In 2000, Battle Royale shocked and delighted viewers with its brutal premise and young cast members. The film became a cultural phenomenon and executed its bloody premise so perfectly that works with similar premises are now known as the battle royale genre.
This genre includes movies both before and after Battle Royale that include a select group of participants killing each other for a game, competition, or experiment until only one survivor remains. Viewers interested in the thrilling and brutal genre can use our guide to find the best battle royale movies on HBO Max, MGM+, and more.
The Running Man (1987)
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, The Running Man follows the wrongfully incarcerated Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who competes in the deadly Running Man competition, where he must survive numerous professional assassins to gain his freedom. The Running Man leans a little more into action than other battle royale movies, which tend to center on horror. However, the dystopian premise and Richards’ need to kill to survive make it one of the earlier battle royale movies.
Schwarzenegger makes quite the action hero out of Richards and owns the role so well that it's comparable to his iconic Terminator (1984) performance. The dystopian premise is executed with just enough resemblance to the modern day to add some eeriness and thoughtfulness to the movie. Fans of King’s other dystopian survival film, The Long Walk (2025), will especially be intrigued by The Running Man.
Mean Guns (1997)
Means Guns is another early battle royale movie in which crime syndicate member Vincent Moon (Ice-T) traps 100 people who have wronged the syndicate and forces them to fight each other to the death until only three remain. The film leans even more into action than The Running Man, since there isn’t much depth to the situation or the killings. Even so, it’s wildly entertaining as an extended, gory, gritty free-for-all with endless exciting action scenes.
Mean Guns is a little outlandish in its premise and a little bit corny in execution. However, it found a cult following among fans for its unusual and creative style. If you love never-ending action to the backdrop of mambo music, you’ll want to give Mean Guns a try.
Battle Royale (2000)
Battle Royale, the namesake of the battle royale genre, takes place in a totalitarian Japan where the government selects a random group of high school students and forces them to fight to the death until only one victor remains as an attempt to curb juvenile delinquency. The film is dark, bloody, and thought-provoking. While several “battle royale” movies came before it, Battle Royale particularly jarred viewers with the idea of youth being subjected to such violence and horror.
However, the grisly, gory violence isn’t just for thrills. Although the premise gets viewers’ adrenaline pumping and keeps them riveted with the suspense and tension, Battle Royale also stands out for its sharp satire of juvenile delinquency hysteria and adult paranoia. Fans of thought-provoking dystopian works centered on young characters, like The Long Walk and The Hunger Games (2012), will love Battle Royale.
The Hunger Games (2012)
The Hunger Games, based on Suzanne Collins’ book series of the same name, takes place in the dystopian world of Panem, where, to dissuade rebellion, the Capitol forces each of Panem’s 12 districts to give up a boy and a girl annually to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. Viewers follow Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) harrowing experience after she’s selected for the 74th Hunger Games. The Hunger Games bears some striking similarities to Battle Royale and The Long Walk.
It boasts a similar level of action, horror, and thrills as viewers watch the children fight for survival in brutal fashion. However, it also stands out for its sharper themes about oppression and authoritarianism. The political commentary on oligarchies and the gap between the rich and poor remains especially relevant today. The Hunger Games most closely parallels Squid Game (2021) in its excellent, engaging suspense and tension, as well as its sharp, clever commentary.
The Purge (2013)
The Purge takes place in an alternative America, where the New Founding Fathers attain power and enact the annual “Purge,” during which all crime, including murder, is legal for 12 hours, forcing many individuals and families to fight for survival. It’s a unique spin on the battle royale premise, moving away from the deadly competition trope and instead imagining a dark, grisly free-for-all period of lawlessness in which only the strongest will survive. The movie plays out a bit like a home-invasion thriller, centering on one wealthy family’s struggle to endure the night.
Like The Hunger Games and Squid Game, The Purge also offers some sharp political commentary, serving as an allegory for the divide between the rich and the poor and the government’s indifference to those disproportionately impacted by its policies. Although it sometimes loses sight of its allegory, it always maintains high intensity and suspense.
The Belko Experiment (2016)
The Belko Experiment centers on a group of employees at Belko Industries who find themselves trapped in a sadistic experiment in which they’re locked in the office building and forced to kill each other until only one remains. It feels like a cross between Mean Guns and Battle Royale, boasting the free-for-all, gruesome action of the former but also some of the moral quandaries of the latter. Although it boasts carnage similar to that of most movies on this list, it goes even darker than most.
Rather than focusing on oppression and survival, it seeks to tell a dark, disturbing tale of what human nature truly is when tested. Hence, it’s a little more uncomfortable, dark, and bleak than thrilling and tense. The gloomy atmosphere makes The Belko Experiment feel more like The Killing Room (2009).
Assassination Nation (2018)
Assassination Nation tells the story of four girls who fight for survival against an angry mob in their small town after they’re framed for a series of hacks revealing residents’ dark secrets. Like The Purge, the movie offers a creative take on the battle royale premise. While Assassination Nation offers the usual thrill of a final, grand battle royale as the mob sparks an all-out fight to the death, it’s also distinct in utilizing a small-town riot as the medium for death rather than a competition.
Assassination Nation is also quite clever in its themes and ideas. It gives you a lot to think about in terms of secrets, the digital age, and hysteria, serving as a sort of modern-day spin on the Salem Witch Trials. Fans of dark horror comedies centered on hysteria, like Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022), will especially enjoy the darkly comedic Assassination Nation.
The Hunt (2020)
The Hunt centers on a group of wealthy, elite citizens who round up 12 working-class Americans and bring them to an isolated forest to hunt them for game. Although it starts as a Most Dangerous Game-esque movie, it quickly morphs into battle royale territory as one of the hunted decides to turn the tables on her hunters. Like The Purge and Assassination Nation, it’s a more unique take on the battle royale genre.
The Hunt also aims for political commentary, as director Craig Zobel intended it as an allegory of political polarization in the United States. It misses the mark a bit and struggles to be truly apolitical, but it is nonetheless a thought-provoking work for those interested in the current state of politics. Even if the political message misses the mark, The Hunt is still a bloody good time for viewers looking for a dark, brutal battle royale.
