10 Fun Action Films That Were Inspired By The Mad Max Movies

Mad Max is one of the most influential action movies of all time, and in the years that followed its release, the series has only continued to grow in importance and popularity. George Miller’s cinematic dystopia is still thriving today, and while Furiosa struggled at the box office, there’s still plenty of room in today’s climate for blood-soaked, high-octane thrillers that take place in futures quite unlike our present.

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Made on a low budget, Mad Max was a huge success because it was totally unlike anything that audiences had been exposed to before: it was dystopia, but not in the technological, sci-fi ways that films like Blade Runner and 2001: A Space Odyssey offered. Instead, the series presents the idea that our twisted future will be a return to the industrial revolution of the past, fixated on machines and automobiles that help us survive. It was a complete twist of the typical genre conventions, and that’s something that many other films have since adopted from the best Mad Max movies.

10 The Book of Eli (2010)

Directed By Albert & Allen Hughes

the book of eli

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ScreenRant logo 6/10 The Book of Eli pg-13ActionAdventure

Written by Gary Whitta and directed by The Hughes Brothers, The Book of Eli is a neo-Western featuring Denzel Washington in the lead role. The 2010 release sees Washington take on the mantle of Eli, a man who travels a post-apocalyptic version of the United States and ends up attempting to stop a dangerous group of people from controlling the masses via a strange book.

Director Allen Hughes Release Date January 11, 2010 Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures , Sony , Columbia Pictures Writers Allen Hughes Cast Denzel Washington , Gary Oldman , Mila Kunis Runtime 118minutes Budget $80 million Expand

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The Book of Eli is very clearly influenced by Miller’s cinematic vision in Mad Max, following a man named Eli who comes across an abandoned town in a post-apocalyptic world where he meets a dangerous figure in search of a book that Eli has been tasked with protecting. It’s a fascinating story about the nature of humanity and our instinct to survive in the harshest of conditions, and the Hughes’ directorial skills are on full display in every frame.

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The Book of Eli also features one of Denzel Washington’s best thriller performances in the lead role, and it’s his fierce personality that really allows this character to shine in the same way that Mel Gibson’s protagonist makes Mad Max such an exciting adventure. It’s a character that the audience can’t fully relate to, but it’s his conflation of morality and ethics that makes him so fascinating to watch and elevates The Book of Eli to a new level.

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9 Tank Girl (1995)

Directed By Rachel Talalay

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Tank Girl RActionComedyFantasySci-Fi Director Rachel Talalay Release Date March 31, 1995 Writers Alan Martin , Jamie Hewlett , Tedi Sarafian Cast Lori Petty , Ice-T , Naomi Watts , Don Harvey , Jeff Kober , Reg E. Cathey Runtime 104 minutes Main Genre Action Expand

Tank Girl is one of the more obvious and blatant films inspired by Mad Max, but that certainly doesn’t make it any less impressive than those that more successfully hide their influence. The story takes place on a post-apocalyptic version of Earth where the water supply has been taken hostage by a greedy businessman looking to make a cheap profit – until a group of survivors come up with a plan to overthrow him.

The narrative is very similar to certain aspects of Mad Max: Fury Road, with the less fortunate characters banding together to overthrow the greedy leaders and distribute resources more fairly throughout the wasteland. It’s both a gripping and entertaining adventure through a dystopian future and a microcosmic dissection of capitalism in its purest form, which is very similar to Mad Max’s own commentary.

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8 Waterworld (1995)

Directed By Kevin Reynolds

waterworl

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Waterworld pg-13Action Sci-Fi

Waterworld follows a lone drifter known as “The Mariner”, played by Kevin Costner, who finds himself in a conflict between a group of survivors seeking a mythical place called “Dryland” and a gang of pirates who want to capture and enslave them. Directed by Kevin Reynolds, the 1995 post-apocalyptic action movie is set in a future where sea levels have risen, covering most of the Earth’s landmass.

