Since there are probably hundreds of dystopian movies and another thousand films that could be easily confounded with what is dystopia as such, I thought a little, condensed cinematic overview could help you to not get lost in the vast dystopian jungle.
Governmental/social
The main focus of such dystopian movies lies on governments and societies striving for overall authority and surveillance which are achieved through rigid censorship (denied access to information) on the one hand, and control over free thought on the other hand. Restrictions and disparities are created with respect to age and intelligence as well as genetics and fertility.
- Aeon Flux (2005)
- Blade Runner (1982)
- Brazil (1985)
- Children of Men (2006)
- District 9 (2009)
- Equilibrium (2002)
- Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
- Gattaca (1997)
- Metropolis (1927)
- Minority Report (2002)
- Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
- The Island (2005)
- The Matrix Trilogy (1999-2003)
- V for Vendetta (2006)
Post-apocalyptic
This category depicts the emergence of dystopian civilizations as a consequence of catastrophes such as wars.
- 12 Monkeys (1995)
- 28 Days Later (2002)
- 28 Weeks Later (2008)
- 2012 (2009)
- I Am Legend (2007)
- The Book of Eli (2010)
- The Postman (1997)
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WALL-E (2008)
- Waterworld (1995)
Miscellaneous
- Idiocracy (2006)
- Planet of the Apes (2001)
- Pleasantville (1998)
I tried to restrict the list to the most common and popular films otherwise it would have got way too extensive and confusing 😉
Dystopia 