5 Teen Dystopian Movies That Defined the Genre & 5 That Were Just Ridiculous

5 Teen Dystopian Movies That Defined the Genre & 5 That Were Just Ridiculous

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the five best and five worst teen dystopian films.

Defined: “City of Ember” (2008)

It certainly wasn’t a huge film, grossing just $18 million on a budget of $55 million. But “City of Ember” is definitely worth a watch for those who love a good teen dystopia. Like many films on this list, it was adapted from a book, this one about a post-apocalyptic underground city and the young protagonists who try to escape. The production itself is fantastic, featuring eye-popping visual effects, some gorgeous sets, and beautiful costume design. The cast is also absolutely stacked, featuring the likes of Saoirse Ronan, Bill Murray, and Tim Robbins, to name but a few. It’s original, it’s engaging, and it’s certainly one of the better dystopian films out there.

Just Ridiculous: “Uglies” (2024)

Based on a novel by Scott Westerfeld, “Uglies” has a rather bizarre premise. Basically, this dystopian world seeks perfection, so “ugly” people are given mandatory cosmetic surgery when they turn sixteen. It’s a decent enough idea, and it could have been used for some great (if not exactly fresh) social commentary on our ideals of beauty and conformity. Unfortunately, the script isn’t nearly deep or fun enough to care, let alone generate a serious discussion. Aside from that, it’s just your usual run-of-the-mill dystopian film, with bland characters, cheap production design, and horrible CGI. So they got the name right, at least.

Defined: “Ender’s Game” (2013)

Orson Scott Card wrote a dystopian masterpiece with “Ender’s Game,” a novel which won both the Nebula and Hugo and now finds itself on the reading list of the United States Marine Corps. Writer-director Gavin Hood had a lot of great material to work with, and he adapted it wonderfully for the big screen. All the big action set pieces are here, brought to life with convincing special effects and bombastic sound design. But it also adapts the novel’s larger themes and philosophical quandaries, like turning people - specifically children - into mindless war machines. It’s hard sci-fi with a brain, and we are here for it.

Just Ridiculous: “The 5th Wave” (2016)

Chloë Grace Moretz deserves better than this. She plays Cassie Sullivan, a teen trying to keep her brother safe during an alien invasion. Even in a genre that often borrows liberally from itself, “The 5th Wave” is a derivative mess. It’s what would happen if you asked ChatGPT to write a teen dystopian story and pepper it with aliens, and the filmmaking does nothing to overcome its uninspired writing. Bad performances and sloppy action scenes abound, not to mention the Syfy-tier special effects. It’s no surprise that the other two novels in the trilogy weren’t adapted. This one was bad enough.

Defined: “Divergent” (2014)

Released at the height of the YA dystopia craze, “Divergent” made a star out of Shailene Woodley. And honestly, that alone warrants a spot on this list. Yeah, it borrows more than a little from “Harry Potter,” with people being divided into factions based on their traits and ideals. But hey, it’s a fun idea, so why not run with it? The story allows a number of interesting themes and questions to develop, and the plot remains compelling throughout its rather lengthy runtime. And that’s not to mention the juicy performances from Woodley, Theo James, and a scenery-chewing Kate Winslet, all of whom keep the movie compulsively watchable.

Just Ridiculous: “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” (2016)

Oh how the mighty have fallen. It’s amazing how quickly the “Divergent” series ran off the rails, with “Insurgent” being a disappointing follow-up and “Allegiant” a famous disaster. Everyone looked bored in this, including the once-great Woodley, who earned a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress. She later spoke out and criticized the film, as did her co-star Zoë Kravitz. Aside from the uninteresting story and horrible special effects, the film was also plagued with major pacing issues, as the decision was made to split the film into two parts. Well, that backfired. The movie bombed, and all future plans for the series were canceled.

Defined: “The Maze Runner” (2014)

There are certain movies that help elevate genres, and “The Maze Runner” did that for the young adult dystopias. The plot immediately grabs your attention and never lets go, with imaginative elements and fun mysteries involving the main character and the titular maze. Director Wes Ball also makes a heck of a debut, imbuing the film with an engaging tone full of intrigue, riddles, and more than a few creeps. And of course there’s the brilliant cast, with the likes of Dylan O’Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Will Poulter giving great performances and crafting their characters into people we actually care about. “The Maze Runner” didn’t get lost in the endless barrage of YA films - it was a clear standout.

Just Ridiculous: “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” (2013)

Some stories are so derivative they should be sued for plagiarism. This is the case with “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.” You’ve got your everyday hero who finds out she’s special, your demons and vampires and werewolves, your missing parental figure, and blah blah blah. You’ve seen all this before, and done much better. It was clearly meant to capitalize on other popular movies of the time but was made without an ounce of their craft or originality. It was also poorly adapted, making the story very confusing and unapproachable for non-readers. A sequel was planned but eventually scrapped owing to “City of Bones”’s poor reception. Too bad. We would have loved to see Sigourney Weaver as The Inquisitor.

Defined: “The Hunger Games” (2012)

Ask anyone to name a teen dystopia movie and chances are they’ll say “The Hunger Games.” A cultural phenomenon, the movie grossed nearly $700 million at the worldwide box office and made a movie star out of Jennifer Lawrence. Not too shabby. “The Hunger Games” has it all, including an interesting premise influenced by Greek mythology and Roman gladiator battles, mature themes, a fantastic cast, and great directing from Gary Ross. It’s also a pitch-perfect adaptation of the novel, as Suzanne Collins helped write the script and translate her ideas to the big screen. The genre doesn’t get much better than this - well, maybe “Catching Fire.”

Just Ridiculous: “The Host” (2013)

Saoirse Ronan certainly does what she can, and we have to commend her efforts. But she’s like Atlas desperately trying to carry the general ineptitude of “The Host.” For one thing, the script is just fundamentally awful, and even Meryl Streep couldn’t make it work. The dialogue is laughable, often unintentionally hilarious, and the general alien storyline is ripped straight from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Ronan is also surrounded by subpar performers, none of whom give their characters any sense of life or intrigue. It’s just a bland, soulless husk of a film, which is ironic considering its themes.

What is your opinion on these movies and the genre as a whole? Let us know in the comments below!