There’s one question we never stop asking as a human race;
What will the future look like?
Science fiction films are like futuristic glasses, giving us a clear view of what’s ahead without all the squinting. The movies extrapolate current scientific and technological trends into speculative futures, posing “what if” scenarios and exploring their potential impact on society, humanity, and the universe.
What if nuclear technology goes out of hand?
What if we run out of resources and deplete the earth?
What if a science experiment on AI goes wrong?
What if space colonization becomes the only solution to Earth's overpopulation?
What if virtual reality becomes better than real life?
All these questions are considered a projection and reflection of our present-day fears. Science fiction is usually social commentary that critically influences today's world. In doing so, it often questions what it is to be human.
These films portray society’s need to hyper-fixate on attaining absolute perfection. This state of ordered society usually known as ‘Utopia’ argues that human flaws can be addressed through various strategies, including constitutional amendments, legal reforms, social regulations, architectural advancements, and environmental modifications.
They paint futures where often fiction mirrors reality. In this blog, we’ll dive into how these films take the fears we conveniently turn a blind eye to and catapult them into a future of existential interrogations.
Are we giving up freedom in the name of protecting it?
Political Symbolism
When Utopia strives for perfectionism, it can become intolerant and totalitarian, evolving into a dystopia(often associated with modern revolutionism).
The authoritarian control over every aspect of citizens’ lives in the name of “the greater good” is unsettling. The imposition of rigid societal control, governmental surveillance, and conformity/uniformity over authenticity become the political toolkit for futuristic visions.
Equilibrium (2002), is a film set in a future where emotions and artistic expression are outlawed and suppressed through mandatory medication to avoid rising terrorism. A Mussolini look-a-like preys on the fears of people in an autocratic society and eradicates anyone who feels emotions.
The Giver (2014) also has a society where emotions and memories are suppressed by ‘The Chief Elder’ to maintain order and stability. The film explores themes of individuality and freedom, questioning the price of conformity, and the importance of memories and emotions in shaping our humanity.
In Hunger Games (2014), a totalitarian Capitol exerts ruthless control over the impoverished districts through a brutal annual televised spectacle.
Whether it is the fascism in Equilibrium(2002) the dictatorial regime in The Giver(2014) or totalitarianism in Hunger Games(2012), all of these use political tools to propagate agendas and control societies in the name of establishing societal stability. Are they making humans emotionless to stop war or to humanize weapons and fight war?
Despite the differences, today’s politics echoes the warnings of these films, where leaders and governments often tread dangerously close to totalitarianism and bureaucracy. In these films, political power manipulates human minds, reflecting our present reality where political parties leverage social media to subtly influence our views on politicians and ideologies. Are we heading towards a future where politicians sell us pseudo-democracy with one hand while swiping our freedom with the other?
Are We Just Pawns in the Corporate Dystopia?
Economic Symbolism
In contrast to communist dictatorships, capitalist ideologies have also emerged as modern societal challenges, driven by industrialization and consumerism.
Blade Runner (1982) speaks of the impact of uncontrolled capitalism through the corporate hegemony of Tyrell Corporation's overriding ethical duties and exploiting resources for their good. In their pursuit of profit and power, marginalized groups starve for basic amenities.
Total Recall (1990) shows how when Mars was colonized, a powerful corporation controlled access to air, making it a commodity.
This makes us question if crony capitalists and champagne socialists are in power in our society which often ends up draining our resources. While you eat popcorn waiting for Musk-Zuckerberg's joust in an arena, they’ll be sneaking off with the money you spent on tickets.
Will Consumerism consume humanity?
Cultural Symbolism
With corporations at the top of the socio-economic ladder, the streets of the city in Blade Runner 2049(2017) are awash in a constant barrage of massive animated billboards, neon signs, and holographic ads. Marketing reigns supreme in the future, reflecting the exponential rise of consumerism.
Black Mirror(2011) depicts a metaphorical future in which human beings have to exercise(pay) to earn credits(subscribe), which lets them skip continuous ads on ubiquitous screens (ads on social media).
Logan’s Run(1976) highlights hedonistic materialism and the decline of spirituality as key issues of modernity. Citizens in the film, spend their brief lives indulging in hedonistic pleasures, such as instant gratification, superficial relationships, and mindless entertainment, all while ignoring the reality of death.
