Dystopian fiction. It’s the classic genre for authors to either predict a horrifying future or to criticize the present social condition of the human race bypushing it to its most disturbing or absurdist extreme. The foundations of a dystopian work of fiction usually rely on a corrupt governing body taking advantage of a breakdown of social order to assert control over a world gone to hell. This is usually the setup to a journey undertaken by a heroic figure that attempts to take down the corrupt system in the hopes of finding a brighter tomorrow behind the darkness.
Films likeNineteen Eighty-Four,V for Vendetta, andChildren of Menhave become the most essential examples of the genre, laying the foundation with their stories, production design, and sense of cautionary spirit. Depending on the work, this can lead toeither a triumphant celebration of the human spirit or a soul-crushing reminder of what could happen if we let society take that path.
10’V for Vendetta' (2005)
Directed by James McTeigue
Many books and movies have attempted to follow Nineteen Eighty-Four’s depiction of the future, butV for Vendettachooses to takea more uplifting and decidedly more theatrical approach. Britain has been overtaken by a fascist political party known as Norsefire. All of its dissenters and opponents have been locked away or worse—the only exception being a mysterious man in aGuy Fawkesmask known only as V (Hugo Weaving).
With a heavy supply of knives and explosives at his disposal, he and his new protégé, Evey (Natalie Portman), may be what the UK needs to be free at last.The Wachowskis’ knack for epic action mixed with poignant social commentary makesV for Vendettaan engaging and empowering watch. Despite being created in a different political landscape than the graphic novel it was based on, the film still revels in anarchistic imagery and a bittersweet, if still triumphant, finale thatemphasizes that things can get better – but only if we choose to take action.
V For Vendetta
9’The Hunger Games' (2012)
Directed by Gary Ross
In a not-too-distant future, the continent known as North America has become the nation of Panem. To keep the other twelve districts in line, the ruling Capitol forces a randomly selected boy and girl from each district to kill each other in an annual televised competition called the Hunger Games. To save the life of her younger sister, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers in her place.What starts as a simple act of protective lovemay just set the dominoes in motion for the fall of the Capitol to begin.
The Hunger Gamestakes many of the tropes of dystopian storytelling and smartly updates them with a decidedly modern lens. The allusions to real-life reality television and game shows would make for a humorous parody if not for the fact that the game being televised is the death of a group of randomly selected children. The sequels take this element in further directions, butThe Hunger Gamesprovided the blueprint for what would become the 21st century’s biggest franchises.
The Hunger Games
8’Soylent Green' (1973)
Directed by Richard Fleischer
In the far-off future of 2022, global warming, pollution, and overpopulationhave brought human society to the edge of ruin. The gargantuan populace is fed with wafers provided by the Soylent Corporation, and their newest one, the plankton-derived Soylent Green, has just hit the market. When one of their board members is mysteriously murdered, detective Frank Thorn (Charlton Heston) is thrust into a conspiracy of life and death, in turn discovering the horrifying truth behind Soylent Green itself.
Soylent Greenshows a dystopia that is painfully doomed to fall, and the rest of humanity is doomed to fall with it. With precious few food resources left in the world now that the environment has been so utterly depleted, the idea that things will become so desperate that we will resort to eating our own kind is profoundly disturbing. With creatively dirty production design and captivating performances from the likes ofCharlton HestonandEdward G. Robinson,Soylent Greenis one of the most quoted films of all time for a reason.
Soylent Green
7’Snowpiercer' (2013)
Directed by Bong Joon Ho
Bong Joon Hohas a knack for using concepts straight out of a sci-fi epic to explore social commentary, andSnowpierceris perhaps the most dystopian of his movies. After a great climate collapse, the last remnants of humanity reside within a train, forever moving across the frozen landscape. The rich upper class live comfortably in the front of the train while the lower class are cramped together in the back cars. After two decades of failed rebellions, one group, led by Curtis Everett (Chris Evans), has finally overtaken the train’s cars one by one.
What begins as an epic tale of rebellion and the fight for freedomtakes a darker turn when the true reason for the rebellion’s existence is revealed. Most dystopian fiction relies on the idea of a rebellion winning or losing, butSnowpiercershows thatsome rebellions may be all according to the corrupt ruling class’s plan all along. And if that happens, what do we do then?
Snowpiercer
6’Metropolis' (1927)
Directed by Fritz Lang
One of the most beloved films of all time,Metropolisisa German Expressionist masterpiece that practically invented the dystopian genre. The titular metropolis is a city ruled by an obliviously wealthy upper class, and powered by the masses that work tirelessly underground to keep it running. One member of the upper class, Freder (Alfred Abel), begins to search beyond his sheltered environment, discovering he may be the one prophesied to unite the city – if he can prevent the mad inventor Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) from destroying it first.
