most bizarre hollywood dystopias

Scary in that it mirrors things that have happened before, District 9 centers on the slums to which alien visitors are relegated after their arrival above Johannesburg. There, they live in poverty, subject to extreme prejudice and possessing few rights.The film was based on a previous short work done by director Neill Blomkamp, which in turn was inspired by interviews he had conducted asking South Africans how they felt about Nigerians and Zimbabweans. The dislike of aliens in the film isnt imagined at all its all based on things real people said about other people.

Its a future that would seem unthinkable in todays informationdrenched society, one in which all books are illegal and subject to immolation by the government, but the threat of censorship is alive and well, making the theme of this film one that should last well through the years.A culture of apathy and antiintellectualism grows up in the void of information, leading those characters that prize knowledge and learning to find themselves isolated, despairing, and endangered. Its a reminder to us to never allow attempts at censorship, lest we lose our freedom along with the words.

Possibly the first science fiction film ever made, Metropolis is surprisingly watchable for a film thats 87 years old. It tells the story of an upper class man who discovers the terrors of life in the undercity, which is where the energy to run the upper world is created. It features an evil Android and an enormous clock machine, both of which would fit in well with the most bonkers of modern scifi.This isnt actually a Hollywood film, but its influence on the dystopian subgenre is too big not to mention.

Similar to 1984, Equilibrium takes place in a future controlled by government, this time through the use of chemicals that eliminate normal human emotion. The law is enforced by a group of gun wielding super soldiers who employ a martial art called Gunkata to get the greatest number of kills in the shortest amount of time.As in 1984, the world of Equilibrium begins as a utopia if you cant think for yourself, the system must seem rather nice. Follow the rules and a mediocre, pleasant life awaits. Its when that seed of rebellion takes root in the mind that the world turns ugly.

The control exercised over the people of Sealand in 1984 is absolute. Every thought in the heads of the people is a result of government programming, with truth and language now fluid concepts that ultimately have no meaning.A classic of science fiction, 1984s story is frequently cited by those worried at the ongoing elimination of rights in the name of public safety, and the work has often been mentioned during conversation about the NSA spying scandal and other instances of increased government surveillance.

Itll take some creative solutions to figure out a way to feed the world going forward, and while modern science is all about genetic modifications, Soylent Green proposed something a little more radical.This hunt for a sustainable food source is a major source of strife in the film, and has led people to abandon traditional ideas of meals and instead focus on eating nutrientrich wafers made from plankton Or is it plankton?This is a film that tackles class divides, environmental concerns, and food shortages. Its a horrible vision for the world, and one relevant to todays worries.

The plot of Total Recall almost certainly doesnt actually happen within the film, but an imagined dystopia in an imagined story will work just fine. The problem is on Mars, where a corporation has a stranglehold on breathable air. Only Arnold Schwarzeneggers Douglas Quaid can save the day, thanks to his repressed secret agent memories.This film is ridiculous, but theres no way anybody would ever want to live in the Martian society depicted here. Even the good guy is ready to grab people to use as human shields.

Its tough to find a good guy in the world of RoboCop, and maybe thats the point. The gangs are running amok, corporate influence is taking over and destroying a huge chunk of the city, and the only one who can clean anything up is a betrayed cop who has been turned into a robot super soldier.Even at its best in this film, Detroit never looks like a place that would be great to live in, and at its worst the city is a horrifying nightmare. At least modern Detroit hasnt gotten that bad yet.

Blade Runners dystopia isnt necessarily the main thrust of the film, serving more as a murky backdrop for the story being told, but theres no denying that the films world is not one that is appealing.The administering of emotional examinations to determine the replicants from the humans is the most troubling element of the film. None of the replicants are particularly robotic, and all display a desire to live, to find happiness. This exploration of what it means to be a person is an important theme, and the arbitrary distinctions that are made should be disturbing.

Theres a debate as to whether post apocalyptic works like The Road should be considered dystopias. There is no question, though, that this is one of the worst imagined futures ever.The world is in ruins, some horrible event having killed off almost all of life on Earth. The people who survive are reduced to scavenging, to preying on other survivors and living like feral animals. Supplies are scarce, hope is nonexistent, and even a minor injury can be a death sentence.Whats the lesson? Perhaps its just dont let this happen. Because its horrid.