Director Kevin Reynolds Release Date July 28, 1995 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Kevin Reynolds Cast Kevin Costner , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Jack Black , Kim Coates , Dennis Hopper Runtime 135minutes Budget $175million Expand

Waterworld isn’t as obviously influenced by Mad Max as some other movies, but the foundations of Miller’s visual direction and storytelling tendencies are still there in this dystopian sci-fi adventure. The story takes place on a post-apocalyptic version of Earth, where a wanderer named Mariner tasks himself with the protection of a young woman and her child, which sets them on a journey that could change the future of humanity forever.

It’s still a future version of Earth, but Reynolds’ vision for humanity lies not in cars and exhaust fumes, but rather in military progress and scientific advancement.

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Waterworld takes everything that worked about Mad Max (the desolate landscapes, the hyper-masculine protagonists, and the lawless society) and applies it to a more futuristic, sci-fi setting. It’s still a future version of Earth, but Reynolds’ vision for humanity lies not in cars and exhaust fumes, but rather in military progress and scientific advancement. It’s a fascinating film that takes Miller’s social commentary on humanity and catapults it in a different direction.

7 Snowpiercer (2013)

Directed By Bong Joon-ho

Snowpiercer

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ScreenRant logo 6/10 Snowpiercer RActionDrama Sci-Fi

Snowpiercer is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film directed by Bong Joon-ho. The narrative takes place aboard a perpetually moving train carrying the last remnants of humanity after a failed climate-change experiment freezes the planet. Chris Evans stars as Curtis, who leads a group of lower-class passengers in a rebellion against the oppressive elite at the front of the train. The film explores themes of class struggle and survival.

Director Bong Joon-ho Release Date July 11, 2014 Writers Bong Joon Ho , Jacques Lob , Benjamin Legrand , Jean-Marc Rochette Cast Chris Evans , Jamie Bell , Tilda Swinton , Ed Harris Runtime 126 Minutes Main Genre Sci-Fi Expand

Snowpiercer is an adaptation of the French graphic novel series of the same name, following a deadly train journey through the furthest reaches of a post-apocalyptic Earth that’s been decimated by its own climate. Like many of the movies inspired by Mad Max, the film has a clear commentary on the nature of humanity and the brutality of our survival instincts, following the society that’s been created on this train and dissecting its inherent classism and reliance on capitalist values.

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While Joon-ho’s movie ditches the nihilistic original ending of the Snowpiercer books, the film is still a very cynical and distressing depiction of the direction that our society is heading. Just like Miller’s series of films, it’s a warning against relying too heavily on the values that have founded our society and losing our humanity along the way, which is exactly what happens to both protagonists.

6 Children Of Men (2006)

Directed By Alfonso Cuaron

children of men poster

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Children of Men RActionDramaScience Fiction

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men is a dystopian drama set in the year 2027, where infertility has left humanity facing the possibility of extinction. Clive Owen stars as former activist Theo Faron, with Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine, Charlie Hunnam, and Pam Ferris in supporting roles.

Director Alfonso Cuarón Release Date January 5, 2007 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures , DreamWorks Distribution Writers David Arata , Hawk Ostby , Timothy J. Sexton , Alfonso Cuarón , Mark Fergus Cast Julianne Moore , Clare-Hope Ashitey , Clive Owen , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Michael Caine Runtime 109 minutes Budget $76 million Expand

Children of Men is one of the bleakest dystopian movies ever made, and it owes much of its success to the ideas that Miller first explored in Mad Max. The film follows a man named Theo who lives in a futuristic society that’s slowly being eradicated by humanity’s inability to breed, detailing his journey to protect a young woman who’s seemingly pregnant with the first human baby in over a decade. Just like Mad Max, Cuaron’s film is extremely cynical and pessimistic about humanity’s survival instincts, exploring how far we’ll go to protect ourselves over our species.

