A dystopian film, as the name suggests, gives a glimpse into a future that isn't at all utopian. The world is disintegrating, decaying, fragmenting, and chaotic. Humans are facing their impending extinction through overpopulation, food shortages, the artificial intelligence revolution, immoral medical advancements, diseases, or natural disasters, among many other threats.
The method of dealing with these situations has resulted in the current world in which they live and the rules they must abide by. The government is corrupt, the air is filled with fumes, there is monumental suffering and unjust authoritarian power—and that's often a best-case scenario. Dystopian films are grim and uncomfortable, showing a future none wish to see come true, and they can also be heartbreaking in various ways.
I Am Legend
One man and his canine companion. I Am Legend (2007) follows Robert Neville, a human who is immune to the virus that ended humanity, in his attempt to find a cure.
Aside from what has become of the world Robert lives in, the two aspects that make this film a heartbreaking watch are the death of a beloved character, and the two equally tragic endings of the film, which reveal very different realities. Who is the real monster?
Moon
Moon (2009) revolves around the character of Sam, a man who is working on the Moon to supply Earth with Helium-3, a new energy source. Sam works alone, with his only company being that of a robot.
Moon is a desolate viewing experience, as it speaks to the heart that yearns but only feels loneliness. Humans need companionship, connection, something to hold onto. But, in the film Moon, Sam lives a lie; everything he believes, everyone he loves, is out of his reach.
The Giver
What if one person was allocated all of society's memories? The only one to know what the color red is or how it feels to sled down a hill in the freezing cold? The Giver (2014) is set in a society where part of the human experience has been erased, hidden from all but one.
The world appears utopian, ordered, and seemingly safe. All children are assigned their jobs for the future and live the life they are chosen for. But, Jonah is given a job that is both a burden and a blessing.
WALL-E
WALL-E is the last of his kind. He's a robot searching for connection, but he's been left all alone. He saw his fellow WALL-E units breakdown, decay, and die, the task of cleaning the Earth too great or their number.
The film WALL-E (2008) is a haunting tale, a love story in a world that no longer sees the beauty of nature and the attraction of life. The film is heartbreakingly lovely and melancholy, featuring some seriously saddening moments, while also including an ending filled with hope.
Gattaca
Genetic modification, the notion of superior humans, and the idea of perfection create the hierarchy within the world of Gattaca (1997). The value of a person and their worth is determined by whether or not they were born of genetic engineering.
The film embeds many themes within its storyline, providing a deep and layered analysis of the human condition and establishing it as one of the most enduring sci-fi films of all time. If someone is determined enough, if they have the motivation and the dream, they are able to make their reality truly theirs.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Any movie with Haley Joel Osment is bound to have viewers emotionally invested and compromised. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) follows David, a robot boy, and his mission to find his mother and the love that was taken away from him.
But, the world isn't safe for those of artificial intelligence, and David longs to be human, to be a real boy. He goes to great lengths and travels further than anyone has ever gone before, and his journey is very similar to what some of the characters from the 2018 video game Detroit: Become Human experience.
The Road
"It is cold and growing colder as the world slowly dies." The Road (2009) is a dismal, intense, and grave film. A man and his son walk across a barren landscape, evading cannibalistic humans, searching for food, and barely surviving their harsh reality.
A film such as The Road, with so few protagonists and main characters, often results in an attachment from the viewers. The audience is depending on the survival of the characters, willing them to reach their goal. But, sometimes, the end is exactly what it seemed from the beginning, and, given how desperate viewers must have been for a happy ending, the film's finale is unexpectedly heartbreaking.
Never Let Me Go
The world is bleak in Never Let Me Go (2010). Told through the eyes of Kathy H., a carer who attended Hailsham school, the film slowly unfolds to reveal a terrible and inhumane fate.
In a world of clones and organ donations, Kathy is among those who have been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to have their organs harvested. Society ignores the one question that is the most uncomfortable of all; whether there is the presence of a soul. Love is the one hope to cling to. But is it enough to save them? Never Let Me Go is poignant and disturbing.
The Hunger Games Films
The Hunger Games series is set in a dystopian society where various districts are under the control of totalitarian power Capitol, Panem. Forced to participate in the annual Hunger Games, two tributes from each district are chosen from those aged between 12 and 18.
They must fight to the death in a simulated environment with only one emerging as the victor. Given how attached viewers can be to some of The Hunger Games' most prominent characters, their deaths can be incredibly sad.
Interstellar
Survival requires adaption and sacrifice. Interstellar (2014) takes a story about space exploration and discovers the fragility of time and relationships, and it's easily one of director Christopher Nolan's most complex films.
Although the film is within the dystopian genre, it is angled toward dystopian optimism. Humans have the capacity to hope and wonder, capable of selfless intentions no matter the consequence. Interstellar shows that love transcends all things; it is what remains when all else is lost.