In The Hunger Games (2013), the elites of the Capitol have become desensitized to brutality, viewing it merely as entertainment. Our numbness while scrolling through grave world issues on social media, reeks of ignorance.
With the constant overstimulation from content on social media, humans have traded their attention span with that of a goldfish. We are addicted to the instant dopamine hits through memes, likes, and shares, leading us to seek oblivious entertainment as feared in these science fiction films. Websites cleverly engineer our thoughts, making us click and buy things we never knew we needed. Science Fiction also warns that in a world increasingly shaped by globalization, there is a growing tendency for everything to become homogenized, resulting in the loss of diversity and individuality.
Classism vs. Marxism: Who’s Winning the Future Race?
Social Symbolism
While some societies in these films turn toward uniformity, some turn their heads toward the societal divide. The social stratification in two-tier cities highlights the imbalance caused by prevailing classism in our society.
Metropolis(1927) shows the horrors of class conflict with bourgeois classes occupying upper levels while they exploit the laborers working underground. With elites building bunkers, many scrambled for toilet paper during the pandemic. It seems like this future arrived right on schedule.
Earth’s last survivors live on a perpetually moving train in Snowpiercer(2013). Amidst the stark societal divide, the rich live it up in luxury while the poor are packed like overcrowded cattle in miserable confined quarters, proving once again that in this world, breathing space is as exclusive as affluent penthouses.
In Elysium(2013) wealthy live on a luxurious space station (Elysium) with life-expanding medical technology, while the rest of humanity struggles on a ravaged Earth. This gap highlights how, in a world where the elite gets VIP access to health miracles, the rest are stuck with a health plan that barely covers a band-aid.
Other films like In Time (2011), and High Rise(2014) discuss divisive populism and warn us about the perils of inequality caused by the class system. The wider the gap between rich and poor, the deeper the fault line in our shared humanity.
It’s a good thing we’ve got tax brackets and housing programs—just don’t look too closely at who’s benefiting. After all, it’s not really about erasing those lines; it’s about making sure they’re painted with just the right shade of plausible deniability.
Are We Stacking Our Future Like a House of Cards? Architectural Symbolism
Architectural symbolism often serves as a weapon to propagate the socio-economic agendas mentioned above. Large-scale architecture symbolizes power dynamics, diminishing individual significance and reinforcing regime dominance, like the skyscrapers in Blade Runner 2049 (2017).
Verticality in these films is frequently associated with social hierarchy, where individuals occupying higher positions in society are situated in higher spaces, closer to the sky, and marginalized groups closer to the ground as depicted in the towering, multi-layered metropolis of Fifth Element (1997).
These films critique late 19th-century styles like Modernism, Minimalism, and Brutalism for their perceived sterility and authoritarian undertones, despite their original intentions of functionality and communal ideals. Order, symmetry, and rectilinearity are portrayed as antithetical to individuality and character.
Minimalist Design in the movie Gattaca(1997) can sometimes feel austere and devoid of emotional depth or complexity.
Whereas, curved lines offer softness and contrast to rigid dystopian environments as the Wakandan architecture in Black Panther(2018) emphasizes fluid, organic forms.
While symbolizing modernity, materials like concrete, steel, and glass are criticized for their cold, alienating nature compared to traditional, sustainable materials. Vibrant environments are notably absent, with colors either dominated by a single hue or rendered in monochromatic tones to convey intense emotions. The recurring colors include blue, sepia, yellow, white, grey, and green, all depicted in desaturated tones that underscore the emotional bleakness inherent in dystopian societies.
The enclosed design of these cities—whether underground, within walls, or under domes—symbolizes the restrictions placed by rigid social systems and control mechanisms. Rather than encouraging innovation and progress, these so-called utopias become prisons, trapping individuals within fixed limits.
If we’re not careful, we might end up in a world where the only thing more imposing than the skyscrapers are the rules they represent. When architecture prioritizes sharpness, cleanliness, linearity, and monochromatic schemes, it risks heading toward totalitarianism. In contrast, the incorporation of curves, nostalgic architectural styles, and elements of natural life such as vegetation and water introduces a sense of softness to this cold environment.
While we are busy building out-of-sight glass skyscrapers, let's add some warmth and nature to our built environment. Embracing a rejection of modernity and a return to primitive living with present-day innovations emerges as the new utopian vision.
Are we just one update away from being Outsmarted by our Androids?
Technological Symbolism
These films effortlessly integrate technology into social environments and the bodies of posthuman characters. Automated systems, holographic projections, and digital billboards govern every space.
While new modes of transport like flying cars and biometric entries are commonplace as seen in Back to the Future(1989).
Total Recall (1990) showed us Arnold Schwarzenegger in Johnny Cab, a self-driving car. We’ve got automated vehicles now, but sadly, no chatty Johnny!
When the protagonist in Minority Report(2002) moves across a mall, ads start popping up by calling his name and targeting him. This is conspicuously prominent in current advertising culture, where we’re constantly bombarded with personalized ads on social media, courtesy of Google Ad Tracking.
Voice Assistants like Samantha in Her(2013) and Hal in 2001 Space Odyssey(1968) uncannily resemble Siri and Alexa.
Human identity is tightly intertwined with machines. A future where personified ChatGPT challenges reality and brings down humanity might be closer than we think.
Myth meets Modernity
Mythological Symbolism
The prehistory of Utopia is chiefly religious, consisting of a prospective afterlife. A heavenly state of perfection preached by religions in their mythical stories is a classic bait and switch.
As modernity progresses, the decrease in religious faith has shifted the quest for Utopia beyond the realm of the afterlife to a heightened aspiration of attaining it during our present existence. Hence, Utopia transcends the realm of the impossible found in myth and religion. It lies somewhere between the possible and impossible.
The Creator (2023) showcases a future where humanity is locked in a relentless war against advanced AI in New Asia. In a post-utopia, where AI robots fight for their freedom, they are more humanized than ever. They practice religion, worship in stone-carved temples, raise a family, cremate the dead, work at fish markets, and smoke. A robot wearing mala beads and preaching to kids probably wasn’t on your list of future predictions.
Despite the widespread integration of AI robots into daily life, their culture remains intact, reflecting themes of Techno-Orientalism. A future where art and culture are not marginalized embodies postmodernist cosmopolitan values, celebrating the richness of diverse cultures and perspectives in a globalized world.
Dune (2021) delves into how political power can shape and be shaped by culture. Inspired by Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures, the Fremen’s language, customs, and their reverence for water, are akin to the importance of water in desert cultures. The concept of jihad, or holy war, also plays a significant role in holding onto our roots centuries later.
Kalki (2024), an incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu, descends on a futuristic Earth.
The film blends futuristic elements with traditional Indian aesthetics, creating a unique world that feels both ancient and advanced.
Do these predictions blur the lines between mythologies and futuristic visions, with post-apocalyptic worlds and savior heroes feeling like a reboot of ancient legends? Are we just giving history a high-tech makeover? Sure, the future might look different, but let’s face it—some old habits are here to stay. We’ll always cling to traditions that make us feel human; maybe that’s exactly how we want it.
Science Fiction films have constantly reinvented themselves. They're more than just a game of guessing—they dive into present fears and project trends into the future.
Utopia often serves as a facade for political dominance, promising a brighter future while prioritizing order over fun, equality over liberty, and perfectionism over individuality. Meanwhile, technology preys on the unique vulnerabilities of our minds, and industries keep growing at the planet’s expense, leaving a trail of environmental damage.
Are We Living the Future We Feared?
While predicting the future remains impossible, delving into this genre enables us to make informed decisions in the present that shape our trajectory as humanity.
Significant efforts to enhance the quality of life inevitably lead to oppressive regimes, making us wonder if we're truly progressing or just heading down the wrong path.
In our pursuit of progress, are we losing touch with what makes us human? As we demand more from our technologies, are we becoming their slaves in the process? Are we shaping the future we want, or is it shaping us?
If we take a moment to look around, we might just find ourselves living in these not-so-fictional Sci-fi tales. Enjoy this blog while you can—25 years from now, it might be wiped from the web by our AI 'curators.'
The attention to detail and the parallels drawn to the current state of society are well observed. Love this blog!