Metropolishas helped define the language of cinema, inspiring the likes of C-3PO inStar Warsand Gotham City inTim Burton’sBatmanfilms. On top of that, the central narrative of a tyrannical ruling class in an overly industrialized world still rings true even almost a century later, arguing that both classes need to work together if a true utopia can be achieved. It may be a simpler message compared to modern dystopias, butMetropolisremains a striking image of the future.
Metropolis
5’A Clockwork Orange' (1971)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Most works of dystopian fiction focus on a hero or group of people fighting for freedom against the evil powers that be. ButA Clockwork Orangeshows two forces of evil at different ends of the dystopian spectrum. Teenage delinquent Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) spends his days committing all manner of murder, assault, and violence with his gang. But after spending two years in prison, Alex is subjected to a technique that rids him of all his violent impulses – but at the cost of being unable to properly function on his own free will.
Alex is, without a doubt, a wretched human being who does what he does simply because he loves to do wrong. But by robbing him of his sense of free will so he can’t do anything wrong,does that mean he loses his humanity as a result?In the end, there are no clear answers, butA Clockwork Orangeraises this questionwith unglamorous violence, stylistic wonder, and Kubrick’s signature knack for cold storytelling.
A Clockwork Orange
4’Akira' (1988)
Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
Akirais not simply an influential film. It’s a film that helped create a new sub-genre – cyberpunk. It can carry the hallmarks of a dystopia, but is usually set in a world dominated by high-tech, cool visual esthetics, and decidedly unconventional narrative choices. Akira depicts a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo beset by corrupt officials, violent protests, and biker gangs. One gang member, Tetsuo (Nozomu Sasaki), has a run-in with an escapee from a secret government project.
When a group of agents decides to capture Tetsuo as well, they discover he has a power that could bring the city to its knees.Influencing many future works of both Eastern and Western animation,Akiragoes beyond the standard dystopian format to tell a greater story ofthe true morality of power, the human condition, and a psychedelic exploration of man’s potential. This gives the story a truly revolutionary feel, going above and beyond what audiences expect out of such a narrative.
3’Children of Men' (2006)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
In the world ofChildren of Men, no child has been born in two decades. Society has almost completely collapsed, and the United Kingdom has become one of the few governments still stable, and even then, it’s only barely hanging on. Bureaucrat Theo Faron (Clive Owen) is instructed by his estranged wife (Julianne Moore), who just so happens to be the leader of a rebellion, to smuggle a girl named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) – a girl who happens to be the first newly pregnant woman in the world.
Children of Mengoes out of its way to feel as realistic as possible, with a plotline reflecting real-world stories of refugees crossing the border and long takes and handheld camera angles tomake the viewer feel right in the centre of the action. Despite the darkness, it ultimately culminates in a powerful, if fleeting, moment where all parties put aside their guns for the sake of humanity’s future. Even in a world stricken by the worst that nature and humanity has to offer, there’s still hope.
Children of Men
2’Nineteen Eighty-Four' (1984)
Directed by Michael Radford
Based on the seminal book by authorGeorge Orwell,Nineteen Eighty-Fourpaints a perfectly bleak image of total totalitarian domination. Winston (John Hurt) is a man disenfranchised with the government of Ingsoc, ruled over by the mysterious figurehead of Big Brother. It’s a world where every action by every citizen is closely monitored, and the history books are rewritten to suit the ruling party’s interests. In spite of himself, he falls in love with Julia (Suzanna Hamilton), despite any form of love apart from procreation being forbidden. It seems they might be prepared to rebel, but their hope is crushed soon enough.
Considered the definitive dystopian work,Nineteen Eighty-Fourkeeps the book’s chilling and depressing plot structure intact, with the perfect setup for an empowering tale of rebellion, all to have the human spirit thoroughly vanquished. Taking influence from the likes of Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany, Orwell’s vision of the future, especially in this adaptation,has frequently become a popular reference for troubling developments in our own reality.
Nineteen Eighty-Four
1’Brazil' (1985)
Directed by Terry Gilliam
IfV for VendettaisNineteen Eighty-Fouras an action piece, thenBrazilisNineteen Eighty-Fouras an absurdist comedy. Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) escapes from his grim reality by frequently escaping into outlandish daydreams where he is a hero saving a princess. One day, he meets a woman named Jill Layton (Kim Greist), who looks distressingly similar to his dream maiden. Not unlike Winston and Julia, the two will face love, loss, andthe disturbing depths to which their government will go to keep them in line.
Considered to be the best film by former Monty Python memberTerry Gilliam, the dystopian world ofBrazilis not governed by an ominous Big Brother figure, but rathera cartoonish level of unrelenting bureaucracy where something as simple as a clerical error can result in someone’s death. Despite this sense of humor and occasional moments of whimsy, it’s still a world where freedom is suppressed, and a true happy ending can only be found in the imagination of those who suffer through it all.
