Movies similar to ready player one

Adapted from Ernest Cline's best-selling novel of the same name, Ready Player One premiered in 2018 and immediately became one of the favorite movies of all virtual reality and video game nerds, as well as anyone on board for a dystopian and futuristic ride. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie is jam-packed with action, humor, and romance all set around a video game scavenger hunt.

For everyone that was entertained from start to finish during this unique and stunning film, there are definitely some other movies out there that can give you similar thrills.

Updated on February 6th, 2021 by Mark Birrell: Ready Player One is, by virtue of its core themes and source material, informed by a great many movies both legendary and underrated. There are so many examples of movies that either directly influenced Ready Player One or share its interest in technology and its application that we couldn't limit our list to just 10 entries. Accordingly, we've doubled the number of recommendations to better serve fans of Ready Player One who are looking for similarly fun and thought-provoking stories, whether they may be light and colorful adventures or deeply detailed documentaries.

20 The Last Starfighter (1984)

Ready Player One was far from the first movie to incorporate video games into a sci-fi fantasy story and it bears several similarities to the cult favorite space adventure The Last Starfighter.

Both movies feature protagonists that escape their dead-end lives in trailer parks with their gaming skills, only to find that they might be their golden ticket out of there. Though its computer-generated effects wouldn't even pass muster in a modern production's previsualization phase, The Last Starfighter's effects were pioneeringly ambitious back in the mid-80s and the movie is much more influential than it's often given credit for.

19 Life 2.0 (2010)

This enveloping documentary follows the lives of several people who develop new lives in the online world of Second Life, a virtual world that offers its users opportunities that range from financial to romantic.

It's an in-depth and even-handed study of what draws people to virtual spaces and then keeps them there, examining how and why games can become preferable to people's actual realities.

18 The King of Kong (2007)

Another documentary about the obsessive tendencies that can come with a love for video games, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters delves into the strange and fascinating world of arcade game high scores, specifically the competition surrounding the record for the classic game Donkey Kong.

As unlikely as it may seem, the movie finds a larger-than-life hero and villain in the endearing outsider Steve Wiebe and the overconfident champion Billy Mitchell, respectively.

17 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

This classic adaptation of author Roald Dahl's beloved children's book brought the titular character to life in an unforgettable way with Gene Wilder's performance as the eccentric chocolatier.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is referenced throughout Ready Player One as one of its most fundamental pop-culture influences, each story sharing the central concept of a reclusive genius presenting the public with a rare opportunity to understand and profit from the imaginative world that they've created. It's certainly not an action movie but the comedy and adventure are still unbeatable even today.

16 The Matrix (1999)

The Wachowskis' iconic sci-fi mind-bender injected modern philosophical concepts like transforming identities in a predominantly digital future with dazzling action and effects, drawing inspiration from a vast legacy of popular culture from across the world.

The story of a nobody who discovers that his life is merely a simulation remains a landmark of both genre filmmaking and discussions about virtual reality, with the conversations between the characters proving as stimulating to audiences as its meticulous fight choreography.

15 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Edgar Wright's adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel series is bursting with colorfully creative action and all the adolescent kicks that a movie fan's heart could possibly desire.

Michael Cera plays the eponymous bass player who must battle a woman's evil ex-boyfriends in order to win her heart and the movie's video-game-inspired quest is one of the greatest marriages of the mediums ever made.

14 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

One of the many filmmakers that are frequently referenced throughout Ready Player One is Robert Zemeckis, who made many strides in the field of integrating animation with live-action in feature films.

There are a number of movies that show Zemeckis' development of Ready Player One's most essential technologies but his classic cartoon mystery adventure is still arguably his magnum opus.

13 Gamer (2009)

Gerard Butler stars as a death row inmate who's forced to become a real-world avatar that's controlled by gamers in a deadly gladiator game not too dissimilar to the gauntlet world of Ready Player One's virtual reality world, "the Oasis."

Michael C. Hall is the megalomaniacal creator of the futuristic tech that allows all of this to happen and Logan Lerman is the young player who teams up with Butler's action hero to take his cruel empire down.

12 Brigsby Bear (2017)

One of the most interesting themes of Ready Player One is society's growing inability to grow beyond the stage of childhood and there are few movies that tackle the difficult subject in as heartfelt and unique a way as Brigsby Bear.

