How bad can our future be? Well, dystopian YA novels and movies have been trying to portray this over the past few years. Ranging from movies like Divergent and Hunger Games to Ender’s Game and Dune, there have been many different dystopian futures showcased on the big screen. Maze Runner is another addition to that cohort and a popular one at that. This movie sees Thomas (O’Brien) wake up in a large area inhabiting other male youth and joined by a single female later on. Thomas has no memory of his past and must work with the people around him to escape the large area. Though they succeed in finding a way out of the maze, the film reveals that they were merely a part of an experiment to develop a cure for a deadly virus that wiped humankind. Maze Runner depicts the dark side of humanity in the dystopian future. The film also explores several other concepts like power imbalance in society, exploitation of the weak, death traps, and more. There are several movies in this thought-provoking genre. However, it can be tedious to find a movie for your viewing pleasure without spending time on the research. Therefore, we did the grunt work for you and created this list of the best movies like Maze Runner that you can watch in 2022 and beyond. So, without any further ado, let’s begin.
Best Movies Like Maze Runner in 2022
The list mentions popular titles as well as a few underrated movies similar to Maze Runner. They share conceptual similarities with this movie which we have explained in each description. You will also find additional details such as cast, director, and runtime to make an informed decision. Use the table below to directly jump to and read about a movie that catches your attention.
1. Divergent (2014)
- IMDb: 6.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 41%/69%
- Director: Neil Burger
- Writer: Evan Daugherty, Vanessa Taylor
- Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz
- Runtime: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Divergent is a dystopian science fiction action movie based on the eponymous novel by Veronica Roth. The movie takes place in a futuristic world, where mankind is divided into various factions depending on their natural skills. When Beatrice Prior (Woodley) realizes she has the qualities of multiple factions that makes her a divergent.
Since a divergent can think independently, she must hide her true identity to protect herself from the government. There are two sequels to the movie titled Insurgent and Allegiant. The concept of powerful people controlling your life is similar to Maze Runner. You can check our list of movies like Divergent to find more similar films.
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2. Dark City (1998)
- IMDb: 7.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 76%/85%
- Director: Alex Proyas
- Writer: Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs, David S. Goyer
- Cast: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O’Brien, Ian Richardson
- Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Dark City is a science fiction movie that questions our control over ourselves. The film follows John Murdoch (Sewell), a person with partial memory loss who learns he is wanted for some murders. While trying to erase the accusation and find his real identity, John understands that the city is in control by aliens known as Strangers. The film builds up suspense and shows a continuous chase, making it similar to Maze Runner. Critics appreciated the movie’s direction, special effects, art style, and more.
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3. The Hunger Games (2012)
- IMDb: 7.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%/81%
- Director: Gary Ross
- Writer: Suzanne Collins, Gary Ross, Billy Ray
- Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks
- Runtime: 2 hours, 22 minutes
The Hunger Games is a dystopian action movie based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. The movie takes place in a distant future where rulers exploit their power for entertainment. The crux of the movie is like Maze Runner, crowning the strongest as the winner. The plot follows Katniss (Lawrence) who volunteers to replace her younger sister in the tournament of the Hunger Games. She has to rely on her wit to save her life against twelve participants who have trained for it their whole life. It is the first movie in the film series, which is followed by three sequels. A new prequel movie is set to release in 2023.
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4. Days of Heaven (1978)
- IMDb: 7.8
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%/89%
- Director: Terrence Malick
- Writer: Terrence Malick
- Cast: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz
- Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Days of Heaven is a romantic period drama film that takes place in 1916. The plot follows the couple Bill (Gere) and Abby (Adams), who pretend to be siblings while on the run and find work on a rich and shy farmer’s land. When Bill realizes that the farmer has only one year left to live, he convinces Abby to marry him so they can inherit his fortune. Days of Heaven has a beautiful story with a few violent scenes. The movie is highly appreciated for its cinematography, music score, and direction. The film is like Maze Runner in some specific ways; it leaves you with saddened emotions.
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5. The Village (2004)
- IMDb: 6.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 43%/57%
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
- Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt
- Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes
The Village is a period thriller film coming from the renowned director M. Night Shyamalan. The movie has an ensemble cast, a thrilling story, and a beautiful music score. The over-the-top performance by actors makes it one of the best movies like Maze Runner. The story centers on an isolated town that lives in fear of unknown monsters from the surrounding woods.
