins, they also develop the capacity for war.

Beginning with 2014’s Dawn of the Planets of the Apes, the Apes begin to wage war not just against the humans that have wronged them for so long, but against themselves, too. Some apes believe that they should learn to work for the humans that have wronged them, while others see them as a threatening force that needs to let the apes live on their own. The latter group is led by Caesar, played by Andy Serkis in one of his signature motion capture roles. This culminates in War for the Planet of the Apes, which is a thrilling ride from start to finish that sees Caesar leading the apes away to somewhere where they can live in peace. It’s emotional, action-packed, and philosophical, too, as it forces the audience to confront their own morality and the way we view ourselves in the animal kingdom.

1 ‘Threads’ (1984)

Director: Mick Jackson

Threads is a movie that will change your life. It will scar you in ways you didn’t know were possible. That said, it’s still an excellent movie. The direct-to-television movie was produced by BBC and shows what would happen if Britain were thrust into a nuclear war. The visuals in this movie are nothing short of terrifying, portraying some grisly situations straight from the audience’s nightmares. Perhaps it’s so scary because, at the time of its release during the Cold War, this was entirely plausible.

War erupts between Eastern and Western powers that eventually turns nuclear. The nuclear escalations ends most life on the planet. The view that survivors are left scrambling for supplies whilst learning to exist in an environment unlike anything the world has seen before. It’s amazing what this movie accomplished on such a limited budget. It managed to portray the futility of survival in a nuclear wasteland while dealing with the subsequent environmental changes as a result of the war. This is a movie that should never be forgotten, as it serves as a warning about the dangers of nuclear war.

Threads can be streamed on Tubi in the U.S.

WATCH ON TUBI

KEEP READING: Best Dystopian Movies on Netflix Right Now