Some of the best films depict a bleak future. Lucky for movie-goers, this type of dystopian despair has led to some of the best action movies of all time. The top dystopian action movies feature characters not only fighting for themselves, but also fighting for the future of mankind. This is a list of dystopian action films featuring everything from The Hunger Games to The Running Man to Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
What movies will you find on this list of the best post-apocalyptic action films? Maybe you'll vote The Matrix has to the top. This modern classic by the Wachowskis makes audiences rethink their very existence while watching Neo learn the truth, fight the machines, and discover that he is “The One.” Mad Max: Fury Road is another exciting dystopian action movie. Hope is all but lost when a pregnant woman joins a group of rebel refugees to save her unborn child and the species at large in Children of Men. Other good post-apocalyptic action movies include District 9, Demolition Man, and Snowpiercer.
Which thriller dystopian movie is your favorite? Give the best films a thumbs up and please add any good movies that are missing.
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1,031328The Matrix Franchise
Keanu Reeves, Laurence FishbourneReleased: 1999 - 2021
Directed by: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
The Matrix is a science fiction action media franchise created by The Wachowskis and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series began with the feature film The Matrix (1999), and continued with... more2
775232The Terminator
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill PaxtonReleased: 1984
Directed by: James Cameron
The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction/horror action film directed by James Cameron, written by Cameron and the film's producer Gale Anne Hurd. Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, a... more- 3822301
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward FurlongReleased: 1991
Directed by: James Cameron
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction action thriller film written, produced and directed by James Cameron. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert... more - 436882
Alien
Sigourney Weaver, John HurtReleased: 1979
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott. The crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo encounter the eponymous Alien, a deadly and aggressive extraterrestrial set loose... more - 5744234
Blade Runner
Harrison Ford, Daryl HannahReleased: 1982
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Blade Runner is a 1982 American neo-noir dystopian science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. The screenplay, written... more - 6597207
Aliens
Sigourney Weaver, Bill PaxtonReleased: 1986
Directed by: James Cameron
Aliens is a 1986 American science-fiction action horror film written and directed by James Cameron, produced by his then-wife Gale Anne Hurd, and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael... more - 7811363
The Fifth Element
Milla Jovovich, Bruce WillisReleased: 1997
Directed by: Luc Besson
The Fifth Element is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film directed and co-written by Luc Besson. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman and Milla Jovovich. Mostly set in the 23rd... more - 8554235
Total Recall
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon StoneReleased: 1990
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. In 2084, a construction worker, Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), suddenly finds himself embroiled in... more - 9567229
Mad Max
Mel Gibson, Hugh Keays-ByrneReleased: 1979
Directed by: George Miller
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller, produced by Byron Kennedy and starring Mel Gibson. James McCausland and Miller wrote the screenplay from a story by... more - 10597257
12 Monkeys
Brad Pitt, Bruce WillisReleased: 1995
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
12 Monkeys, also known as Twelve Monkeys, is a 1995 American science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam, inspired by Chris Marker's 1962 short film La Jetée, and starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine... more - 11718359
V for Vendetta
Natalie Portman, John HurtReleased: 2006
Directed by: James McTeigue
V for Vendetta is a 2006 American political thriller film directed by James McTeigue and written by the Wachowski Brothers, based on the 1988 Vertigo graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and... more - 12458206
Escape from New York
Jamie Lee Curtis, Kurt RussellReleased: 1981
Directed by: John Carpenter
Escape from New York is a 1981 American science fiction action film co-written, co-scored, and directed by John Carpenter. The film is set in a then near-future 1997 in a distopian United States that... more - 13421197
Edge of Tomorrow
Tom Cruise, Emily BluntReleased: 2014
Directed by: Doug Liman
Edge of Tomorrow is a 2014 American military science fiction thriller film directed by Doug Liman. A soldier (Tom Cruise) on the front lines of a civilization-ending alien threat finds himself... more - 14712391
Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom Hardy, Charlize TheronReleased: 2015
Directed by: George Miller
Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 action film directed by George Miller. In a post apocalyptic desert wasteland where gasoline and water are scarce commodities, Max Rockatansky (Max Hardy) joins forces... more - 15400169
RoboCop
Alex Van Halen, Peter WellerReleased: 1987
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
RoboCop is a 1987 American cyberpunk action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan, in the near future, RoboCop... more - 16272111
Minority Report
Cameron Diaz, Tom CruiseReleased: 2002
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Minority Report is a 2002 American neo-noir science fiction mystery-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and loosely based on the short story of the same name by Philip K. Dick. It is set... more - 17362198
I Am Legend
Will Smith, Emma ThompsonReleased: 2007
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
I Am Legend is a 2007 American post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954... more - 18554301
District 9
Sharlto Copley, Jed BrophyReleased: 2009
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
District 9 is a 2009 science fiction film directed by Neill Blomkamp, released August 13, 2009. It takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa. District 9 is based on Alive in Joburg, a short film... more - 1925899
Mad Max 2
Mel Gibson, Bruce SpenceReleased: 1981
Directed by: George Miller
Mad Max 2 is a 1981 Australian post-apocalyptic action film directed by George Miller. The film is the second installment in the Mad Max film series, with Mel Gibson starring as Max Rockatansky. The... more - 20570289
Serenity
Summer Glau, Morena BaccarinReleased: 2005
Directed by: Joss Whedon
Serenity is a 2005 American space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of Whedon's short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly and stars the same... more - 21412189
Starship Troopers
Neil Patrick Harris, Denise RichardsReleased: 1997
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier. The story follows a young soldier named Johnny Rico and his... more - 22383217
The Running Man
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim BrownReleased: 1987
Directed by: Paul Michael Glaser
The Running Man is a 1987 American science fiction action film loosely based on the 1982 novel The Running Man, written by Stephen King and published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Directed by... more - 23352169
Gattaca
Uma Thurman, Jude LawReleased: 1997
Directed by: Andrew Niccol
Gattaca is a 1997 American science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, with Jude Law, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, and Alan Arkin... more - 24418236
Logan
Hugh Jackman, Patrick StewartReleased: 2017
Directed by: James Mangold
Logan is a 2017 American superhero drama film featuring the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. It is the 10th installment in the X-Men film series and the third and final Wolverine solo film... more - 25472288
Dredd
Lena Headey, Karl UrbanReleased: 2012
Directed by: Pete Travis
Dredd is a 2012 science fiction action film directed by Pete Travis and written and produced by Alex Garland. It is based on the 2000 AD comic strip Judge Dredd and its eponymous character created by... more