People have made a pact that ensures the monsters don’t enter the village and the villagers do not go outside. However, under extreme circumstances, a blind girl finds her way to the forest and a series of unpleasant events begin.
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6. Mortal Engines (2018)
- IMDb: 6.1
- Rotten Tomatoes: 26%/48%
- Director: Christian Rivers
- Writer: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
- Cast: Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Ronan Raftery
- Runtime: 2 hours, 8 minutes
Mortal Engines is a steampunk film based on Philip Reeve’s eponymous novel. The movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where Earth is in a critical condition, and the normal world order is ruined after a massive conflict. The world is now run by the philosophy of “Municipal Darwinism,” and people have mobilized entire cities that hunt for the smaller ones.
The story intensifies as the bigger cities continue to absorb resources from smaller ones and tension arises between its citizens. The movie plays out differently than the original story of the novel. However, it has a similar theme where people with less power try to overthrow the one controlling them, a concept closely similar to Maze Runner.
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7. Cube (1997)
- IMDb: 7.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 64%/76%
- Director: Vincenzo Natali
- Writer: André Bijelic, Graeme Manson, Vincenzo Natali
- Cast: Nicole de Boer, Nicky Guadagni, David Hewlett, Andrew Miller, Julian Richings
- Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cube is an independent science fiction horror film made in Canada. The story follows a group of strangers who find themselves placed in a giant cube. Each member is presented with a different ability, and they must work together to escape the deadly traps in the endless maze. The movie is highly praised for its settings and surreal atmosphere. The concept is very similar to Maze Runner, where a group of people is trapped in a maze.
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8. The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones (2013)
- IMDb: 5.8
- Rotten Tomatoes: 13%/58%
- Director: Harald Zwart
- Writer: Jessica Postigo
- Cast: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Kevin Zegers, Lena Headey
- Runtime: 2 hours, 10 minutes
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is an urban fantasy film based on the first book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. The movie centers on a New York teenager named Clary Fray (Collins), who learns the secrets about her heritage and family history. Meanwhile, she meets and joins a group of mysterious people known as Shadowhunters and fights demons. The movie picks up the concept of vouching against the wrongdoers like in the Maze Runner franchise.
The Mortal Instruments was rebooted as a television series called Shadowhunters that ran for three seasons.
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9. Labyrinth (1986)
- IMDb: 7.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 75%/86%
- Director: Jim Henson
- Writer: Terry Jones
- Cast: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly
- Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes
If you are looking for a classic fantasy film, you should watch Labyrinth. The movie revolves around a teenage girl named Sarah (Connelly) who journeys through a maze to find and save her infant half-brother (Toby Froud) from a goblin king (David Bowie). Will she be able to recover her brother by midnight and stop him from transforming into a goblin is entertaining to see.
The movie has stunning cinematography and the efforts put into creating the movie elements without CGI are noteworthy. Labyrinth didn’t perform well at release but has gained a cult following in recent years.
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10. Battle Royale (2000)
- IMDb: 7.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%/89%
- Director: Kinji Fukasaku
- Writer: Kenta Fukasaku
- Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Takeshi Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama
- Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes
Battle Royale is a Japanese action-thriller movie based on a novel by Koushun Takami. The story follows a group of 42 junior-high-school students who are forced by the totalitarian government to play a deathmatch. The organizers provide students with food, weapons, and maps to sustain the deserted island. However, they are also fixed with an explosive collar that is triggered if someone breaks a rule, tries to escape, or more than one participant is alive at the end.
The movie is highly celebrated worldwide and is considered a pop-culture phenomenon. The movie name is also picked up as an alternative to last man standing fights and games like Fortnite, PUBG, Apex Legends, and more.
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11. Oxygen (2021)
- IMDb: 6.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%/74%
- Director: Alexandre Aja
- Writer: Christie LeBlanc
- Cast: Mélanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, Malik Zidi
- Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Oxygen is a French-language science fiction thriller film falling into the lines of the movie Passengers. The plot follows a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic chamber trying hard to remember herself. She tries to open the pod but is unable to do so. As she attempts to know more about herself and what she is doing in the pod, she discovers some horrifying truths. Can she make her peace with reality or try to do otherwise is thrilling to watch.
