The divergent series has become one of the most popular post-apocalyptic trilogies in current times. Grossing over $765 million worldwide, it has been one of the most successful of its kind. This film series is similar to some of my other favorite works, such as The Hunger Games, which was also adapted from a novel. The Matrix, which is renowned as one of the best sci-fi action films. And V for Vendetta, the story about freedom from which the famous Guy Fawkes mask originated.
Divergent has received the People’s Choice Awards Favorite Action Movie and Movie Duo awards, as well as awards for best Action Actors and film by Teen Choice Awards, and MTV’s favorite actress Shailene Woodley starring Beatrice Prior.
Directed by Robert Schwentke and Neil Burger, Divergent tells a story based on a post-Apocalyptic Chicago society. In this society, everybody is expected to choose between five “factions” once they come of age: the fearless Dauntless, the intellectual Erudite, the selfess of Abnegation, the peaceful of Amity, or the honest Candors.
Fifteen-year-old Beatrice undergoes the initiation tests, only to find that her results matched her with three factions. These inconclusive results mark her as a “Divergent”, and she is warned to never tell anybody of them. Carrying this weight on her shoulders, she decides to join the Dauntless so as to not become a factionless outcast. Soon, however, she would start discovering the hidden facets of the society she grew up in, and the dangers it was sure to bring.
For people who liked Divergent, there are several films that could make for a great follow-up watching.
V for Vendetta
James McTeigue, 2015
Grossings: $138m, budget: $50m
The organization Anonymous has become widely known after stories of their cyberattacks and cyberactivism have become widespread. The Guy Fawkes mask its member’s use was very much popularized by the vigilante in V for Vendetta, who uses it to call for freedom and overthrowing of a totalitarian government.
It is set in a post-war and diseased world in the United Kingdom, which is now ruled by a Nordic-supremacist state which functions much like the fascist dictatorships of the 20th Century. People deemed as “undesirables” are persecuted and killed, and the ruling Norsefire Party rules with an iron fist and shuts down any dissent.
The Guy Fawkes vigilante uses various methods to call attention to the current state of affairs, such as demolishing buildings and hijacking broadcasts. His goal is to inspire people to revolt against the Norsefire government and fight for freedom. Much like how Divergent characters eventually seek freedom from their flawed systems, the vigilante seeks to inspire this in the UK’s populace.
The Giver
Director: Phillip Noyce, Date: 2014
Grossed: $67m, Budget: $45m
The Giver shares the common theme of being born in a society where society strips away individualism and choice, but with a bit of an inversion. While Beatrice is pressed to choose one of the factions that will define her as part of it, as well as contrast her from other factions, Jonas is born into a society in which everybody is made to be as alike and heterogeneous as possible.
In this society, conflicts and suffering seem to have been eliminated. There are no wars, no pain, and no ailments of the sort. However, this is accomplished by removing all human emotions and innate traits, such as all individualism, sexuality, and even the ability to see in color. In addition, nobody but one person holds any memories of the past. They are given the title of “Receiver of Memory”, which Jonas is soon to inherit.
After inheriting these memories and learning more about what the common people have been deprived of, Jonas starts questioning the Elder’s (the ruling elite of this society) ways of thinking. He discovers that the Elders have very regard not only to the human experience, but also to human life itself, and gradually starts believing that everybody should be given what he was.
The story of The Giver parallels that of Divergent with the theme of post-apocalyptic
oppressive societies. The uncovering of their systematic flaws, and the character’s efforts to rebel against these. A great recipe for post-apocalyptic conflict.
The Giver has won the Golden Trailer Awards 2015 Golden Fleece and the Heartland Film 2014 Truly Moving Picture awards.
The Circle
James Ponsoldt, 2017
Grossed: $40m, budget: $18m
An important focus of the Divergent series and films alike is the idea of individuality. Are people defined more by their group affiliations or ones that they fit into, be they ethnicity, political, or other? Should they be? These topics have explored The Circle. Despite taking place in the current time rather than a post-apocalyptic world, many of these questions are raised throughout the film.
The Circle gets its name from the social media giant that has monopolized the market. Mae Holland works at the Circle as a means to support her family, especially her sick father. Despite her family’s concerns about the company’s actions and identity, she successfully climbs the company’s ladder and gets in on the most important of The Circle’s initiatives.
The Circle eventually becomes quite powerful, so much so that they are able to start a massive surveillance operation under the pretext of political transparency and accountability. Partnering with the company SeeChange, The Circle is able to place small cameras everywhere, which provide real-time, high-quality video. This leads to some positive results, such as quickly catching criminals, but also opens the doors to harassment and excessive vigilance of other people.
Many would argue that privacy is a very important aspect of individuality. It is not a given in collectivist societies, and it is something many people values. This issue is also present in our real-world lives, with worries about private corporations cooking up similar plots to what The Circle envisioned.
The Hunger Games Trilogy
Francis Lawrence, Gary Ross, 2012-2015
Grossed: $2970b, budget: $495m
Someone familiar with the previous 2 films will be quick to point out that they are not very action-packed compared to Divergent. These films focus more on the ethical and philosophical questions that come with systems of power, freedom, individuality, and other topics. The Hunger Games series is no exception, but it’s also action-packed like Divergent.