The story follows a grown man who was raised in an isolated facility with only his parents and an educational children's TV show made by his father for a company. When he is freed and told that he was abducted as a child, he attempts to adjust to reality by creating his own movie to finish the story of his fake father's creation and forms lasting bonds of friendship through the process, finding meaning through the collaborative creative process.

11 Room 237 (2012)

Another interesting concept at the heart of Ready Player One is the obsessive quality of fans' fascination with the work of their favorite artists and creators, constantly looking for meaning and hidden secrets within their back catalogs.

Spielberg chose his contemporary Stanley Kubrick as the next biggest influence running throughout the adaptation and this wild documentary explores the cult of worship that surrounds Kubrick's iconic 1980 horror movie, The Shining, which, itself, makes up one of the most memorable scenes of Ready Player One.

10 Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

This sci-fi adventure movie tells the story of a scrapped cyborg who, after being revived, can't remember anything about who she is, embarking on a quest to find out.

The movie is full of action but it also has the video game vibes of Ready Player One. Alita herself is an animated character in a real environment, which makes her and her deadly mechanical opponents very similar to the virtual creations of the Oasis.

9 Tron: Legacy (2010)

This belated sequel to the classic movie brings so much more modern technology and action. The son of a virtual world designer searches for his father but ends up in the deadly reality that he created. The movie really is a giant video game where the story's main players are tasked to compete against each other on "the Grid".

With a tale of family, self-discovery, and incredible technology, this movie is bound to have viewers on the edge of their seats enjoying all its visually striking splendor.

8 Pacific Rim (2013)

Starring Idris Elbra and Charlie Hunnam, this sci-fi adventure movie revolves around a war between humankind and monstrous kaiju that emerge from the sea.

An original concept derived by Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro from numerous pop-culture sources, this movie is full of friendship, huge battles, even huger robots, and terrifying creatures.

7 Ender's Game (2013)

Starring Asa Butterfield as the titular Ender Wiggin, this adaptation of Orson Scott Card's popular novel of the same name follows a young boy recruited by a military group in the future to fight a technologically superior alien race.

Through budding friendships, bullies, and training, Ender is tested to become a fighter in hopes of saving his world and the effects-driven battles will certainly entertain a fan of Ready Player One's action.

6 Divergent (2014)

This action-adventure series takes place in a dystopian future depicting a world divided into factions. Tris (Shailene Woodley) learns that she is Divergent, fitting into none of the factions, and soon finds out the leadership is trying to destroy them all.

This first adaptation in a series of movies based on author Veronica Roth's young adult trilogy is perfect for fans of teen action dramas.

5  Assassin's Creed (2016)

Michael Fassbender's prisoner must become a master assassin through a virtual reality technology that sends him to the past in hopes of taking on a powerful secret society out to control the world.

Unlike the other adaptations on this list, this one is actually directly taken from the story of the incredibly popular video game series of the same name.

4 Dune (1984)

In the distant future, warring families fight across the stars for control of a coveted commodity and a Duke's son leads an army of desert warriors against the galactic emperor in an attempt to free themselves from his rule.

Another adaptation of a seminal science-fiction novel, Dune is a weird a mind-bending journey and one of the many references scattered throughout Ready Player One.

3 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)

This action-adventure movie is a reboot of the classic film starring Robin Williams. Of course, this one is much more modern and tells the story of four teenagers who are sucked into a magical video game. Trapped in a jungle, the only way out is to finish the game.

Starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black, this movie has all the adventure and humor of Ready Player One, but in a simpler setting.

2 Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets (2017)

Adapted from a French comic series, this fantasy adventure takes place mostly on a giant space station that's home to a melting pot of alien societies. When a dark force threatens the stability of the metropolis, special operatives Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) must find the menace and save their titular city of a thousand planets.

With tons of alien species, a vast galaxy of planets, and some futuristic weaponry and gadgets, this movie has all the trappings of Ready Player One.

1 Mortal Engines (2018)

This movie also takes place in a post-apocalyptic universe, where a giant roaming predator city seeks to take everything in its path. A mysterious young woman, an outcast boy, and a dangerous outlaw join forces to stop the destruction.

The screenplay was adapted by Lord of the Rings movie ringleaders Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson from Philip Reeve's young adult novel of the same name and the movie is brimming with wild designs and huge computer-generated battles.

NEXT: 10 Sci-Fi Movies To Watch If You Like Alita: Battle Angel