Divergent is a young adult drama that centers on Tris, who uncovers a plan to eliminate Divergents in a world where factions are split based on virtues. Before it’s too late, Tris and the enigmatic Four must discover what makes Divergents so dangerous. Don’t worry if you’ve finished streaming this one and are looking for substitutes. Our top picks for alternate viewing have been chosen after searching through the archives to save you the trouble. These movies are truly star studded. Do you think any of your favorite artists are in here? Check out Slingo.com to find out.
The Hunger Games
The nation of Panem, which is made up of 12 districts in a post-apocalyptic world, is obliged to send a boy and a girl (known as tributes) to the Hunger Games every year. The tributes compete in a live, televised match until only one is left. Katniss Everdeen and her district partner Peeta Mellark are compelled to face the perils of this brutal competition after volunteering to compete in the most recent Hunger Games in place of their younger sister Prim. However, the events that followed their actions forever altered Panem’s course. The Hunger Games, like Divergent, are set in a future dystopia where society is split into districts or factions. Both Katniss from The Hunger Games and Tris from Divergent are strong female leads who rebel against the status quo.
The 5th Wave
A teenage girl named Cassie Sullivan finds herself on a mission to save her younger brother Sammy before the impending 5th wave of alien invasions after four waves of alien invasions have wiped out the majority of Earth’s population. She joins forces with a mysterious young man who may be her only chance of locating her brother and surviving the alien threats as they travel together. Both stories feature young female protagonists who are fighting for their lives and the lives of those they love in a hostile environment. Similar to Divergent, The 5th Wave features elements of loyalty, betrayal, and potential romantic entanglements.
The Matrix
The true nature of reality is revealed to Thomas Anderson, a software engineer who also goes by the alias “Neo,” a hacker: humanity is imprisoned in the Matrix, a simulation made by intelligent machines in order to control the human population. Neo joins a group of rebels in their fight against the machines to free humanity after being set free. Both The Matrix and Divergent explore the concepts of reality, control, and freedom, with their main characters coming to terms with the realization that their world is not as it first appears. Similar to each other, they both join insurgent movements to struggle against oppressors.
Tomorrowland
A pin that takes the brilliant inventor Frank Walker and the upbeat teen Casey Newton to Tomorrowland is something they happen upon. The two set out to discover this world’s mysteries while racing against time to determine what the existence of Tomorrowland means for their own world and future. Both movies have protagonists who are deemed special and “different” due to their characteristics. Whether it’s the factions in Divergent or Tomorrowland itself, they both center on the idea of a “hidden” or “separate” society.
The Maze Runner
Thomas only remembers his own name when he wakes up in an elevator. He emerges into a community of about 30 teenage boys who have developed survival skills in an entirely enclosed setting. The original group has been in “The Glade” for two years while attempting to find a way out of the Maze; a new boy is added every 30 days. They are completely encircled by this Maze. Both movies feature young people whose survival is put to the test in dystopian settings. In order to achieve freedom, the protagonists in each film are forced to face and unravel the mysteries of their societies. Memory loss and the rediscovery of the protagonists’ pasts are other common themes.
Battle Royale
A dystopian Japan has enacted the Battle Royale Act, which mandates that a class of high school students chosen at random be taken to a desert island and forced to fight to the death until only one student is left. One such student who needs to use all of his cunning and abilities to survive is Shuya Nanahara. Divergent and Battle Royale both feature young people thrust into life-or-death circumstances by oppressive governments. Both of them examine issues of survival, disobedience, and moral judgment.
Alita: Battle Angel
A sympathetic doctor discovers Alita, a deactivated cyborg with a healthy human brain, in a post-apocalyptic world. She loses all memory of her past after he revives her. Alita learns, however, that she possesses exceptional fighting skills that could be used to defend the loved ones she has grown to cherish. Both films have strong female leads who stand out from the crowd because of their talents. Both of them are trying to figure out who they are while navigating a society that is divided along class and power lines.
Ready Player One
In the dystopian year 2045, people frequently look for safety in a place called OASIS, which is a virtual reality environment. When the man who created the OASIS passes away, he will have left behind a series of challenges for users to complete in order to gain control of the virtual world and his enormous fortune. In the film, a young man by the name of Wade Watts is followed around as he works to accomplish the objectives and foil the schemes of a sinister corporation. Both movies take place in dystopian futures and feature young protagonists who are forced to challenge and ultimately topple oppressive systems. In addition, they discuss topics such as coming to terms with one’s identity, defying authority figures, and the importance of working together to overcome challenges.
Snowpiercer
The last few human survivors of an experiment to change the climate that went wrong can now be found on the Snowpiercer, a massive train that continuously travels around the world. The protagonist, Curtis Everett, is a member of the lower-class group that is located in the train’s rear car, and the plot centers on his efforts to overthrow the more affluent group that is located in the train’s front section. On this train, there is a very clear separation of classes. Both the Divergent series and the Snowpiercer series take place in dystopian societies that have distinct social classes. The primary protagonists of both films are individuals who defy the established order and incite uprisings with the goal of establishing a more equitable social order.
The Host
Melanie Stryder, one of the few remaining humans, is kidnapped and given the “soul” name Wanderer by an alien species that has infiltrated Earth in the distant future and taken control of the minds of its human hosts while leaving their bodies unharmed. This species is known as the Wanderers. On the other hand, Melanie’s consciousness continues to exist and begins to engage in conversation with Wanderer. As they struggle to maintain control over Melanie’s body, they start to empathize with one another, and as a result, they come to the conclusion that they need to look for Melanie’s family. Both stories take place in dystopian futures and feature young women who are the main protagonists. These young women are viewed as being unusual or different. Both are concerned with issues of self-discovery, defiance, and challenging the established order of things. The main characters in both of these tales find themselves caught between two different worlds or ways of being, and both tales have romantic undertones that make the challenges they face even more difficult to overcome.
