7 Films That Predicted the Future

Lists

20 Jan

We’re often fascinated by fortune tellers who seem to have made accurate predictions about our future, but these predictions are far more interesting coming from something that’s meant to be fiction. Many of these “predictions” in films are hyperbolic portrayals of issues and topics already taking place at the time the film was made. However, it’s still fascinating and fun to see how these hyperboles feel closer to reality now than when they were made. From the more daunting predictions like those of Network to the more lighthearted and fun ones like those of Back To the Future 2, these films hold an eerie resemblance to reality today.

Contagion (2011)

At the time of its release, Contagion was a fun, doomsday blockbuster. However, the eerie similarities between the events that pan out from the fictional virus and COVID-19 makes it far more harrowing. Both the virus from the film, MEV-1, and COVID-19 are respiratory diseases and are believed to have originated from animals. What seems even more accurate, however, are the social events that MEV-1 brought about. A blogger called Alan Krumwiede (played by Jude Law), claims that a floral homeopathic agent can cure the virus. This causes him to wrack up 12 million views, and brings about a mob of people desperate for a cure looting pharmacies for a perscription of the drug. Whilst nothing so extreme happened from Covid, misinformation regarding cures became a problem. Donald Trump claimed that Hydroxychloroquine had the ability to cure covid, resulting in Trump supporters consuming a non-perscription version of the drug - in other words, bleach. As well as this, conspiracy theories about the safety of the vaccine spread across social media like a wildfire of misinformation.

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The Cable Guy (1996)

Even though this dark comedy about a manic electrician played by Jim Carrey was a flop upon release, its predictions about wireless technology hold up perfectly today. In a crazed speech, Jim Carrey’s character yells: “Soon, every American home will integrate their television, phone, and computer. You’ll be able to visit the Louvre on one channel; or watch female wrestling on another. There’s no end to the possibilities!” Despite this being a common prediction about the future of the internet at the time, it’s still worth a watch to see crazed Jim Carrey chant it like a prophecy.

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Back to The future II (1989)

It was a tough call choosing whether Back to the Future II or 2001: A Space Odyssey predicted FaceTime better. Whilst 2001 impressively showed FaceTiming in 1968, it was portrayed as an advanced form of technology only accesible in spaceships. Marty being fired over FaceTime in his living room is a far more accurate and relatable interpretation of this prediction.

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Network (1976)

Released at a time when there were only three television channels and objectivity was a standard for news, screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky’s portrayal of sensationalist media seemed oxymoronic and satirical. However, after 46 years it seems almost prophetic. The sharp, witty, and eloquent dialogue used to elaborate Chayefsky’s concerns won him the title of top ten best screenplays in cinema history by the Writers Guild of America in 2006. The film also won three Oscars with it.

Howard Beale, an anchorman, states on live television that he will commit suicide on air. After viewings go up, the heads of department decide to give him his own show where his ramblings about the system are given free reign, attracting millions of fans. He is marketed as “the mad prophet of the airwaves”, essentially feeding the masses with opinionated news as a gag to gain more views. It’s hard to imagine today that people like Howard Stern or Jerry Springer didn’t take notes from Beale’s persona.

This problem of news turning into entertainment has become all the more prevalent today, with many people seeking “news” on social media, where it is so heavily sensationalised for the sake of likes and views that most objectivity is filtered out. This is not just a social media problem, however. News stations like Fox and tabloid journalism thrive by distorting news into likeable and entertaining narratives. Chayefsky also seemed to have predicted celebrity worship more than two decades before it became popular, with people worshiping Beale’s views due to the fact that they see him as an idol. This rings a few bells when we consider how Reagan was an actor and Trump a host on the apprentice.

👉 Watch Network on Amazon Prime

👉 Buy Network as DVD on Amazon

The Truman Show (1998)

Another Jim Carrey film makes it on the list, this time for predicting society’s obsession with reality television. Truman Burbank begins to suspect that his seemingly perfect life is actually made up of intricate sets and a dedicated network of actors, and eventually discovers he is in a reality TV show. Throughout the film, people stop in the middle of their work to watch the unwilling star of the reality TV show. Although reality TV did exist at the time, its peak was still years away, and the hit reality series that popularised it, Survivor, hadn’t been released yet. Today, with easy access to reality shows on streaming services and celebrity news on social media, the film is far more relevant in its social commentary.

👉 Watch The Truman Show on Amazon Prime

👉 Buy The Truman Show as DVD on Amazon

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Stanley Kubrick’s film wins its spot on this list for predicting iPads. The astronauts use rectangular, wireless screens that uncannily resemble the iPad. They even use it to watch television while eating. Interestingly, the film's design of the tablet was used in a 2011 court case between Apple and Samsung, where Apple claimed that Samsung’s design of their handheld devices infringed on the iPad’s. Samsunbg’s lawyers presented a still from the film with the ipad in it, claiming that the design existed before Apple used it.

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The Minority report (2002)

With personalised adverts bombarding us on all of our devices, Steven Speilbergs portrayal of the future of advertising is uncanny. As Tom Cruise's character John Anderton walks through a mall, digital advertisements of products scan his face and call his name. The extremity of it seemed absurd at the time, but now - twenty years later - when we can’t google something without having to scroll through dozens of tailored ads for products on Facebook afterwards, it’s merely hyperbolic.

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👉 Buy The Minority report as DVD on Amazon