In the present time, quick significant advancement is seen in technology. Sci-fi continues to excite and shock audiences.
Here are five dystopian sci-fi films that reflect today’s chaos while exploring chilling future worlds that challenge your perspective.
- Black Mirror:
Explores techno-paranoia and present word unrest.
In Season 1, The National Anthem follows a Prime Minister blackmailed into a degrading act on live TV to save a princess, exposing the power of social media and public opinion. Fifteen Million Merits critiques superficial fame through Bing’s sacrifice for Abi, a singer in a world where people earn merits by cycling. The Entire History of You explores trust and privacy when memories can be replayed. In Season 2, Be Right Back sees Martha using AI to simulate her deceased boyfriend, questioning technology’s effect on grief. White Bear mirrors society’s obsession with justice through a theme park punishment, while The Waldo Moment warns against popularity-driven politics. Season 3’s Nosedive exposes social media’s impact on reputation. Shut Up and Dance explores cyber-blackmail, San Junipero depicts virtual love and immortality, and Men Against Fire critiques war and dehumanization. Hated in the Nation tackles social media-fueled mob mentality. Season 4’s USS Callister addresses power and control in VR; Arkangel follows a mother surveilling her daughter; Crocodile exposes guilt through memory tech; Hang the DJ questions tech-controlled relationships; Metalhead follows a woman surviving robot dogs; Black Museum reveals tech exploitation’s dark side. Season 5 includes Striking Vipers exploring VR and sexuality, Smithereens critiquing social media addiction, and Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too examining AI in the music industry.
- The Handmaid’s Tale:
Shows oppression, power, identity,y and resistance in an authoritarian society.
In season one, the harsh world of Gilead, Handmaids are forced into bearing children for the ruling class. June Osborne, renamed Offred, suffers the traumatic loss of her family and freedom. As she endures rituals, executions, and intense psychological abuse, she clings to her identity, religious extremism, and resistance to oppression.
Season two deepens Gilead’s brutality, with Handmaids enduring punishments like labor in toxic “Colonies.” June’s pregnancy with Commander Waterford’s child fuels her rebellious spirit. The season explores survival’s moral complexity and hope’s power amid oppression.
In season three, June’s role in the resistance grows within Commander Lawrence’s conflicted household. Themes of sacrifice, moral ambiguity, and unity underscore this season’s focus on defying dehumanization from within.
June escapes to Canada, where freedom and justice collide as she confronts her trauma. This season examines themes of revenge, healing, and the enduring scars of systematic abuse.
Season five follows June’s struggle in Canada as she wrestles with justice versus vengeance. Her actions stir political and social tensions, revealing trauma’s lasting impact and the battle for liberation. This season highlights themes of healing, justice, and resilience in the face of oppressive legacies.
- The Society:
Mainly focuses on governance, power, survival, and shifting identities.
In “What Happened?”, chaos ensues as they discover they are alone and isolated. In “Our Town”, Cassandra begins to organize the group, urging rationing, but tensions rise as others resist her authority. “Childhood’s End” sees Cassandra take charge, while romantic entanglements complicate things. “Drop by Drop” highlights escalating conflicts, leading Cassandra to enforce stricter rules. During “Putting on the Clothes”, a Thanksgiving celebration turns violent, challenging Cassandra’s authority. After she died “Like a F*ing God or Something”, her sister Allie steps into leadership, grappling with the weight of power. In “Allie’s Rules”, Allie faces rebellion as she enforces new laws. “Poison” introduces paranoia with an illness sweeping through the town. “New Names” from new families and redefine their relationships. The season ends in “How It Happens”, with Allie ousted by a radical faction, leaving the town’s future uncertain.
- The Leftovers:
The series focuses on the people who left behind their lives and searching for meaning. Throughout the series, you will raise existential questions.
Season 1 introduces the characters in the small town of Mapleton, including Kevin Garvey, Nora Durst, and the mysterious Guilty Remnant cult.
Season 2 shifts to the town of Jarden, Texas, where the Departure did not occur, bringing new characters and further exploring the impact of the event.
Season 3 is three years later, with the characters facing their final moments. It examines the characters’ last attempts at healing, redemption, and understanding the Departure’s significance.
- Altered Carbon:
Shows morality and immorality in a world where consciousness can be transferred between bodies.
Takeshi Kovacs, a former soldier turned investigator, is brought back to life to solve the murder of a wealthy tech magnate, Laurens Bancroft. As Kovacs uncovers the truth, he confronts issues of identity, immortality, and the implications of wealth and power. The series explores themes of consciousness, morality, social inequality, and the essence of self.
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Writer
Sadia Noor Orpita
Intern of Content Writing Department
YSSE