Dystopian Sci-Fi backdrop

Dystopian Sci-Fi movies

Oppressive systems and surveillance power the story, driven by compliance pressure, resistance, and control.

Code 8

1. Code 8

Science Fiction Action Crime Dystopian Sci-Fi Epic Action
6.1
20191h 39min

Overview

In Lincoln City, some inhabitants have extraordinary abilities. Most live below the poverty line, under the close surveillance of a heavily militarized police force. Connor, a construction worker with powers, involves with a criminal gang to help his ailing mother. (Based on the short film “Code 8,” 2016.)

Themes

Loyalty under coercion, Economic marginalization of powers, Drug economy and crime, Surveillance driven policing, Regulation of powers, Family duty under illness

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Platform

2. The Platform

Drama Science Fiction Thriller Dystopian Sci-Fi Survival Thriller
7.0
20191h 35min

Overview

A slab of food descends down a vertical facility. The residents above eat heartily, leaving those below starving and desperate. A rebellion is imminent.

Themes

Class inequality, Collective action under pressure, Scarcity and rationing, Social experiment ethics, Dehumanization and survival, Power dynamics under constraint

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Overview

Kept locked inside the house by her father, 7-year-old Chloe lives in fear and fascination of the outside world, where Abnormals create a constant threat—or so she believes. When a mysterious stranger offers her a glimpse of what's really happening outside, Chloe soon finds that while the truth isn't so simple, the danger is very real.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Mistrust of authority, Ethics of power, Parental control and isolation, Fear of the outside world, Protective vs exploitative guardians

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Overview

A young woman is sent to Paradise Hills to be reformed, only to learn that the high-class facility's beautiful facade hides a sinister secret.

Themes

"movie: paradise hills. genres: fantasy, Science fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Science fiction, Thriller main themes: island, Woman director, Reformation, Island, Woman director, Reformation full keywords list: island, Woman director, Reformation, Social class. concept analysis: the film explores themes of identity and autonomy in the face of societal expectations and oppressive systems. it raises questions about the lengths one must go to reclaim agency and the moral complexities of revenge."

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Captive State

5. Captive State

Science Fiction Action Thriller Dystopian Sci-Fi Political Thriller
6.0
20191h 50min

Overview

Nearly a decade after occupation by an extraterrestrial force, the lives of a Chicago neighborhood on both sides of the conflict are explored. In a working-class Chicago neighborhood occupied by an alien force for nine years, increased surveillance and the restriction of civil rights have given rise to an authoritarian system -- and dissent among the populace.

Themes

Class inequality, Surveillance state, Civil rights suppression, Resistance under occupation, Loyalty and betrayal, Alien occupation and resistance

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Mortal Engines

6. Mortal Engines

Adventure Science Fiction Dystopian Sci-Fi Globetrotting Adventure
6.1
20182h 8min

Overview

Many thousands of years in the future, Earth’s cities roam the globe on huge wheels, devouring each other in a struggle for ever diminishing resources. On one of these massive traction cities, the old London, Tom Natsworthy has an unexpected encounter with a mysterious young woman from the wastelands who will change the course of his life forever.

Themes

Revenge as motive, Technology as weapon, Resource scarcity, Shifting loyalties and alliances, Exploitation and survival, Predator cities and static settlements

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Hotel Artemis

7. Hotel Artemis

Thriller Science Fiction Action Crime Drama
6.1
20181h 34min

Overview

Los Angeles, June 21st, 2028. While the streets are being torn apart by riots, the Nurse, who runs a clandestine hospital for criminals in the penthouse of the Artemis, a closed old hotel, has a rough night dealing with troublemaker clients: thieves, assassins, someone from the past and the one who owns the place and the whole city.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Loyalty under threat, Resource competition, Fear under confinement, Power under duress, Institutional rules under stress, Violence as bargaining

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Anon

8. Anon

Science Fiction Crime Mystery Thriller Dystopian Sci-Fi
6.1
20181h 40min

Overview

Set in a near-future world where there is no privacy, ignorance or anonymity, our private memories are recorded and crime almost ceases to exist. In trying to solve a series of unsolved murders, Sal Frieland stumbles onto a young woman who appears to have subverted the system and disappeared. She has no identity, no history and no record. Sal realizes it may not be the end of crime but the beginning. Known only as 'The Girl', Sal must find her before he becomes the next victim.

Themes

Serial killer dynamics, Privacy erosion, Procedural constraints, Augmented reality ethics, Dystopia pressures

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Overview

The teenage girls of Vestalis Academy are meticulously trained in the art of being “clean girls,” practicing the virtues of perfect femininity. But what exactly are they being trained for? Vivien intends to find out.

Themes

Deception and cover-up, Educational coercion, Gender conformity pressure, Body commodification, Betrayal among peers, Elite consumerism

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

10. Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Science Fiction Action Adventure Thriller Dystopian Sci-Fi
6.3
20182h 23min

Overview

Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze.

Themes

Rebellion and resistance, Survival under oppression, Pursuit of a cure, Risk and leadership sacrifice, Group cohesion under danger, Distrust of authority

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.