Top 10 Of All-Time Dystopian Movies And Tv Shows You Should Watch
The term "dystopia" conjures up a lot of images, but it's a difficult idea to define on its own. "An imagined state or society in which there is tremendous suffering or injustice, usually one that is dictatorial or post-apocalyptic," according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Author:Karan EmeryReviewer:Frazer PughSep 23, 2021205K Shares3M Views
The term "dystopia" conjures up a lot of images, but it's a difficult idea to define on its own. "An imagined state or society in which there is tremendous suffering or injustice, usually one that is dictatorial or post-apocalyptic," according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Meanwhile, Merriam-Webster provides a second definition: "anti-utopia." The word's Greek etymology, which roughly translates as "bad location," is also worth considering.
Clearly, there are many views of what constitutes a "dystopia" and, by implication, a "dystopian" film. According to the OED definition, Stacker qualifies as a dystopian film. As a result, the greatest dystopian films depict civilizations that are wracked by pain or injustice.
Each holds up a gloomy mirror in its exaggerated portrayal of a possible reality, springing from the collective pool of human experience. As a result, these dystopian films create an unnerving feeling of familiarity, as if today's tranquil societies are just a few disasters or bad choices away from becoming the stuff of nightmares.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Long-awaited sequels aren't usually successful, but Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth chapter in George Miller's Mad Max series, proved to be an exception in 2015.
Despite the fact that the series began in 1979 with Mel Gibson in the lead, Miller took his time with Fury Road, which proved to be well worth the wait.
The film stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron as Max and Imperator Furiosa, respectively, as unexpected partners who must battle the dictator Immortan Joe and his army of War Boys while simultaneously defending a group of Joe's kidnapped women (played by familiar faces like Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Riley Keogh).
A Mad Max picture may not seem like a probable contender for a major Oscar victory, yet after ten nominations, including Best Picture, Fury Road won the most Oscars of any film that night, dominating the technical categories and giving Miller's brilliant wife Margaret Sixel and Editing trophy.
Fury Road is still regarded as one of the greatest films of the decade, regardless of whether the world is at peace or in turmoil.
Mad Max: Fury Road - Official Main Trailer [HD]
A Quiet Place (2018)
The inciting catastrophe isn't always the scariest aspect of a movie; it's what happens afterward. A Quiet Place, John Krasinski's outstanding directorial debut, depicts a society overrun by vicious, strong creatures drawn to even the slightest sound.
The Abbott family portrayed by Krasinski, his real-life wife Emily Blunt, and child actors Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe as Lee, Evelyn, Regan, and Marcus, respectively tries to avoid the monsters and make their place in the world, even after losing a member of their family to the monsters.
The family eventually discovers the monsters' one flaw, but not without suffering severe repercussions.
A Quiet Place was a huge success, giving the former Office star a new creative outlet, thanks to Krasinski's impressive directorial debut, great performances from him and Blunt, a gripping narrative, and his outspoken choice to work with a young deaf actress Simmonds, whose character Regan is also deaf, was able to advise the director and cast on the needs of the deaf community.
A sequel, A Quiet Place Part II, has already been finished, but its release has been postponed owing to worries over COVID-19, with no new release date set as of this writing.
A Quiet Place (2018) - Official Teaser Trailer - Paramount Pictures
The Hunger Games (2012)
Jennifer Lawrence had a big success on her hands with the Hunger Games trilogy, based on Suzanne Collins' popular series of young adult books, before she became an Oscar favorite.
Lawrence took on a multi-film challenge as Katniss Everdeen, a tough, disenfranchised girl living in one of Panem's poorest districts a redrawn version of the United States that only benefits the wealthy playing a girl who volunteers as a "tribute" in the dangerous annual Hunger Games in place of her sister.
During the Games, two youngsters are selected from each of the 12 districts, and only one is allowed to leave the arena, reminding Panem's inhabitants that the Capitol has complete control over their lives but when Katniss enters the fight, she threatens to topple the whole system.
The Hunger Games trilogy, which spans four films and three novels (the last chapter, Mockingjay, was divided into two films), examines the extremes to which individuals will go to survive and upend a terrifying social system.
There's little question that The Hunger Games comes up to the anticipation, with a supporting ensemble that includes Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, and Woody Harrelson, as well as a key performance from Jennifer Lawrence.
The Hunger Games (2012 Movie) - Official Theatrical Trailer - Jennifer Lawrence & Liam Hemsworth
Moon (2009)
In the sci-fi film Moon, a rover looks down on Earth (2010). Sam, a man working on the Moon to provide Earth with Helium-3, a new energy source, is the central character of Moon (2009).
Sam works alone, with a robot as his sole companion. The moon is a dismal sight to see, as it speaks to the heart that yearns yet is just lonely.
Humans need friendship, connection, and a sense of security. In the film Moon, however, Sam is living a lie; everything he thinks and loves is out of his grasp.
