In a world of constant uncertainty we often escape to music, art, and film to fill voids we often have. Dystopian films have always intrigued me, as I figured society in these films have always and will always be unlike anything I’ve experienced. Where I once was inspired and entertained by films centered around dystopia, it’s recently become more of a forewarning of what could be to come.
In our watchlist this week, oppression, inequality, and unchecked power are present in societies that have gone awry. From totalitarian regimes to class divisions to post-apocalyptic wastelands, these stories reveal the fragility of civilization. Within each of these stories, a character carefully stands up and pushes back against their norms. All while doing so, they are often faced with moral dilemmas, make many sacrifices, and eventually fight for freedom in the same environments set up to suppress them. Each of these films combine action, mild humor, thought-provoking ideas, resilience, and incredible social commentary to challenge your perceptions of the world you live in.
So through this uncertainty of present times, escape to films that serve as a reminder that even in the darkest futures, we can always rise up against oppression and enact true change.
The Long Walk
Adapted from Stephen King’s 1979 novel, in a 1970s America ravaged by civil war and ruled by a totalitarian regime, teenage boys from across the country are participate in the annual “Long Walk,”: an endurance contest where the only rule is to keep walking or be executed. As the boys walk, alliances form, friendships are made and tested, and the walkers confront many psychological and physical tolls of the journey.
Director: Francis Lawrence / Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill
The Hunger Games
Told over 4 films, The Hunger games tells the story of former North America, now known as Panem, the Capitol maintaining its hold on districts by forcing them fight to the death in a televised event known as The Hunger Games. Each of the 12 districts must select one boy and one girl to compete. When Katniss Everdeen’s sister is selected, Katniss volunteers herself and becomes both a reluctant warrior and a symbol of defiance against tyranny.
Director: Gary Ross (films 2-4 Francis Lawrencee) / Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland
Fahrenheit 451
The second adaptation of the classic Fahrenheit 451, books are outlawed and information is controlled by the state. A fireman rebels by reading in secret only to discover an underground rebellion determined to protect literature.
Director: Ramin Bahrani / Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Michael Shannon
Blade Runner 2049
A sequel to the original Blade Runner (1982), 30 years after the events of the original LAPD Officer K uncovers a long-buried secret that could unravel what remains of society. His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former blade runner who’s been missing for 30 years.
Director: Denis Villeneuve / Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas
The Maze Runner
A thrilling, action-packed trilogy. A teenager wakes up with no memory and finds himself trapped in a glade surrounded by a mysterious labyrinth. surrounded by a colossal, ever-changing maze. Alongside other boys who have been similarly stranded, he must find a way to escape the maze before time runs out.
Director: Wes Ball / Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter
Mickey 17
Based on the 2022 novel, Mickey7, on a space colony headed to the ice world Niflheim, Mickey Barnes is an “Expendable”: a clone who dies repeatedly while performing dangerous tasks. He is then reprinted with most memories intact. When one of the clones (Mickey 17) survives what should have been a fatal mission, he realizes a new clone has already taken his place (Mickey 18).
Director: Bong Joon Ho / Starring: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie
Elysium
In the year 2154, humanity survives on an overpopulated, ruined Earth as the super rich escape to a luxury space station. One man sets out to equalize the two classes, but the elite will stop at nothing to keep their privileged lives.
Director: Neill Blomkamp / Starring: Matt Damon
Divergent
In a post-apocalyptic Chicago, society is divided into factions based on virtues forcing every teenager to choose where they belong. When Tris Prior discovers she is divergent (not fitting into any one group), she uncovers a conspiracy threatening to destroy the fragile social order.
Director: Neil Burger / Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort
The Giver
Based on the 1993 book of the same name, a young man named Jonas is chosen to inherit the memories of the past from a mysterious figure known as the Giver. When he learns the dark truths behind his community, first appears to be utopian is revealed to be dystopian. Jonas must decide whether to accept the safety of conformity or risk everything for freedom and true emotion.
Director: Phillip Noyce / Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Odeya Rush
Mad Max: Fury Road
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland where water and gasoline are scarce, Furiosa escapes from the Immortan Joe with a group of enslaved women. She reluctantly teams up with a Max, to escape which turns into a lengthy road battle.
Director: George Miller / Starring: Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult
