Netflix Dystopian Sci-Fi Trilogy Adaptation Hits Top 10
If you’ve been missing the YA film renaissance of the late 2000s and early 2010s, then Netflix has you covered for the perfect binge this weekend. The Divergent trilogy is available to stream on the platform, and the first film has already climbed its way into the Top 10. While it didn’t capture quite as big of an audience as fellow YA franchises like The Hunger Games and Twilight, it’s got all the hallmark tropes that make these films entertaining.
A Dystopian Chicago
Divergent is based on the novel of the same name by Veronica Roth and takes place in a dystopian future version of Chicago where humans are divided into different factions based on virtues, such as Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless.
Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) learns she is a Divergent, meaning she doesn’t fit into any of the designated factions. While concealing her status, Beatrice also uncovers a sinister plot and a brewing war.
Divergent Cast
Divergent features a star-studded cast, though many of them were just breaking out at the time. The film trilogy helped stars like Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, and Zoe Kravitz gain popularity and become more household names.
The rest of the cast for the first film was rounded out by Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Tony Goldwyn, Ansel Elgort, and Maggie Q.
Performance
Divergent received relatively mixed reviews when it was released, with audiences getting a bit tired of the dystopian YA tropes present in the film. With The Hunger Games franchise, the Maze Runner franchise, and the Divergent franchise all coming out around the same time, there was a certain amount of fatigue, and it’s safe to say that Divergent didn’t really do enough to really stand out from the crowd.
With that being said, the film is still entertaining with strong performances, and it was popular enough to gross over $288 million against an $85 million budget.
The Trilogy
The YA dystopian trend has certainly slowed down since these films came out, so Divergent and its sequels go down a bit easier now. If you go into the film knowing you love these types of films, then there’s no reason you won’t enjoy what they have to offer. The film ended up getting two sequels, Insurgent and Allegiant, so there was clearly demand for more even back then.
Stream Them Now
Some fans even feel like the sequel, Insurgent, is the superior film. It’s worth noting that Allegiant is considered the weakest of the franchise, but you might as well see what happens by then.
Interestingly, Hollywood is slowly starting to return to the dystopian YA well, as a new Hunger Games movie came out just last year and another prequel is in the works. Meanwhile, the Maze Runner franchise is in the process of getting a reboot. Perhaps we could see the Divergent series get the same treatment.
For now you can stream Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant on Netflix.
