All articles tagged with #dystopia
Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel, 'Exit Party,' imagines a fractured America in 2031, alternating between a post-civil war chaos and a surveillance state. The book features doppelgangers and returns to characters from her previous works, exploring how reality and identity shift under political pressure.
The Verge’s Meredith Haggerty argues One Night Only treats its outrageous premise—single adults can only have sex on one annual night—as a rom-com playground, aided by subcutaneous chips that flip tattoos from red to green. The film delivers witty gags and strong chemistry between Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner, but raises big questions about enforcement and the political backstory that it largely sidesteps.
Charlotte Zhang’s Tycoon imagines a 2028 Los Angeles under a meat ban, with a monopolistic insect-protein megacorp (Ootheca Inc.) controlling supply; through a vivid DIY visual language, it follows two hustlers as they navigate surveillance, precarity, and small-time crimes, turning political dread into a human-scale survival tale.
A near-future LA film centers on an AI judge called Mercy that can order executions after a 90-minute hearing if guilt probability tops 96%. The review derides the movie as dull and propagandistic, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, praising surveillance while trampling privacy and civil liberties, and using a RoboCop-inspired premise to argue for revering corporate-controlled AI over human judgment.
The article examines how films set in 2026, such as 'Doom,' 'Planet of the Apes,' and 'Metropolis,' reflect societal fears and hopes about technology, climate, and social inequality, revealing both warnings and misconceptions about our future.
Stephen King's 'The Running Man' gets a modern, action-packed adaptation starring Glen Powell, but it struggles to capture the dark tone of the original novel, offering a satirical yet bland vision of dystopia with contemporary media critique, ultimately receiving mixed reviews.
Rhea Seehorn discusses her role as Carol in Apple TV's 'Pluribus,' a dystopian series created by Vince Gilligan, highlighting the emotional and physical challenges of portraying a character experiencing profound loss and isolation amidst a global virus outbreak that turns people into joyful hive minds. The show explores themes of human nature, survival, and loneliness, with Seehorn emphasizing the show's complex tone and the importance of audience engagement with its messiness and unpredictability.
'Pluribus' is a thought-provoking sci-fi series on Apple TV that explores a world where humanity's problems vanish through a hive mind, but at the cost of personal freedom, with a complex protagonist, Carol, fighting to maintain her individuality amidst the collective consciousness. The show combines elements of 'The X-Files,' 'Breaking Bad,' and 'Better Call Saul,' and delves into themes of identity, control, and resistance.
MIT economist David Autor warns that AI could lead to a dystopian 'Mad Max' scenario where wealth is concentrated and most people compete over dwindling resources, as automation devalues skills and exacerbates inequality, contrasting with more optimistic views of AI creating new jobs.
Alexis Conneau, formerly of OpenAI and Meta, has launched WaveForms AI, a startup focused on developing advanced voice technology inspired by the film "Her," but without its dystopian elements. The company aims to create emotionally intelligent AI audio products by 2025, with $40 million in seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz. Conneau emphasizes the importance of AI complementing human interaction rather than replacing it, and aims to avoid the pitfalls of social media by aligning AI with human interests.
A24's upcoming movie "Civil War" has sparked debate over its timing, with concerns about its release during a politically volatile year and fears that it could fuel real-life political violence. While some argue that the film's dystopian premise could serve as a cautionary tale, others worry that it may exacerbate current tensions. The film's release comes amid heightened concerns about the potential for an actual civil war, with differing opinions on whether its portrayal of a divided America is timely or potentially incendiary.
A new species of primate has emerged in North America, displaying human-like physical abilities but with erratic movements and a unique vision known as "Apple Vision Pro." These creatures, predominantly male and wealthy, have been captured in viral videos performing tasks such as driving electric vehicles, despite the high risk involved. Sociologists and anthropologists believe their risk-to-reward reflexes are influenced by their wealth. Experts fear that the emergence of this new species may bring human civilization one step closer to dystopia, but hope to shame them out of existence before they become overwhelming.
Netflix has released a new trailer for the film "The Kitchen," which envisions a cyberpunk dystopia in a near-future version of London. Directed by Kibwe Tavares and co-written and co-produced by Daniel Kaluuya, the movie follows the story of a community called The Kitchen, the last remaining social housing in a city where the gap between rich and poor has reached extreme levels. The film stars Kane Robinson and Jedaiah Bannerman in the lead roles and will start streaming on Netflix on January 19, 2024.
The first trailer for Alex Garland's upcoming film "Civil War" has been released, showcasing a near-future America in the midst of a violent civil war. The trailer features a small group attempting to infiltrate a heavily fortified Washington, DC, with the tagline "all empires fall" hinting at the dire state of the nation. Directed and written by Garland, the film stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Nick Offerman, and is set to hit theaters on April 26th.
Elon Musk's Tesla Cybertruck, despite its unconventional design and questionable durability, is marketed as the ultimate vehicle for surviving the apocalypse. Musk envisions a future where Cybertruck owners can roam freely in their armored domes while the rest of society suffers. However, the irony lies in the fact that trucks, including the Cybertruck, are already causing harm and death on the roads. The article suggests that instead of relying on massive, expensive vehicles, true resilience lies in cooperation and a more sustainable approach, such as using bicycles.