When cinema got ahead and predicted the future: 11 films (12 photos)

Do science fiction films predict the development of technology because the writers and directors are born futurists and are given the ability to “see into the future” using intellect and imagination?





"Contagion" 2011 - Coronavirus and lockdown



Damn it, now everything is happening just like in a Steven Soderbergh movie, people exclaimed, watching the news about coronavirus infection 2019. Fortunately, the scenario of the 2011 thriller “Contagion” was only partially repeated and humanity escaped with a less total catastrophe. But the fact that Asia became the source of the virus both in the film and in reality gave rise to a bunch of conspiracy theories. Although the film was also about conspiracies :)

"Network" 1995 - Online Identity Theft





In 1995, the film “Network” was released about a girl who finds herself forced to prove that she is she. Back then, few people were puzzled by the dangers associated with personal data on the Internet. Today, no one is surprised that our personal data can be easily obtained by hackers and someone, supposedly on our behalf, can order something or even empty a bank account. Only 3 years after the release of this film, a law was passed in the United States providing for severe punishment for theft of Internet identity.

"Minority Report" 2002 - Widespread data collection



20 years ago, "Minority Report" was an exciting fantasy. But now we have all just come to terms with the fact that IT corporations collect data about us and use it for commercial purposes. There are cameras watching us everywhere, and if we commit a crime, the state will instantly get into our computers and phones to find out everything they need. And terrorist acts in general have long been suppressed practically as shown in the film - they haven’t done anything yet, but they have already been caught.

"The Truman Show" 1998 - Live



The first attempts to create a reality show were back in the 1940s. In 1973, the first reality show appeared in the United States, demonstrating the everyday life of an ordinary American family. In the 1990s, formats and popularity of the genre began to grow. But in the 2010s and 2020s, reality began to grow exponentially. In addition, people began to post their own numerous online projects on the Internet. “The Truman Show,” where a person exists under cameras 24 hours a day and every day, is still fiction, but much closer to reality than it was in 1998.

"TV Network" 1976 - News as entertainment



When Sidney Lumet made his "Network" in 1976, harshly criticizing television companies for exploiting the base interests of the public, no one could have guessed what television news would become in the 21st century. Fake news has become so commonplace, and extravagant antics and shouting in front of the screen so expected, that no one can imagine a return to the former values of television broadcasting.

"You've got a letter" 1998 - Online relationships



In 1998, the characters of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan had an affair in online correspondence. At this time, according to surveys in the United States, only 4% of respondents met each other on the Internet. Should we say that the statistics are completely different now? Romantic relationships have long become a significant component of the online life of almost every young inhabitant of the Earth.

"The Matrix" 1999 - Virtual reality



In 1999, viewers watched with admiration the rebirth of the hero, who in ordinary life was an ordinary clerk, but in the online space was a famous hacker. A year later, millions of Americans acquired high-speed Internet. And now virtual reality has become more meaningful and richer for many than life in the physical world.

"The Wizard" 1989 - eSports



When the movie "The Wizard" was released in 1989, the story was that children would be able to participate in computer game competitions and earnthere was a lot of money on this, it was a real fantasy. But already in the 2000s, computer game tournaments began to turn into an independent industry and since then they have only expanded and increased their importance.

"Rounders" 1998 - Professional poker



Another film that became a harbinger of the formation of a powerful global gaming industry. In 1998, the movie Rounders talked about the huge amounts of money that poker players can earn. After 5 years, professional poker has turned into a developed industry with an international championship and a huge prize fund.

"The Siege" 1998 - 9/11 and the fight against terrorism



Three years before two planes crashed into the towers of the US Trade Center, a film was released that in many ways predicted all the steps that the country's leadership took in an attempt to destroy international terrorism. The trigger in the 1998 film "The Siege" is a bus bombing, and then American intelligence agencies begin hunting down all representatives of the Arab world and creating Guantanamo-style prison camps for them. The film perfectly anticipated the paranoia, xenophobia and widespread loss of trust that a major terrorist attack could lead to.

"Boiler Room" 2000 - Collapse of financial pyramids



In 2000, the film “Boiler Room” was released, telling the story of a group of young and daring financiers who decide to commit a huge scam and succeed. Their subsequent collapse was abrupt and unexpected. In 2008, the whole world watched the collapse of the global economy, which arose as a result of the massive actions of such investor-swindlers.

What films do you think predicted what happened in reality or is happening right now?