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12. The 5th Wave (2016)
- IMDb: 5.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 17%/28%
- Director: J Blakeson
- Writer: Susannah Grant, Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner
- Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Alex Roe
- Runtime: 1 hour, 52 minutes
The 5th Wave is a science fiction movie based on Rick Yancey’s eponymous novel. The plot takes place after an alien invasion has left the Earth in a mess. The aliens are planning their next attack which might wipe out the entire human race. The story follows Cassie (Moretz), one of the few survivors. She decides to risk everything and find her younger brother. Despite having weak reviews, the movie performed well and is loved by the audience. The 5th Wave is one of the few thrillers like Maze Runner that shows a believable dystopian society.
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13. The Giver (2014)
- IMDb: 6.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 35%/55%
- Director: Phillip Noyce
- Writer: Michael Mitnick, Robert B. Weide
- Cast: Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgård, Katie Holmes, Taylor Swift
- Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
The Giver is a dystopian drama film based on Lois Lowry’s novel of the same name. The plot takes place in a world where emotions and memories are suppressed using chemicals. However, everything changes for a boy named Jonas (Thwaites) when he becomes the next Receiver of Memory and starts to see the previously black and white world in color. The movie stands true to delivering visual grace. However, it lacks the same depth and thought-provoking ideas as the source material.
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14. Oblivion (2013)
- IMDb: 7.0
- Rotten Tomatoes: 53%/61%
- Director: Joseph Kosinski
- Writer: Karl Gajdusek, Michael deBruyn
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough
- Runtime: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Oblivion is a post-apocalyptic action-adventure film based on director Kosinski’s unpublished graphic novel. The movie takes place in 2077 after an alien invasion has wiped out the Earth and humans have relocated to Titan. We follow Jack Harper (Cruise), a technician sent back to Earth to repair a drone. However, he soon finds a spacecraft and rescues a survivor. Soon after, he is captured by extraterrestrial beings, revealed to be humans, and together they must fight another evolving threat
The movie showcases the possibilities of an alien invasion from a unique perspective. So, if you like to watch action-packed sci-fi movies like Maze Runner, Oblivion should be a go-to option.
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15. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
- IMDb: 7.9
- Rotten Tomatoes: 91%/90%
- Director: Doug Liman
- Writer: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson
- Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes
Edge of Tomorrow is a science fiction action movie taking place in a dystopian future. An alien race has taken over Earth, and his superiors force Major William Cage (Cruise) to go on a landing mission despite his limited combat experience. However, Cage soon realizes that he is stuck in a time loop living the same day again and again. The movie is a huge success both critically and commercially and is praised for the visual effects, acting, direction, and more.
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16. Bird Box (2018)
- IMDb: 6.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 64%/57%
- Director: Susanne Bier
- Writer: Eric Heisserer
- Cast: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Danielle Macdonald, Sarah Paulson
- Runtime: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Bird Box is a post-apocalyptic horror thriller film based on Josh Malerman’s eponymous novel. The movie revolves around Malorie Hayes (Bullock) as she tries to protect herself and her two children from an unknown alien race. Anyone who sees the monsters commits suicide. The story follows Hayes on her journey through the woods to reach a safe place for her family. The film is highly acclaimed and became one of the best Netflix original movies.
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17. A Quiet Place (2018)
- IMDb: 7.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%/83%
- Director: John Krasinski
- Writer: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski
- Cast: Emily Blunt, John Krasinsk
- Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
A Quiet Place is a post-apocalyptic horror film. The movie takes place in a future where a blind animal species with sensitive hearing attacks and kills every living being if they make a sound. The plot centers on a father (Krasinski) and a mother (Blunt) who try to save their children from the unknown animals.
The movie realistically portrays how the situation in such a world might play out, where everyone uses sign language to communicate. Most of the movie does not have dialogues and creates tension using silence.
