Dystopian Cinema's Grip on the Future: A Failure of Imagination?
In a piece for ArtsHub, philosopher Patrick Stokes contends that the prevalence of dystopian themes in modern film and television signifies an inability to imagine a viable future. He references Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars, which takes place nine years after a global influenza outbreak, as a prime example of this trend, pointing out its negative reviews due to slow pacing. Stokes notes a growing trend of pessimism in recent works such as Civil War (2024) and The Handmaid's Tale, contrasting this with the hopeful narratives of the 1990s, exemplified by Armageddon and Independence Day. He argues that art should focus on systemic change rather than just individual resilience. The Dog Stars is currently screening in Australian theaters.
Key facts
- Ridley Scott, 88, has directed The Last Duel, House of Gucci, Napoleon, Gladiator II, and The Dog Stars in the past decade.
- The Dog Stars is set nine years in the future after a worldwide influenza pandemic and stars Jacob Elordi.
- Critics have criticized The Dog Stars for slow pacing and general ennui.
- Mary Shelley wrote about a disastrous 21st-century pandemic in 1824.
- E.M. Forster's 1909 story The Machine Stops depicts people living underground due to environmental catastrophe.
- 2024's Civil War features racist ultraright militias defending a US president who refuses to leave office.
- Hulu's adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale spawned a sequel.
- One Night Only is a comedy set in a near future where sex for unmarried people is permitted only one night a year.
- 1990s blockbusters like Armageddon, Deep Impact, Independence Day, and The Matrix showed humanity uniting against external threats.
- Don't Look Up is a comedic allegory for global warming where humanity fails to act collectively.
- Alex Blechman, a writer for The Onion, tweeted in 2021 that the tech industry treats dystopian fiction as inspiration rather than warning.
- Peter Cook founded The Establishment in 1961, inspired by 1930s German cabarets that failed to stop Hitler.
- The Dog Stars is now in Australian cinemas.
Entities
Artists
- Ridley Scott
- Jacob Elordi
- Mary Shelley
- E.M. Forster
- Margaret Atwood
- Ryan Gosling
- Will Smith
- Bruce Willis
- Alex Blechman
- Peter Cook
- Patrick Stokes
Institutions
- 20th Century Studios
- ScreenHub
- ArtsHub
- Hulu
- The Onion
- The Establishment
- Deakin University
- Adelaide Festival Centre
- OzAsia Festival
- The Jim Henson Company
- QAGOMA
- Arts Centre Melbourne
- The Conversation
Locations
- Melbourne
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- Denmark
- United States
- Brisbane
- Adelaide
- UK
- US