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However, Children of Men also offers a glimpse of hope in characters like Theo, who put their own lives on the line to further the survival of humanity. Where Mad Max is more of a condemnation of humanity, Children of Men is a call to arms for compassion and selflessness in a society that’s seemingly learning to forget these values

5 The Road (2009)

Directed By John Hillcoat

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ScreenRant logo 9/10 The Road RDrama

Based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, The Road centers on a father and son who attempt to make it to the coast after a global apocalypse wipes out all plant and animal life on Earth. The Road was directed by John Hillcoat and stars Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Director John Hillcoat Release Date November 25, 2009 Studio(s) Dimension Films Distributor(s) Dimension Films Writers Joe Penhall Cast Kodi Smit-McPhee , Guy Pearce , Viggo Mortensen , Robert Duvall , Charlize Theron Runtime 111 minutes Budget $25 million Expand

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The Road is a cinematic adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, which was published in 2006. Both the film and the book take place in a post-apocalyptic version of Earth where humanity has resorted to cannibalism in order to survive on a planet that no longer has a sustainable food chain, causing man to turn against man at every turn. The story follows a father and son who must protect themselves from these man-eating factions to reach a more hospitable environment at the end of the titular road.

Just like Mad Max, The Road’s emotional ending is where the power of this story lies and the quality of the film shines through. It’s a gripping narrative from start to finish, but Hillcoat’s strong storytelling manages to pull all the strings together in the final moments to push home the narrative’s depth and emphasize its true meaning about human nature and the importance of protecting those we love.

4 Dredd (2012)

Directed By Pete Travis

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ScreenRant logo 7/10 7/10 Dredd RActionCrimeSci-Fi

Based on the comic character created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, Dredd is a sci-fi action movie that stars Karl Urban as Judge Dredd, a law enforcement officer who can commute sentences as quickly as he issues them. Set in a dystopian New York-like city called Mega-City One, Dredd is tasked with hunting down a drug lord who controls a massive 200-story apartment complex named Ma-Ma, pushing a new addictive drug called “Slo-Mo” that has become widely used in the slums. 

Director Pete Travis Release Date September 21, 2012 Studio(s) Lionsgate Distributor(s) Lionsgate Writers Alex Garland Cast Karl Urban , Rachel Wood , Andile Mngadi , Porteus Xandau Steenkamp , Jason Cope , Emma Breschi Runtime 95 minutes Budget $50 million Expand

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Dredd may be completely different in style from Mad Max, but the comic book film is inspired by Miller’s dystopian vision of society. It’s a story of lawlessness disguised as justice, but instead of presenting that as the complete absence of law, Dredd presents it as a more twisted, conflated idea of law in the form of Dredd and his technological pursuit of truth.

Dredd
has plenty of brutal moments that are reminiscent of
Mad Max
’s violent action and fight sequences, promoting both films’ messages about the impossibility of removing violence from human nature.

Dredd has plenty of brutal moments that are reminiscent of Mad Max’s violent action and fight sequences, promoting both films’ messages about the impossibility of removing violence from human nature. Max and Dredd are entirely different characters, but their worldviews are surprisingly similar, and it often feels like Travis took inspiration from Miller’s characterization of his protagonist in a way that helped the Dredd reboot be a much better adaptation than the Stallone film.

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3 I Am Legend (2007)

Directed By Francis Lawrence

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ScreenRant logo 6/10 5/10 I Am Legend PG-13DramaHorror Sci-FiThriller

Loosely based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel of the same name, I Am Legend stars Will Smith as Robert Neville, a virologist who believes himself to be the last human on Earth. After a virus turns most of the world’s population into vampiric creatures known as Darkseekers, Neville finds himself immune. Believing himself to be the last man of Earth, Neville stalks through the ruins of New York, hoping to create an antidote that will save humanity. 

Director Francis Lawrence Release Date December 14, 2007 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Akiva Goldsman , Mark Protosevich Cast Willow Smith , Salli Richardson-Whitfield , Will Smith , Alice Braga , Charlie Tahan Runtime 101 minutes Budget $150 million Expand

I Am Legend is a much more traditional kind of post-apocalyptic story, and its similarities to Mad Max are more frequent and more obvious. The story takes place on a futuristic version of Earth that’s been wiped out by a deadly plague, following the sole survivor of the epidemic as he attempts to use his seemingly immune blood to reverse-engineer some kind of cure to give humanity a future.

I Am Legend 2
will consider the first movie’s alternate ending as canon.

