Almost a full decade after the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, director George Miller is back making movies in the universe that has defined his legacy. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga hit theaters on May 24, and if you’re coming out of that movie on a high, you might be looking for other movies that will give you a similar feeling.
While the obvious place to start is likely with the rest of the Mad Max saga, and with Fury Road in particular, those picks are a little too on the nose for this list. Instead, we’re assuming that you want the same highs that Furiosa gave you, but are looking outside of the Mad Max franchise. We’ve selected three movies with similar vibes that are the perfect place to get started.
The Northman (2022)
Based on the story that was also the basis for Hamlet, The Northman tells the story of the son of a king whose father is murdered when he is still a child,. he thenspends the rest of his life planning his revenge. Set in the world of 8th-century Vikings, The Northman is unafraid of submersing us in a culture that is very obviously different than our own without giving viewers any unnecessary exposition or explanation.
It’s one of the better action movies of recent years, and features a climactic fight set against a volcano’s eruption. The film is also surprising in ways you might not expect and features Furiosa‘s Anya Taylor-Joy in a key supporting role.
The Northman is streaming on Starz.
The Green Knight (2021)
David Lowery is one of the most underrated directors working in modern Hollywood, and The Green Knight is his most expansive work to date. Based on the legend of the same name, The Green Knight tells the story of a knight in King Arthur’s court who challenges the mythic Green Knight, and then has a year to present himself for his own death.
Like many of Lowery’s movies, The Green Knight is particularly obsessed with the idea of death, but it’s also a quixotic journey that mixes actual history with folklore to outstanding effect. Dev Patel has never been better than he is in this lead role, and the movie around him is just as cool.
The Green Knight is streaming on Max.
Children of Men (2006)
One of the totemic action movies of the 2000s, Children of Men is set in a dystopian future where humanity has become totally infertile. Facing the end of the human race, one disaffected former activist finds himself shepherding a woman who is pregnant to safety through a totalitarian Britain.
The politics of Children of Men still feel chillingly relevantnearly 20 years later, but the movie is also a wonder of action filmmaking. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the movie can be a bit showy at times, but that showiness only reinforces the moving beauty of the underlying story.
Children of Men can be rented or purchased on Amazon Prime Video.
