We all love a good movie, but some movies are so advanced that they seem to come straight from the future. Forget your time-traveling DeLorean; these films were way ahead of their time. Here’s a list of 20 iconic movies that were just so ahead of their time it’s almost like they had a crystal ball.
The Truman Show
This 1998 satirical science fiction film revolves around Truman Burbank, a man who unknowingly lives his entire life as the star of a televised reality show. Sound familiar? The concept of a person being constantly monitored by cameras for entertainment was a bold prediction of the future reality show obsession and the surveillance society we now live in.
Jurassic Park
Steven Spielberg’s 1993 science fiction thriller showcases the dangers of genetic engineering. With groundbreaking special effects and animatronics, the movie resurrected dinosaurs from extinction and terrified audiences with their lifelike appearance. Jurassic Park’s debates about gene editing, cloning, and playing with the very building blocks of life are spookily relevant today.
Alien
In this 1979 science fiction horror film, an extraterrestrial creature terrorizes a crew of a commercial space vessel. It was ahead of its time for its terrifying imagery and having a strong female protagonist in a typically-male genre. It set the stage for biological horror in science fiction.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
This 1988 live-action/animated mystery comedy film masterfully combined animated characters with live-action footage. The film’s technical achievements in blending the worlds of live-action and animation paved the way for future cross-genre films, showing the unlimited potential of doing so.
Akira
This 1988 Japanese animated science fiction film is a landmark of the cyberpunk subgenre. Its cutting-edge animation techniques and visual style influenced countless sci-fi and cyberpunk films. And let’s not forget the plot – a dystopian society with advanced technology but societal decay. How ironic!
Sneakers
This 1992 comedy caper film follows a group of hackers who became security experts as they attempt to retrieve a stolen cryptographic chip. The movie tackles issues such as hacking, surveillance, and how tech can be used for good and evil, all of which are important to our current discussions on cybersecurity.
Mystery Men
Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe dominated the box office, this quirky 1999 superhero comedy assembled a group of misfit heroes trying to save the day. With characters like Mr. Furious and The Blue Raja, Mystery Men showed that superhero films could have a comedic side, paving the way for the future wave of humor-filled superhero films.
Blade Runner
This 1982 science fiction film brought a bleak, dystopian vision of the future to the screen. The film examines philosophical questions about identity, humanity, and the consequences of uncontrolled technological improvements. Its distinctive visual style made it part of the cyberpunk genre before that was even a thing!
Starship Troopers
This 1997 satirical military science fiction film depicted a future society ruled by a militaristic government. The movie showed a world where war and propaganda were celebrated, and nationalism was the norm. With its striking visual effects and biting commentary on society, Starship Troopers was ahead of its time.
Children of Men
Set in a future where humanity faces extinction due to infertility, this 2006 science fiction film follows a disillusioned man tasked with protecting a miraculously pregnant woman. It portrays a society on the edge of collapse due to a catastrophic event. You could easily make this film today, with its questions of climate change, political problems, and global crises.
Metropolis
This 1927 German silent science fiction film was a pioneer of the genre. It explored themes of class struggle, technological advancements, and societal conflict. In this film, the rich live in luxury while the workers work in filth. With its striking visual and groundbreaking special effects, Metropolis showcased how films can explore complex social issues in a stunning way.
Lord of the Rings
This epic fantasy trilogy adapted J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, bringing a rich world to life on the big screen. Peter Jackson’s films were groundbreaking for their attention to detail, breathtaking visuals, and extensive use of computer-generated imagery. These films showed how fantasy could be a mainstream genre and set a new filmmaking standard.
Star Wars
Star Wars revolutionized science fiction and introduced completely new special effects. The original Star Wars trilogy was a cultural phenomenon with its epic battles and iconic characters. It explored themes of good vs. evil, destiny, and the power of hope in the face of impossible odds.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 science fiction epic explored the mysteries of space and beyond. It featured spectacular visual effects and a thought-provoking narrative, taking audiences into the unknown. The film explored questions of artificial intelligence before it even existed!
Dark City
This 1998 neo-noir science fiction film follows a man who wakes up with no memory and discovers a dark conspiracy controlling the city. With its mind-bending plot and grim atmosphere, Dark City was an early example of films that explored the nature of reality and the human experience.
Strange Days
Strange Days is a science fiction thriller that explores the technology that allows people to experience the memories and emotions of others. Its thrilling narrative and ahead-of-its-time technology gave viewers a look into virtual reality’s potential dangers and moral difficulties.
Jaws
This 1975 thriller, directed by Steven Spielberg, featured a man-eating great white shark terrorizing a small coastal town. However, this was a time before CGI was popular – instead, they used impressive animatronics. Soon, Jaws became the prototype for the summer blockbuster and showcased the power of suspense in cinema.
Night of the Living Dead
It’s the first modern zombie film! The film featured social commentary, continuous horror, groundbreaking casting, and special effects that were completely new in film. As such, Night of the Living Dead was a revolutionary film that laid the foundation for the zombie subgenre.
Gattaca
Gattaca explored themes of genetic engineering, identity, and discrimination, offering a glimpse into some moral questions about biotechnology. It showed a world where genetic engineering determines your fate remains. This remains relevant today as we grapple with the consequences of genetic science.
Nosferatu
Finally, we have Nosferatur, a 1922 silent German horror film that introduced the world to the iconic Count Orlok in an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. With its eerie atmosphere and innovative cinematography, Nosferatu was a trailblazer in the horror genre. It showed how cinema could create suspense and tension without dialogue or sound.
