Dystopia in the Movies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Brazil

From terrorist bombings to the shocking satire of cosmetic surgery, "Brazil" is a prophetic film and as relevant today as it was in 1985. Jonathan Pryce stars as Sam Lowry, a low-ranking bureaucrat who strives to make a better life for himself in a dysfunctional world and retreats from reality in an attempt to do so. Keeping society in line with scary police tactics and ineffective bureaucracy is a common theme in dystopian movies.

It is a theme brilliantly captured in the film.

Answer: 1984

In a world where there is no escape from a totalitarian society, something Orwell himself was very much opposed to, there is a bleakness and profound sense of hopelessness that pervades everyone and everything. Who can forget the telescreens? The manipulation of the news, a prominent theme of the movie, is especially relevant today.

Many believe that Orwell alludes to Stalin's socialistic rule of Russia during the 1940s and early 1950s. The movie stars Richard Burton, who was in failing health during filming, and the excellent John Hurt.

Answer: Fahrenheit 451

One man's disillusionment, in this case a fireman whose job is to burn books, becomes a quest for survival as he tries to break free of a society where reading is a punishable offense and personal freedom is non-existent. The movie was directed by French director François Truffaut and stars Julie Christie and Oskar Werner.

Answer: Things to Come

The full title of Wells' novel is "The Shape of Things to Come". It includes Wells' vision of future events in the years 1933 through 2106. Bombings, wars, and plagues are key elements in the film. The irony of the movie as well as the novel is that the wars have gone on for so long that no one can remember the reason why they started in the first place.

The image of London in ruins is prophetic of the coming Blitz.

Answer: Soylent Green

Harry Harrison's novel, on which the movie is based, is called "Make Room! Make Room!" The significance of that title is understood once it is revealed what is contained in the crackers. New York of the future, the movie's premise, is suffering from over-population, homelessness, and food rationing.

The Soylent Corporation provides what food there is, green crackers that supposedly contain ocean plankton. What is really in those crackers? The answer is grotesque. The significance of that dystopian reality is truly horrifying.

Answer: A Clockwork Orange

The movie takes place in England of the future. While some may argue the movie isn't dystopian because it only focuses on one man, the run-down housing, gang violence, and general breakdown of society points to a much larger problem. The experimental aversion treatment of Alex, the Droog leader, is as barbaric in its own way as Alex's brutality toward fellow human beings.

Answer: Minority Report

The society Philip Dick created in "Minority Report" is a dystopia that seems plausible. The extreme police tactics, arresting people before a crime has been committed, powerful military peacekeeping, and super advanced technology all contribute to the futuristic society that Dick had envisioned when he wrote the story in 1956.

Answer: Metropolis

In a future dystopia, wealthy intellectuals rule over workers from towers rising high above them. The underground world of workers is far removed, physically and socially, from the ruling class enjoying the easy life. The deep chasm that has formed between the ruling elite and the oppressed workers causes a revolt that has dire consequences. What becomes of a society where there are no workers to perform the necessary tasks? Despite the age of this movie, it is still thought-provoking.

Answer: Brave New World

Huxley was way ahead of his time, especially with human cloning. Put into perspective, Huxley's interest in technology probably had a lot to do with the technical advances at the time he wrote the novel and is brought to life in the film. A government run by technology, behavioral conditioning, and predetermined social class are some of the issues covered by Huxley in his dystopian vision of the future.

Answer: Logan's Run

The movie is based on the dystopian novel written by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson and published in 1967. Since humans are programmed to die at age 30 no one really worries about overpopulation or running out of food, a concern in many dystopian films. Michael York plays the role of Logan whose job is to enforce the rules. If someone tries to run before he or she reaches the target age, it is Logan's responsibility to terminate their life...until he himself becomes the runner.