Can portrayals of the future in movies come true? At least we know that some predictions can be accurate. We have compiled a list of 10 Movies that predicted future technology.
While we still don't have flying cars, some old Movies accurately foresaw the future. Thanks to advancing technology, we might be better at predicting the future now, but it wasn't easy in the past. Moviemakers and writers attempted to predict future technology with predictions that relied more on imagination.
Many Movies have been made over a century depicting the future. Not all of them accurately reflected the future, but some were remarkably precise. We have compiled Movies that, relative to the past, accurately portrayed the future, or as we see it, our present.
15. Movie: "The Cable Guy" (1996)
In the 1996 Movie "The Cable Guy," starring Jim Carrey, the theme revolves around how every household in America will integrate with technologies such as television, telephone, and computer in the future. In 1996, when the internet was not accessible to everyone, the Movie foresaw what would happen 20 years later.
14. Movie: "You've Got Mail" (1998)
The 1998 Movie "You've Got Mail" made a reference to Tinder usage. At the time the Movie was released, anyone seeking love or friendship could get acquainted using old methods like eye contact, small conversation attempts, and minor tricks. The Movie, inspired by Jane Austen's 19th-century novel, bears many similarities to today's world of matchmaking.
13. Movie: "Minority Report" (2002)
Based on Philip K. Dick's short story, "Minority Report," directed by Steven Spielberg, hit the screens in 2002. Spielberg consulted with numerous futurists for the Movie and incorporated striking details set in the year 2054. The technologies used by the character John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, resemble contemporary gesture-based interface designs. The Movie also portrays the use of technology by the police to predict crimes, a concept currently in the developmental stage in our present time.
12. Movie: "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1973)
Director Stanley Kubrick, known for his unique approach, directed "2001: A Space Odyssey." Despite being set 50 years in the future, every detail in the Movie, even if realized after 2001, serves as evidence of Kubrick's foresight. Details such as iPad, flat-screen monitors, video calls, and HAL 9000, a Siri-like entity, demonstrate Kubrick's predictive abilities. The Movie also includes a detail about space tourism, a concept planned for the future but not yet implemented during the Movie's release.
11. Movie: "The Truman Show" (1998)
Released in 1998, "The Truman Show" was ahead of its time, portraying the story of an insurance salesman who becomes the star of a 24-hour television show. Directed by Peter Weir, the Movie accurately captured details about becoming famous in today's culture of television. The Movie also delves into topics such as broadcasting and documenting every moment of people's lives. Details predicting aspects like social media, reality shows, and the boundless capabilities of individuals were envisioned in "The Truman Show." In essence, even though we might be Trumans in our own way, there's little inclination to escape from the fake world.
10. Movie: Tablet, Artificial Intelligence, Video Calls, and More: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, features many technological developments that have become commonplace today. Put yourself in the shoes of someone living in the 60s. You go to the movies, and in the Movie, an astronaut is having breakfast while following the news on a tablet. Familiar, isn't it? Not just that; a scientist, advancing towards the Moon station in a spacecraft, conducts a video call with his daughter on Earth. An artificial intelligence named HAL 9000 assists astronauts and engages in conversation with them. Looking at these developments through the eyes of people from the past is truly fascinating and somewhat unsettling.
9. Movie: Cities Dominated by Giant Billboards: Blade Runner (1982)
Blade Runner, a significant work when it comes to dystopia, not only in terms of technology but also sociologically, accurately predicted many aspects. One of the most striking technological depictions is the giant buildings dominating cities and the digital billboards on top of these buildings. Almost all major cities today feature such massive digital billboards, with Times Square in New York being a prime example.
8. Movie: Hologram Technology: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Although Star Wars depicts a world far beyond ours and is sometimes considered a fantasy, it still nods to present-day technology in its science fiction identity. Hologram technology is one such example. This technological development, prominently used in the series, can now easily visit our homes through various small products, in addition to addressing large audiences at events.
7. Movie: Technology of Self-Driving Cars Considered New for Us: Total Recall (1990)
Autonomous car technology, a development in recent years in the automotive industry but not yet mainstream, was portrayed in the 1990 Movie Total Recall with the "Johnny Cab" taxis. Perhaps we will be using such taxis in our daily lives within the 10-15 years.
6. Movie: Hosting One of Cinema's First Robots: Metropolis (1927)
Nowadays, almost every home has a robot, albeit not the kind seen in movies. However, we use many devices produced to lighten human tasks. The 1927 Movie Metropolis, a milestone in cinema history, featured a robot named Maria, slightly different from what we have in our homes today. While this idea was seen as fantasy in those times, various companies are now working on robots with artificial intelligence in our contemporary world. We might host these robots in our homes in the not-too-distant future, much like self-driving taxis.
5. Movie: Wireless Earphones: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Star Trek Movies and series foresaw many technological developments, and wireless earphones are one of them. The communication device that the lady responsible for the Enterprise's communication never removes from her ear in Star Trek productions sheds light on our reality.
4. Movie: Personalized Ads: Minority Report (2002)
After mentioning a product you want to buy, having that product or a similar one appear as an advertisement is an experience almost everyone has had. Targeted advertisements, which envelop our lives and invade our personal space to some extent, found a digital place for themselves in the 2002 Movie Minority Report. A technology that selects a person from the crowd, shows personalized ads to that person, and even addresses them by name is akin to today's targeted advertisements.
3. Movie: TV, Phone, and Computers Will Merge: The Cable Guy (1996)
The 1996 Movie The Cable Guy, starring Jim Carrey, made spot-on predictions about the future when the internet was just starting to become widespread and intrude into personal lives. The Movie talks about the convergence of computers, phones, and televisions into a shared entity, online shopping, multiplayer games, and the ability to easily watch any production you want whenever you want. Isn't that exactly the era we are in now?
2. Movie: Online Identity Theft in the 90s: The Net (1995)
Especially in recent years, we witness various service-providing organizations' information being stolen from their websites and leaked. However, in 1995, talking about these things was challenging. In the 1995 Movie The Net, Sandra Bullock's character's identity is taken over by a hacker through a computer. Although it was a significant and somewhat difficult-to-understand event in the budding age of the internet in the 90s, unfortunately, this situation has become increasingly commonplace today.
1. Movie: Smart Glasses Technology: Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Do you remember the dinner scene of the McFly family in Back to the Future Part II in 1989? In that scene, the children of Marty and Jennifer ignore their parents wearing smart glasses. One of the children wearing glasses is meeting with a friend, and the other is watching television. Sound familiar, doesn't it?