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18. Never Let Me Go (2010)
- IMDb: 7.1
- Rotten Tomatoes: 71%/70%
- Director: Mark Romanek
- Writer: Alex Garland
- Cast: Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield
- Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Never Let Me Go is a dystopian romantic tragedy film based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel. The movie takes place in an alternate history where medical breakthroughs have increased the human lifespan. The story follows Kathy (Mulligan), Tommy (Garfield), and Ruth (Knightley) as they are raised in a boarding school.
As the youngsters find their definition of love, news about their pre-decided fate wreaks havoc in their lives. The movie is highly praised for the acting performance by the talented cast and garnered love from the audience. The movie explores the theme like someone else deciding your fate similar to Maze Runner.
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19. Chappie (2015)
- IMDb: 6.8
- Rotten Tomatoes: 32%/56%
- Director: Neill Blomkamp
- Writer: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
- Cast: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Ninja, Yolandi Visser
- Runtime: 2 hours
Chappie is a dystopian science fiction movie that talks about the concept of Artificial Intelligence. The movie revolves around Chappie, a police robot that is stolen by criminals. They raise the robot like their own child, and the robot learns from their behavior. Eventually, the robot becomes sentient and can think and feel for itself. The movie is praised for its stunning performance by the ensemble cast. However, the audience felt it fell short on the narrative front.
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20. Ender’s Game (2013)
- IMDb: 6.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 62%/65%
- Director: Gavin Hood
- Writer: Gavin Hood
- Cast: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Hailee Steinfeld
- Runtime: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Ender’s Game is a science-fiction action film based on Orson Scott Card’s novel of the same name. The story takes place in a future where the Earth has been once attacked by a genocidal alien race. The plot follows Ender Wiggin (Butterfield), a brilliant young boy who uses his unique strategies to quickly gain ranks in the military operation. He embarks on the war between the alien race and humans. However, he is confused about whether he is doing the right thing. If you are looking for a light action flick, Ender’s Game is a brilliant choice.
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21. The Host (2006)
- IMDb: 7.1
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%/72%
- Director: Bong Joon-ho
- Writer: Bong Joon-ho, Ha Won-jun, Baek Chul-hyun
- Cast: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona
- Runtime: 2 hours
The Host is a South Korean monster film inspired by a real incident involving a deformed fish caught in the Han river. The story revolves around a father (Hee-bong) as he tries to rescue his daughter (Kang-ho). She has been taken hostage by an unknown monster that appears in the Han river and has killed hundreds of people. The movie is highly praised for its unique story and became one of the highest-grossing South Korean films. If you are looking for movies like Maze Runner for the suspenseful monster theme, watch The Host.
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22. Boy 7 (2015)
- IMDb: 5.8
- Rotten Tomatoes: NA/37%
- Director: Lourens Blok
- Writer: Mirjam Mous, Marco van Geffen, Philip Delmaar
- Cast: Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen, Ella-June Henrard, Tygo Gernandt
- Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Boy 7 is a 2015 Dutch science fiction film loosely based on the eponymous novel by Mirjam Mous. The movie takes place in a distant future where the Netherlands has become a police state. We follow a young man (Bakhuyzen) who wakes up on a subway train with no memories. He pieces together his life through the contents of his backpack.
The whole movie takes place in flashbacks as the boy recalls his true identity as a rogue government agent and computer hacker. Despite a predictable plot, the movie is engaging because of Bakhuyzen’s stunning performance.
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23. The Tomorrow War (2021)
- IMDb: 6.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 52%/76%
- Director: Chris McKay
- Writer: Zach Dean
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson
- Runtime: 2 hours, 18 minutes
The Tomorrow War is a sci-fi movie that talks about a battle from the future. The movie takes place in 2021 where soldiers from 2048 come back to the past to recruit anyone willing to fight and stop a global attack. We follow Dan (Pratt), a school teacher who makes the jump for a cause. The movie creates tension using time constraints and has a noteworthy story. Overall, if you want to watch more futuristic adventure movies like Maze Runner, you will enjoy The Tomorrow War.
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24. Riddick (2013)
- IMDb: 6.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 57%/56%
- Director: David Twohy
- Writer: David Twohy
- Cast: Vin Diesel, Jordi Mollà, Matthew Nable, Katee Sackhoff, Dave Bautista
- Runtime: 2 hours
Riddick is a science fiction action movie and the third installment in the Riddick franchise. The movie follows Riddick (Diesel) as he tries to survive on a sun-scorched planet. How our protagonist tackles a race of alien predators more lethal than any human race ever encountered is thrilling to watch.
