Looking for movies that will keep you on the edge of your seat? You’re lucky because we are here to give you some sci-fi movie recommendations that will bring your imagination to life. Come and join us as we give you the 12 best movies like Hunger Games.
The Hunger Games (2012)
The Hunger Games is considered to be a dystopian action film. It is a film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ trilogy novel with the same title.
Set in a post-apocalyptic Panem, the nation is divided into 12 districts. The entirety of Panem is ruled over by the Capitol. Every year, the Hunger Games is held as punishment because of a failed revolt by the districts.
Two teenagers, a boy, and a girl, are selected from each district to fight to the death in an arena watched by the entire nation until one sole survivor wins.
In the 74th season of the Hunger Games, Primrose Everdeen was selected to participate in the 12th District. However, in a turn of events, her older sister Katniss, the heroine of this story, volunteers in her place. Alongside Peeta Mellark, she enters the arena and strives to fight for her life.
This film is packed with great acting, vivid action sequences, and talented actors that put justice to the portrayal of the novel characters. They brought the book to life through this film, and they did great in doing so.
Because of The Hunger Games’s massive success, it was followed by three more films adapted from the novel trilogy. But four movies may not be enough for your movie night list, so we came up with the 12 Best movies like Hunger Games that you can enjoy.
1. Inception (2010)
English 2h 28m IMDb 
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Leonardo Di, CaprioJoseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page
The first movie on our list is a Christopher Nolan film called Inception. This movie brings the beauty of complexity to the surface with its never-ending use of “dream logic” that keeps the viewer waiting for more. The labyrinthine plot will boggle your mind with all sorts of ideas, making this movie so enjoyable.
The movie revolves around the story of Dom Cobb. This thief uses dream-sharing technology to enter the dreams of various people in business and steal corporate secrets.
Their team was tasked by a Japanese businessman to enter the dream of a rival CEO. Still, everything goes downhill once Cobb encounters a familiar person in the dream, his deceased wife.
Inception is a movie that’s genuinely worth watching and pondering over. The scenes will leave you guessing until the end.
2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
English 2h 29m IMDb
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
A list of great action, adventure, and sci-fi movies won’t be complete without at least one Marvel superhero movie. The Avengers: Infinity War is counted as the 19th installment in all Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It is a sequel to previous Avengers movies, The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
In this movie, the Avengers continuously fight off threats and protect the Earth. However, they were not prepared for the emergence of Thanos, an alien warlord.
He aims to collect all six infinity stones, powerful artifacts, to erase half of the entire universe’s population. The fate of the whole universe lies with the Avengers as they try to stop Thanos from collecting all of the Infinity stones.
If you haven’t watched any of the Avengers films, I suggest you start watching. Up to this date, there are 33 MCU films, with one in progress and five future releases.
3. Aliens (1986)
English 2h 17m IMDb
Director: James Cameron
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn
If you’re a big fan of alien invasion movies, this one will feel right with you. Aliens is a classic sci-fi movie that you should watch, dubbed as one of the best films of the 1980s. It’s the second film in the Alien franchise after the 1979 film, Alien.
Aliens follow the story of Ellen Ripley, who’s been in stasis for the past 57 years. Her ship was infiltrated by aliens, and everyone else was slaughtered. Upon arrival, she informed her employers of alien eggs on an exomoon.
A colony was already established there. People were sent there for investigation when all communications were lost, and Ripley was invited to come.
This movie is a classic take on sci-fi films. Quality and editing might not be as excellent as today. Still, the story will help keep you hooked throughout the movie.
4. Jurassic Park (1993)
English 2h 7m IMDb
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
Another classic sci-fi movie on our list is Jurassic park, the first film in the original Jurassic Park trilogy and the start of the Jurassic Park franchise. Up to this date, there are now six total films in the Jurassic Park franchise, the original Jurassic Park trilogy, and the Jurassic World trilogy.
In this film, dinosaurs are now de-extinct from the genes of frogs and prehistoric mosquitoes. John Hammond, an industrialist, came up with the idea of a dinosaur theme park and turned it into reality on an island called Isla Nublar.
One day, a dinosaur handler was killed by a velociraptor, and since then, things have turned downhill. A group of experts and two of Hammond’s grandchildren were stranded on the island as they escaped numerous dinosaur attacks.
All in all, Jurassic Park is a classic that you should definitely watch more than once in your life.
5. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
English 2h IMDb
Director: George Miller
Stars: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
Another film set in a post-apocalyptic world is Mad Max: Fury Road. This 2015 movie is the fourth installment in the Mad Max franchise and is placed in a desert wasteland where water and gasoline are scarce.
The movie is centered on the story of Max Rockatansky, who tries to set free from Immortan Joe with the help of Imperator Furiosa and “The Five Wives.” Their adventure starts when they take a War Rig and run off towards the “Green Place” where Furiosa remembers growing up. Not too far away, Immortan Joe pursues them along with his allies.
If you’re up for a jam-packed, action-filled movie with many fight scenes and pursuit, you need to watch Mad Max: Fury Road. This action-heavy movie is a great and exciting way to start any movie marathon.
6. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
English 2h 12m IMDb
Director: Bryan Singer
Stars: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman
Of course, we can’t talk sci-fi without the X-Men, right? The 7th installment of the X-Men franchise is a movie that is the fifth in the mainline story and gives a follow-up to The Wolverine film. If you feel confused, I suggest you watch all the movies in a marathon.
X-Men: Days of Future Past is a movie set in two different periods, one from the future and one from the past. In the future, mutants are hunted down by Sentinels or robots that can detect if a person is a mutant or not. Xavier sends Wolverine back to 1973 to prevent an assassination that started the Sentinel program.
The movie slowly unwraps as it progresses, producing a climatic sequence that will keep you on the edge of your seats with every scene. Don’t forget to add your favorite mutants to movie night.
7. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
English 1h 53m IMDb
Director: Doug Liman
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
Edge of Tomorrow is an exciting twist on the regular alien invasion movies. Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s novel called “All You Need is Kill,” this movie is set amid an all-out alien invasion on Earth.
The invaders are inter-dimensional creatures called Mimics, and they have taken down the whole of Europe. Tom Cruise plays the hero of the story who is forcibly placed on the front line of the war and is forced to relive the same day every day. Every time he dies, he will wake up to relive the same day again and fail every single time.
With high-class editing and acting, this movie is a great choice to watch during movie night to keep you excited for what comes next and keep you guessing how he’ll die every time.
8. Star Trek (2009)
English 2h 7m IMDb
Director: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg
The next movie on our list is Star Trek, the Star Trek Franchise’s 11th installment. Taking place in an alternate reality, this film is a reboot of the original Star Trek TV series with all the same characters and more.
Star Trek’s plot revolves around the story of James T. Kirk, played by Chris Pine. He was only a rebellious student in Starfleet Academy before he was smuggled aboard the USS Enterprise along with other recruits, Hikaru Sulu, Nyora Uhura, and Pavel Chekov.
Together, they set sail on an adventure of a lifetime, giving a background story on the series’ characters.
It’s a great science fiction movie worth watching because of its high-quality graphics and incredible plot. You should consider adding this movie to your list for the next sci-fi movie night.
9. Iron Man (2008)
English 2h 6m IMDb
Director: Jon Favreau
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard
When we say Iron Man, what immediately comes to mind are robots. That’s why no one would expect that this next film on our list is about billionaires and superhero stuff.
The movie centers on the story of Tony Stark, billionaire and son of legendary inventor Howard Stark. With a great mind like his, he uses his knowledge to create weapons.
When he was to present one to an Iraqi unit, he was ambushed by the enemies and held captive. Kept only in a room by himself, he creates an Iron Man suit that helps him break free from the enemies.
What’s good about this movie is that this is only the start of it all. With a high budget for special effects, Iron Man proves to be a great display of a good thought plot. You can never go wrong with this superhero movie for sci-fi movie night.
10. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
English 2h 13m IMDb
Director: Gareth Edwards
Stars: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk
If you liked the Star Wars trilogies, you would undoubtedly enjoy this prequel film from the same creators. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a great movie to enjoy with your family or friends if you want to unleash the inner Jedi in you.
The story revolves around a heist that aims to steal the plans to create the First Death Star. It’s jam-packed with all the amazing stunts and war scenes between the Rebellion and the Empire.
What’s more is that each casualty will bring a sudden downpour of emotions that will leave you hanging and distraught, which isn’t too familiar with the previous Star Wars films.
Rogue One’s complexity and layers surprisingly brought a new perspective to the popular trilogy and gave the story more depth.
11. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
English 2h 27m IMDb
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Stars: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson
We just can’t get enough Marvel movies on the list. What better way to cap off the superhero films than Captain America: Civil War. The overload of superhero characters will surely make your head burst with confusion and excitement simultaneously.
The plot revolves around the fact that the government starts to become wary of what the superheroes can do, thus pushing the Hero Registration Act. This act aims to limit what a superhero can do. It also includes demanding Captain America turn over the Winter Soldier, one of his old friends who was brainwashed to be an assassin.
With Iron Man standing with the law and Captain America against it, an all-out war rages between these two and their respective teams. This all-out thrilling action film will make you not want to miss any second of it.
12. The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015)
English 1h 59m IMDb
Director: Robert Schwentke
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Theo James
The last movie on our list is another film that brings a novel to life. The Divergent Series: Insurgent is the second installment in the film adaptation of Veronica Roth’s Divergent Series.
Like the Hunger Games, this movie shows the progression in the story of the heroine, Tris. Set in post-apocalyptic Chicago, Tris and Four continue to run as they are hunted down by Erudite’s leader, Jeanine.
The pair continues to find the secrets behind Abnegation’s sacrifice as they face challenges over challenges brought upon by their past choices.
The success of the first Divergent film has made this next installment possible, and it adds a higher level of anticipation for fans of the books. If you’re in for a thrilling mystery packed with a lot of chasing, action, and adventure, The Divergent Series: Insurgent is your jam.
Summary
Did you enjoy scrolling through our list of the 12 best movies like Hunger Games? This list should be enough to give you some fresh ideas for your next movie night. Don’t forget to share this article with friends who also like sci-fi movies.
