The science fiction genre typically imagines alternate futures that are made feasible by technological advancement. Sci-fi has been around for quite some time and one of the most popular film genres ever for decades. Moreover, science fiction narratives can challenge presumptions that might otherwise go unquestioned by posing what-ifs that are both far and close to home.

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Regardless of when some of the science fiction movies were produced, they somehow retain a highly futuristic sensibility that might only be understood in the future. These science fiction movies actually represent the future, whether in terms of their filmmaking style, narrative, or overall plot.

V for Vendetta (2005)

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V for Vendetta is a sci-fi political action film set in a dismal future society in Britain and follows a masked freedom fighter known as V (Hugo Weaving) who engages in elaborate terrorist operations in an effort to start a revolution and a young woman entangled in V's mission, played by Natalie Portman.

Pandemic, famine, and war have decimated England in the film may remind viewers of our dismal reality. V for Vendetta also demonstrates that it is no longer a science-fiction film but a real one with its blatant and brutal attacks on democracy in 2020. Despite not being relevant by the time it was released due to its succinct and visionary setup as well as dialogue, V for Vendetta fits more into today’s world.

The Matrix (1999)

Trinity and Neo march through a building ready for battle.
Image via Warner Bros.

The Matrix is set in a dystopian future in which humanity is inadvertently imprisoned inside the Matrix, a virtual reality that artificial intelligence has devised to keep people off their guard while utilizing their bodies as a source of energy. The film follows Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), a computer programmer who goes by the hacker identity "Neo," as he learns the truth and joins others who have escaped the Matrix in a rebellion against the machines.

Today, we witness the wonders of A.I., but the 1999 film already foretold the danger of it through the brilliant narration of the Wachowskis Sisters, also the writers of the V for Vendetta screenplay. In essence, the Matrix acts as a doorway to escape from reality and a constant reminder of the terror of being killed and controlled that the audience is, in fact, living now as social media and VR technologies are slowly dominating the world.

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Blade Runner (1982)

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Blade Runner takes place in a dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, where the powerful Tyrell Corporation has created replicants, or synthetic humans, to labor in space colonies. The film centers on a burnt-out cop Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) who grudgingly agrees to track down a fugitive crew of advanced replicants as they flee back to Earth.

One of the reasons why Blade Runner is ahead of its time is by examining the idea of a grimy future on Earth, which was uncommon at the time. Moreover, it also depicts the analysis of corporatism and forecast that private industry would become more involved in politics and foresaw the widespread surveillance culture that prevails in society today.

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Ex Machina (2014)

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Ex Machina centers on programmer Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), who wins a contest to spend a week in a secluded mountain resort owned by Nathan (Oscar Isaac), the company's reclusive CEO. He must engage with the world's first true artificial intelligence, embodied in the form of a stunning robot female, in a bizarre and interesting experiment.

The main takeaway from the movie is that self-serving and manipulative behavior is a better indicator of real A.I. than being able to effectively replicate a conscious human, bringing the matter to the genuine attention of society. Additionally, it illustrates how quickly the barrier between humans and artificial intelligence might be crossed if A.I. continues to be exploited without care.

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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

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2001: A Space Odyssey is a Stanley Kubrick film that chronicles an expedition to Jupiter made by astronauts, researchers, and the autonomous supercomputer HAL to look into an alien monolith.

One of many reasons why 2001 is way ahead of its time is because a lot of the technology in the film, including tablets, video calling, and space suits, wasn't even invented when it was published. In addition, the status of women in the workplace is forecast in 2001 in a higher rank and more important functions, foreshadowing women's positions in the modern world.

Metropolis (1927)

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Metropolis is a German expressionist science-fiction drama film set in a futuristic urban dystopia. The movie follows Maria (Brigitte Helm), a saintly figure to the workers, and Freder (Gustav Fröhlich), the affluent son of the city master, as they seek to bridge the enormous class gap in their city.

The expansive skyline and architecture of the fictional city are likewise decades ahead of their time in terms of production, and they continue to evoke awe and majesty nearly 100 years after the movie's release. The film's cinematography also offers images that have stood the test of time with the camerawork and use of light creating a great shot that would compare favorably to most of what we see now.

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Her (2013)

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Her follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely man in the final stage of divorce who forms a bond with Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), a virtual assistant that is artificially intelligent and is voiced by a woman.

Her anticipated the lightning-fast developments in A.I. that are already beginning to influence our daily lives much before its time. Additionally, the film criticizes the naïve reliance on artificial intelligence and the unpleasant reality of human exploitation of them. It also depicts the depressing reality of people spending too much time online and gradually substituting virtual interactions for real ones.

Ready Player One (2018)

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Ready Player One is set in 2045 when most people use the virtual reality simulation called OASIS to escape reality. The film follows a teenage orphan (Tye Sheridan) who discovers hints leading to a competition where the prize is possession of the OASIS, thus, he and his friends attempt to finish it before a villainous corporation can.

Ready Player One is gradually becoming reality because of Metaverse's expansion and a surge in people buying virtual homes as well as the need to relocate virtually. Additionally, it denounces the harsh reality of VR technology, which is slowly displacing real interactions and life as people grow dependent on it. Even though the movie just came out, it predicts what will happen if we humans allow technology to dominate our lives in the near future.

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Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Han Solo in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Image via LucasFilm

Star Wars: A New Hope is the first film in the Star Wars original trilogy created by George Lucas. It’s set a long time ago in a fictional universe where the oppressive Galactic Empire rules the galaxy. The film focuses on The Rebel Alliance, a group of liberation fighters with the mission of destroying the Empire's newest weapon, the Death Star.

A New Hope may have been one of the first movies of its era to successfully integrate different cinema genres, making it so far ahead of its time. The bar was raised for all upcoming films by combining cutting-edge techniques and technologies with current ones.

Alien (1979)

Ellen Ripley holding a cat and looking at the camera in 'Alien' (1979)
Image via 20th Century Studios

Alien, based on a story by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, centers on the crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo, who encounter an angry and lethal alien after discovering a mysteriously abandoned spacecraft on an uncharted moon.

The film's release in 1979 was not well received by reviewers, but today's audiences find it to be very relevant because of its skillful pacing and the realistic portrayal of its working-class space crew. Moreover, Alien's shift in attitudes from an upbeat, accepting sci-fi to a cautious, frightened future twisted by technology and evolutionary instability is what makes it so forward-looking.

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