The movie is full of action and concludes the trilogy and follows the previous releases, including Pitch Black (2000) and The Chronicles of Riddick (2004). If you like survival movies like Maze Runner, Riddick is a brilliant choice.
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25. Tomorrowland (2015)
- IMDb: 6.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 50%/49%
- Director: Brad Bird
- Writer: Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird
- Cast: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy
- Runtime: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Tomorrowland is a sci-fi film coming from the genius of Brad Bird, who has presented us with gems like The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Mission Impossible. The futuristic movie follows two central characters – a disillusioned genius inventor (Clooney) and a teenage science enthusiast girl (Robertson). The story follows them as they discover a secretive city of Tomorrowland and try to solve a problem that can cause disaster in the real world. The movie takes us through an amazing visual journey. However, it has considerable scope for a better story.
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26. Elysium (2013)
- IMDb: 6.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 65%/58%
- Director: Neill Blomkamp
- Writer: Neill Blomkamp
- Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna
- Runtime: 1 hour, 49 minutes
Elysium is a dystopian science fiction action movie taking place in 2154. Earth is damaged beyond repair, and the elite society lives a disease-free life on Elysium, an artificial planet in space. Meanwhile, the remaining human race lives on Earth under harsh conditions. The story follows Max (Damon) on his journey to bring equality to the people of Earth by disrupting the work on Elysium.
If you are looking for movies like Maze Runner, where elite society exploits the underprivileged people, consider adding Elysium to your watchlist.
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27. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
- IMDb: 8.1
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97%/86%
- Director: George Miller,
- Writer: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nico Lathouris
- Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
- Runtime: 2 hours
Mad Max: Fury Road is a post-apocalyptic action film and the fourth installment and reboot of the Mad Max franchise. The movie takes place in a distant future where gasoline and water are hard to find. The story follows Max (Hardy) as he joins forces with a rebel warrior (Theron) to overthrow a tyrant who controls the water supply. The epic fight between the two gangs becomes a lengthy road battle. If you are looking for survival action movies like Maze Runner, Mad Max: Fury Road provides that with a great story and action scenes.
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28. District 9 (2009)
- IMDb: 7.9
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%/82%
- Director: Neill Blomkamp
- Writer: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
- Cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Vanessa Haywood, Mandla Gaduka
- Runtime: 1 hour, 52 minutes
District 9 is a science fiction action film partially shot in the found footage format, including interviews, surveillance camera videos, and news footage. The movie takes place in an alternate reality where malnourished insectoid aliens take refuge on Earth.
After several years of living in pathetic conditions, they find support in a government employee, Wikus van de Merwe (Copley), who was supposed to relocate them to a new location. District 9 brilliantly presents the dark side of humanity while talking about xenophobia and social segregation. It is a movie similar to Maze Runner in the concept of exploiting the weak.
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29. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
- IMDb: 8.0
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%/81%
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Writer: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green
- Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks
- Runtime: 2 hours, 43 minutes
Blade Runner 2049 is a neo-noir science fiction film and a direct sequel to the 1982 film Blade Runner. The story centers on K (Gosling), an officer with the LA Police Department, and a Nexus-9 replicant “blade runner”. He unearths a secret that could destabilize society and questions the course of civilization. Therefore, he embarks on a journey to find a former blade runner whose whereabouts are unknown for over three decades.
Blade Runner 2049 is packed with eye-pleasing visual effects for which it received the Academy Award. Besides that, the movie also won several BAFTA awards and numerous accolades. You can find more such movies in our exclusive list of best award-winning films.
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30. Max Steel (2016)
- IMDb: 4.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: NA/48%
- Director: Stewart Hendler
- Writer: Christopher L. Yost
- Cast: Ben Winchell, Maria Bello, Ana Villafañe, Josh Brener, Andy García
- Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Max Steel is a superhero film based on the action-figure line by Mattel, an American toy manufacturing and entertainment company. The movie revolves around the adventures of Max McGrath (Winchell), who befriends an alien companion Steel (Brener), and uses a unique form of tachyonic energy to combine their powers. The two friends bond symbiotically to become a superhero. The underrated film is often neglected by viewers. However, it provides an entertaining movie experience if you want to see futuristic fantasy movies.