The plot of the Hunger Games might be the most similar to Divergent’s. Every year, a boy and a girl from each of the 12 districts is sent to represent their district in a life-or-death event known as the Hunger Games. This event is a national last-man-standing event in all representatives fight each other until only one remains alive.
The Hunger Games is a similar event to the trials of the Dauntless initiates to see who is allowed to remain in the faction, except more brutal and forceful.
With The Hunger Games being one of the most popular series of all time, most people know its elements of a tyrannical government that subjugates a certain population in favor of a privileged, ruling elite. Fans of Divergent know that this becomes a theme with one of the factions throughout the story, and is also a theme in the next film.
The Matrix
Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 1999-2003
Grossed: $3b, Budget: $360m
For those who enjoyed the simulation aspects of Divergent, The Matrix takes it to a whole new level. The world of the Matrix has Neo come across incredible events which lead him to meet Morpheus. There, he is given the choice to discover what the world really is about in the famous red and blue pill scene. Neo chooses the red pill.
The real world of The Matrix is a world in which machines conquered humans and use them as a source of energy. Humans are put under a simulated reality in order to keep them ignorant of the real world. Just like in Divergent, The Giver, and other films of its kind, the people in The Matrix never even consider venturing into the outside world. In this case, they are not aware one exists.
This film is incredibly action-packed, with the iconic scenes of Neo diverting bullets, effortlessly fighting off Smiths, and other fight sequences. Of course, it also has stakes in the real world, as the humans outside are still not safe from the machine overlords.
Much of Divergent’s thriller comes from the feeling of Tris having to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. This feeling is present in The Matrix, as Neo has to discover whether or not he’s the “Chosen One” who will free humans from their machine overlords.
Ender’s Game
Gavin Hood, 2013
Grossed: $125m, budget: $110m
Continuing with the simulation-heavy films, Ender’s Game is also set in a world where a powerful outside enemy threatens what’s left of humanity. In this case, an alien civilization invaded Earth and caused millions of deaths. They would have been successful in their conquest, had it not been for a brave soldier who sacrificed himself.
Humans were eager to retaliate against this dangerous foe. They patiently planned for an attack on the Formic’s homeworld, training children who seemed gifted as elite soldiers who would carry it out. Soldiers such as Andrew “Enger” train using difficult simulations which put to test their decision-making, ability to think outside the box and general resolve.
The “weight of the world” feeling talked about earlier is very prominent in this film. Although humans are the aggressors in this case, the threat of the alien race is also undeniable. Ender and the rest of the soldiers being trained all feel that it is their duty to fight for humanity’s survival, even if they have to commit atrocious acts to do so.
But more than that, the human’s plans of attack bring up many questions of ethics and morality. We must wonder how justifiable it is to launch a genocidal attack on an enemy, just how we wonder if it was justifiable for factions in Divergent to fight and try to conquer each other. The major twist towards the end of Ender’s Game makes these even more important.
The Maze Runner
Wes Ball, 2014
Grossed: $348m, budget: $34m
Another young adult film, The Maze Runner is filled with the thriller and action-packed nature of its kind.
After waking up having no recollection of anything prior, not even his name, a boy is greeted by a group of other boys. The grassy area they are in, which the boys call “The Glade”, is enclosed by tall walls in all areas except one. The boys inform him that that one area is the only exit from that place, but it is a maze.
Everyone in the group arrived just like Thomas, who shortly after remembered only his name and nothing else. The only thing they know is that it is seemingly impossible to survive at the Maze during the night, as there are dangerous creatures roaming at night. Things start to change once the first girl they have seen is put onto the maze, which sets off a chain of events that would change the group’s situation.
Much like the trials in Divergent and The Hunger Games, the boys have to find a way to exit the maze while surviving. In the process of doing this, they are bound to unravel the true reason they are there, as well as who is behind it all.
Tomorrowland
Brad Bird, 2015
Grossed: $209m, budget: $180m
The idea of different worlds, whether they be a literal different world where a hostile alien species resides, or a simulated world created for a certain purpose, is very popular with these films. Tomorrowland is the first film that explores the concept of an alternate dimension.
Casey Newton is an optimistic teenager interested in science and NASA. In the process of trying to help her father, she finds a strange pin that transports her into what seems like a different world. This is the world of Tomorrowland, which she later finds out was created by genius scientists such as Tesla and Verne in order to make scientific breakthroughs without obstruction.
Unfortunately, the world of Tomorrowland begins going into decay. The characters begin to understand that this world is not just a separate dimension having nothing to do with their world. There is a deeper connection between the two, and the decay of Tomorrowland spells a grim future for humanity as a whole.
Minority Report
Steven Spielberg, 2002
Grossing: $358m, budget: $102m
To top off the list strong, a film which people who watched Psycho-Pass might enjoy. Starring Tom Cruise, Minority Report takes place in 2054, United States. The government of Washington is planning to institute a program known as “Pre-Crime”. As its name suggests, it would attempt to predict people committing crimes and stop them before they even happen.
Of course, this parallels the illusion of choice which is present in films like Divergent. Even though people can choose to not commit crimes, which is what John Anderton attempts to prove while running away from the police, this film plays with futuristic ideas that infringe on the individual.
Figures such as grossing, award info, and others have been sourced from IMDb and IMDb’s Box Office Mojo.