The “Mad Max” franchise may have started in 1979, but it’s still churning out material in 2024. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” the latest in the series, serves as a prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road.” As fans might surmise, the movie centers on the origin story of its self-titled character, who was introduced in the 2015 movie.
Anya Taylor-Joy and Ayla Browne take over as Furiosa from Charlize Theron in the prequel, chronicling the character’s transition from childhood to becoming a young woman after getting kidnapped by Chris Hemsworth’s character Dr. Dementus. Original “Mad Max” director George Miller reprised his position for the latest movie, which he co-wrote with Nick Lathouris.
"Furiosa" is a high-octane spectacle filled with jaw-dropping action sequences. If you're craving more of the same, here are five movies like "Furiosa" you can stream right now.
'Mad Max: Fury Road'
You don’t actually have to watch “Mad Max: Fury Road” to understand “Furiosa.” With that being said, it’s a good movie to see either before or after the 2024 film, depending on whether you want to follow the release order or tune in chronologically.
“Mad Max: Fury Road” picks up years after the prequel when Theron’s Furiosa is in her early 30s. It centers on Furiosa’s escape from enslavement as she fights to free his five wives from captivity. The movie stars actors like Tom Hardy (Max Rockatansky), Nicholas Hoult (Nux), and Zoë Kravitz (Toast the Knowing). It was nominated for 10 Oscars and won six, including Best Film Editing and Best Production Design.
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'Duel'
Steven Spielberg’s “Duel” was released nearly a decade before the first “Mad Max” movie, so there’s an argument that “Duel” paved the way for franchises like “Mad Max” — just without the post-apocalypse angle. The vibes are certainly there.
"Duel" centers on a road chase between a sales rep and an unhinged truck driver. Like “Furiosa,” “Duel” provides an endless number of desert-based chase scenes (though “Furiosa” chases are arguably a bit more dramatic and chaotic).
'Snowpiercer'
The 2013 movie “Snowpiercer” takes the post-apocalyptic wasteland concept from the desert and into the tundra. If only the animals in the first Ice Age had a train to chill (or not chill) on. In the film by Bong Joon Ho (later an Oscar winner for "Parasite"), the survivors of the snowpocalypse live on a luxury train that travels the world.
Like “Furiosa” and the other “Mad Max” movies, the class and social hierarchy of the survivors dictates just how miserable your apocalyptic experience is. Chris Evans’ character Curtis rallies the other poor passengers to take over the engine room, much like Furiosa stands up to the tyranny of Dementus and others like him.
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'A Quiet Place'
“Furiosa” really plays into the concept of "show, don’t tell" that’s hammered into the heads of every Creative Writing 101 student. The film features long stretches of cinematic and action sequences with light conversation and character interaction. So, if you enjoyed the artsier, location-centric component of the movie, “A Quiet Place” makes sense for your next movie marathon.
Like “Furiosa,” John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place” centers on a post-apocalyptic hellscape. In this case, it’s in the horror genre rather than action. Not only is talking a rarity in “A Quiet Place,” but even so much as the crunching of a twig can get you killed. As a result, the film is largely silent save for the creepy background music as the Abbott family tries to survive the monsters plaguing their home.
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'The Terminator'
“Furiosa” may be a 2024 movie, but it hasn’t lost the ‘80s vibes of the franchise — between the motorcycles and the classic action sequences. If you’re hankering for an iconic ‘80s action flick after you finish the “Mad Max” prequel, there’s no better choice than “The Terminator” and its sequel (which many fans will argue is even better).
Though the movie has a bit more sci-fi elements than “Furiosa.” “The Terminator 2” in particular features some similar motorcycle sequences. It’s pretty clear that the “Mad Max” franchise was a driving force (pun intended) of inspiration for “The Terminator” franchise. “The Terminator” branches off the action genre’s typical status quo with Michael Beihn’s character Kyle Reese going back in time to stop Arnold Schwarzenegger’s self-titled cyborg character from killing Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose son is destined to save humanity in the future. No pressure.
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