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I Am Legend is an extremely bleak and dark look at what could happen if humanity’s future rested on the shoulders of the individual rather than a larger society, and the results are just as depressing and cynical as anything in Miller’s Mad Max movies. I Am Legend famously has an alternate ending that’s slightly less depressing and more faithful to the source material, but it’s just as poignant and expressive in its social commentary.

2 Doomsday (2008)

Directed By Neil Marshall

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Doomsday RActionSci-FiThriller Director Neil Marshall Release Date March 14, 2008 Writers Neil Marshall Cast Caryn Peterson , Adeola Ariyo , Emma Cleasby , Christine Tomlinson , Vernon Willemse , Paul Hyett Runtime 105 minutes Main Genre Action Expand

Doomsday is admittedly very different from Mad Max with its futuristic, scientific storytelling, but the general atmosphere of this post-apocalyptic world is likely inspired by George Miller’s expert worldbuilding. Centering around a team of scientists who are sent to Scotland in search of the cure to a deadly viral outbreak, Doomsday is a high-stakes adventure that explores how fragile and delicate our human society is.

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While the film deals with many solemn themes, there’s an entertaining dedication to style in Doomsday that’s very reminiscent of Mad Max. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously despite the harbingers of death and destruction, instead using some lighthearted moments and exaggerated storytelling to suck the audience into this fictional world and make that society commentary even more digestible.

1 Hell Comes To Frogtown (1988)

Directed By Donald G. Jackson & R.J. Kizer

Hell Comes To Frogtown (1988) - Poster

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Hell Comes To Frogtown RSci-FiActionComedy

Hell Comes to Frogtown is a 1988 post-apocalyptic film directed by Donald G. Jackson and R. J. Kizer. Starring Roddy Piper as Sam Hell, the film follows his journey through a dystopian world where mutant frogs have captured fertile women. Tasked with rescuing the captives to repopulate the human race, Hell navigates a treacherous landscape filled with unique challenges and adversaries.

Director Donald G. Jackson , R.J. Kizer Release Date January 29, 1988 Writers Donald G. Jackson , Randall Frakes Cast Roddy Piper , Sandahl Bergman , Cec Verrell , William Smith , Rory Calhoun , Nicholas Worth , Kristi Somers , Cliff Bemis , Brian Frank , Eyde Byrde , Julius LeFlore , Suzanne Solari , Lee Garlington , Dan Coplan Character(s) Sam Hell , Spangle , Centinella , Captain Devlin , Count Sodom , Looney Tunes , Bull , Arabella , Leroy , Commander Toty , Patton , Squidlips , Runaway Girl , Briefing Officer , Frog Guard Runtime 88 Minutes Main Genre Sci-Fi Expand

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Hell Comes To Frogtown essentially recaptures the more lighthearted side of the Mad Max movies with a bold, stylized narrative that follows a group of survivors in a futuristic society where a nuclear holocaust has rendered the majority of mankind sterile. It’s one of the more overtly fun movies inspired by Mad Max, whereas the majority of post-apocalyptic movies are fun in a more chilling and double-edged way.

Hell Comes To Frogtown is perfect for anybody looking to get more of that classic Mad Max style without the darker, more serious tones that most other dystopian movies have. The film perfectly understands its role as a sci-fi action movie, never afraid to go over-the-top with its set pieces and truly giving the audience what they came for at every moment.

Mad Max Poster

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10 7.8/10 Mad Max RActionThriller Sci-Fi

Mad Max is a 1979 sci-fi action film from director and writer George Miller. Mel Gibson stars as Max a police officer in the future who goes after a gang of vicious motorcycle thugs. The film led to a long-running franchise including The Road Warrior, Beyond Thunderdome, Fury Road, and Furiosa.

Director George Miller Release Date March 21, 1980 Studio(s) Kennedy Miller Entertainment Distributor(s) Roadshow Film Distributors Writers George Miller , James McCausland , Byron Kennedy Cast Mel Gibson , Joanne Samuel , Hugh Keays-Byrne , Steve Bisley , Roger Ward , Tim Burns Runtime 88 Minutes Franchise(s) Mad Max Sequel(s) Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior , Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome , Mad Max: Fury Road , Mad Max: The Wasteland Budget $233–266 Million Main Genre Action Expand