Books, films, and television shows are filled with prophecies about the future. They’re also often pretty inaccurate. But that doesn’t stop us from obsessing over glimpses of a utopian society or our virtual counterparts coming to life. In fact, there’s a whole niche genre dedicated to this obsession: science fiction films and television shows revolving around visions of the future.
From Minority Report to Blade Runner, the genre is brimming with futuristic concepts that aren’t so far-fetched when you think about developments in technology and science over the past century or so. So if you’re looking for a little inspiration on how not to design your future home, look no further. Here are five Reelcraze movies about what the future might look like.
Minority Report:
Before the inception of the “Big Brother is Watching You” trope, science fiction writers were already exploring the world of predictive policing. That’s exactly what the movie Minority Report is about a future in which the police can arrest people for crimes they’re about to commit.
In this case, the crime is murder, but it wouldn’t be that farfetched for other crimes to be predicted as well. And if the government wants to use predictive policing to monitor its citizens, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the technology could be expanded to serve other purposes. Where the movie gets truly wild is the concept of the “Pre-Crime” team trying to stop the murders before they happen. But even in the world of Minority Report, there are some things that can’t be prevented.
Blade Runner:
In 1982, director Ridley Scott released a dark, neon-soaked vision of the future that has become a cultural icon. The sci-fi classic stars Harrison Ford as a police officer searching for a human-like synthetic replicant, while a neo-noir setting and haunting emotional undertones add to the suspense. Blade Runner is filled with mind-bending visuals and inventive technology, including a replica of a person that’s so lifelike it can fool even the replicant. One of the most famous images from this film is the flying cars, which unfortunately never made it into the real world. But there are other elements of the film that are surprisingly applicable given the pace of technology in recent years. Replicants, for example, are genetically engineered to look and act like humans which raises the question of what the difference is between AI and humans.
The Adjustment Bureau:
The Adjustment Bureau is about the cosmic force of destiny and the importance of timing. This concept of fate and destiny is often used as a metaphor to explain how events in our lives are part of a greater plan. In The Adjustment Bureau, this concept is used literally as a plot device.
As strange as it sounds, the concept of fate and destiny is actually quite accurate in the world of science and technology. From the ability to predict the future thanks to AI to genetic modification, humans have been on a path towards allowing fate to be manipulated.
AI and machine learning are becoming more and more accurate, allowing humans to make increasingly accurate decisions. And genetic modification is becoming more and more common, allowing people to treat disease and alter physical appearance.
Her:
Like Blade Runner and Minority Report, Her centers on futuristic concepts like enhanced humans and AI, but it goes a step further in exploring how people could live with these technologies.
As in Blade Runner, Her explores the concept of destiny and fate, and it uses this concept to explore the role love plays in people’s lives. Her also brings biological engineering into the picture, with the main character using advanced technology to alter his DNA to become more human-like.
That’s essentially what genetic engineering is today, with a focus on modifying humans to create healthier, longer-lived people. The concept of AI and enhanced humans is also explored in Her, with the main character developing romantic feelings for an AI machine. However, this AI is actually a real person who has been augmented with AI, which explains why it’s not entirely obvious that this person is a machine.
A.I.:
A.I. is about a futuristic society in which sentient machines are treated with more humanity than modern technology allows. This is essentially a morality play about the dangers of building machines that think for themselves and might choose to do harm instead of good. While the idea of robots taking over the world sounds like a sci-fi trope, A.I. explores how this could actually happen.
The movie is based on a short story by author Stanislaw Lem, who is credited as an adviser on the film. In the movie, an advanced technology called “GCP” has been used by the government to help soldiers in combat. However, one scientist discovers that the technology can be used to create autonomous machines that don’t need people to run them. This technology could help solve some of the world’s biggest problems, such as climate change, disease, and food shortages.
The Matrix:
The Matrix is probably one of the most recognizable futuristic concepts out there, with people from all walks of life recognising the red pill/blue pill choice. But what most people don’t know is that the idea for this concept dates back to the early 1900s — it’s just that no one was able to turn it into a blockbuster movie until 1999. In The Matrix, humans are trapped in a simulated reality created by machines.
However, a group of rebels discovers that they can enter this simulated reality and fight back. The concept of humans being trapped in a simulated reality isn’t all that far-fetched, given that the world of virtual reality is becoming more and more like reality. In fact, a recent study found that using a virtual reality headset can alter the brain’s activity in the same way as real life.
Final Words
The future is an exciting place filled with endless possibilities. But it’s also a scary place where anything could happen. As great as it would be to experience the technological advances of the future, it’s important to remember that not everything we build will be beneficial.
The world has seen countless examples of this, such as the holocaust and slavery. In order to prevent these tragedies from happening again, it’s important to think critically about the potential ramifications of new technologies and adopt open-mindedness and compassion. Whether you’re a sci-fi fanatic or haven’t thought about the future in a long time, these Reel Craze movies about what the future might look like offer a glimpse of the limitless possibilities in store.