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31. Escape Room (2019)
- IMDb: 6.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 51%/51%
- Director: Adam Robitel
- Writer: Bragi F. Schut, Maria Melnik
- Cast: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Tyler Labine
- Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Escape Room is a psychological horror film that will make you scream every once in a while. The plot follows six people living different lives, who come together to participate in an escape room competition. The grand prize of ten thousand dollars seems easy until they find themselves in a series of deadly traps. The movie resembles Maze Runner in various aspects including a puzzling path, deadly traps, and a powerful person controlling it all.
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32. The Belko Experiment (2016)
- IMDb: 6.1
- Rotten Tomatoes: 55%/40%
- Director: Greg McLean
- Writer: James Gunn
- Cast: John Gallagher Jr., Tony Goldwyn, Adria Arjona, John C. McGinley, Melonie Diaz
- Runtime: 1 hour, 29 minutes
The Belko Experiment is a horror thriller film with a concept similar to Battle Royale. The plot follows 80 Americans working in a company named Belko Industries in Bogotá, Colombia. They fall into a deadly experiment when they are trapped in the company building one day, and a mysterious voice asks them to kill each other. It’s thoughtful to see how people slowly break character and make rogue decisions. If you are looking for a horror movie with an unsettling plot, The Belko Experiment is a wonderful option.
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33. What Happened To Monday (2017)
- IMDb: 6.8
- Rotten Tomatoes: 61%/67%
- Director: Tommy Wirkola
- Writer: Max Botkin, Kerry Williamson
- Cast: Noomi Rapace, Willem Dafoe, Glenn Close, Marwan Kenzari, Christian Rubeck
- Runtime: 2 hours, 3 minutes
What Happened to Monday is a dystopian science-fiction movie. The film takes place in a future where families are allowed to have just one child due to overpopulation. The plot follows identical septuplets, or seven sisters, who share a single identity in the world and are named after the days of the week. When one of their sisters named Monday goes missing, the remaining family members must find her while saving themselves from governmental execution. If you are looking for a no-brainer action-thriller film, Seven Sisters is worth a watch.
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34. Inception (2010)
- IMDb: 7.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 87%/91%
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Writer: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy
- Runtime: 2 hours, 28 minutes
Inception is a science fiction movie coming from the legendary director Christopher Nolan. The movie explores the concept of hacking someone’s dream and stealing ideas from their mind. The plot follows Cobb (DiCaprio), who is a thief on the run for accusations of killing his wife. Saito (Watanabe) offers him a clean slate in exchange for helping him bring down his biggest competitor.
The movie hosts an ensemble cast and is highly praised for its overall execution. The movie explores the nature of reality and how one can get trapped in their own thoughts. If you wish to explore more movies like Inception, you can check our linked article.
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35. The Matrix (1999)
- IMDb: 8.7
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%/85%
- Director: The Wachowskis
- Writer: The Wachowskis
- Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
- Runtime: 2 hours, 16 minutes
The Matrix is a science-fiction cyberpunk action movie that takes place in a dystopian future where humanity is trapped in a simulated reality. The movie’s protagonist, Neo (Reeves), is aware that something isn’t right and gets to the real world with some help. He joins the mission to overthrow the machines who are harvesting human bodies for energy while keeping their consciousness locked in a simulated reality.
The Matrix is considered one of the greatest science fiction movies ever created. It has inspired many directors and cinematographers to test the limits of storytelling and become a pop-culture phenomenon. There are three direct sequels in the franchise.
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Watch Movies Similar to Maze Runner Right Now!
Maze Runner explores the concept of a dystopian world where people are used as test subjects by other humans for their own benefits, just like Divergent. The Maze Runner franchise, including three movies, has garnered critical acclaim and love from audiences for the talented cast and amazing storytelling. We have covered popular as well as underrated movies like Maze Runner in this article. The movies in this list share conceptual similarities like dystopian future, power struggle, and more. We hope you found the list entertaining and managed to update your watchlist accordingly. If you know any movie that can make it to the list, feel free to comment below.