Moon | Official Trailer (2009)
Idiocracy (2006)
Not all dystopian movies have to be so serious, and one of the greatest is really a parody of what could happen in the future. Mike Judge, the creator of Office Space and Beavis & Butthead, created Idiocracy in 2006. It depicts a picture of a far more dumb future that may be gloomy, but at least makes us chuckle.
The film stars Luke Wilson as Joe Bauers, a soldier who submits to a 500-year slumber experiment; when he awakens, the world has become extremely dumb, commercialized, and crazy, owing to the world's wiser people's decision to cease having children.
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Children Of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón's film Children of Men, released in 2006, depicted a world plagued by infertility and poverty, in which the few functional governments employ violence and dictatorship to keep refugees and immigrants out.
When they meet Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), a young African immigrant who happens to be the first pregnant woman in almost two decades, Clive Owen portrays Theo Faron, an activist attempting to resist the repressive UK government with his divorced wife, Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore).
While attempting to keep Kee safe, Theo and Julian attempt to contact the Human Project, a group of scientists attempting to cure the unexplained infertility problem while risking their lives in the process.
Children of Men expertly explores the intersection of faith and science while presenting a terrifying vision of what our world could become under the wrong circumstances, with a supporting cast that includes Michael Caine and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and a visual aesthetic elevated by Cuarón's innovative direction (including his signature single-shot sequences). It's one of the greatest dystopian movies of all time, and it'll be frighteningly relevant for years to come.
Joe, along with Rita (Maya Rudolph), who was in on the experiment with him, attempts to repair the world after learning what occurred, but instead finds uprising to some of the highest levels of the US government under President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews).
Idiocracy was never shown for reviewers during its original release, and many involved said that the film's studio, 20th Century Fox, had apparently given up on it.
Idiocracy, on the other hand, has acquired cult classic status over the years, owing to its starkly hilarious picture of what would happen to society if we unleashed our darkest instincts.
Children of Men Official Trailer #1 - Julianne Moore, Clive Owen Movie (2006) HD
V For Vendetta (2005)
V for Vendetta, a 2005 film based on Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel and adapted by the Wachowskis (the minds behind The Matrix), explores a future in which a religious oligarchy controls the United Kingdom, forcing residents to follow an extremely devout form of Christianity and using fascism to control citizens.
Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) is "rescued" from her mundane existence one night by a vigilante dressed in a Guy Fawkes mask known only as "V" (Hugo Weaving), with whom she collaborates to overthrow the fascist regime.
V is a symbol for the people and an inspiration to rebels attempting to overthrow their oppressors, and Evey understands the power one man can have as she works with him.
V for Vendetta's iconic Guy Fawkes mask has been indelibly associated with revolt and a symbol that resists tyranny in the years after its debut; obviously, the film and Moore's narrative have left a powerful legacy. V for Vendetta was also lauded for its powerful and progressive LGBTQ+ message, demonstrating that the film is still relevant today.
V For Vendetta (2005) Official Trailer #1 - Sc-Fi Thriller HD
Blade Runner (2007)
Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner became a standard-bearer for all dystopian films to come, serving as an inspiration for many of the other films on this list. A loose adaptation of Philip K. Dick's groundbreaking novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner became a standard-bearer for all dystopian films to come, serving as an inspiration for many of the other films on this list.
Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford as policeman Rick Deckard in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, is one of the most important dystopian films ever, due to its compelling storyline, Ford's performance, and its ideal blend of noir and science fiction.
After many edits and variations of Blade Runner circulated over the years, Scott's final cut, The Final Cut, was released in 2007.
Denis Villeneuve directed the long-awaited sequel, Blade Runner 2049, in 2017, decades after the original, starring Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling, and winning Oscars for cinematography and visual effects as well as receiving positive reviews.
Blade Runner is always worth revisiting, and fortunately, its sequel, after years of development, lives up to its name.
Blade Runner | The Final Cut Trailer | Warner Bros. Entertainment
The Giver (2014)
The Giver (2014) is set in a world where a significant portion of the human experience has been deleted and concealed from everyone except one person. The world seems to be utopian, orderly, and secure.
Every kid is given a future career and lives the life that they have chosen. Jonah, on the other hand, is assigned work that is both a hardship and a gift.
The Giver Official Trailer #2 (2014) - Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges Movie HD
I Am Legend (2007)
In I Am Legend, Will Smith is shown with his dog. There's only one guy and his canine friend. I Am Legend (2007) follows Robert Neville, a person resistant to the virus that wiped off mankind, as he searches for a cure.
Aside from what has become of Robert's world, the death of a cherished character and the film's two equally sad endings, which reveal quite different realities, are two elements that make this film a painful watch.
I Am Legend (2007) Official Trailer #1 - Sci-Fi Thriller
Karan Emery
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Karan Emery, an accomplished researcher and leader in health sciences, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, brings over two decades of experience to the table. Holding a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Stanford University, Karan's credentials underscore her authority in the field.
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Frazer Pugh
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