The Fascinating Depictions of 2024 in Science Fiction Movies

The Tricky Task of Depicting the Future

Science fiction movies have always had the tricky task of depicting the future, and 2024 has already had its share of representation. Any time a science fiction story envisions a drastically different future, whether it's a technologically-advanced utopia or a bleak, devolved post-apocalyptic wasteland, it's always difficult to gauge exactly how far into the future the calendar should be.

A Boy and His Dog movie poster

While it's easy to laugh from the vantage point of the present at the overly-ambitious dreams of sci-fi writers, it's exceedingly difficult to predict the flow of technological advancement and societal change. Now that 2024 has arrived, the genre has been around long enough for the year to feel like a science fiction logline to even those living in the present.

Bizarre Sci-Fi Visions for the Future

Movies set during 2023 already had their fair share of near-future predictions, but 2024 has hit a new benchmark for bizarre sci-fi visions for the future that never came to pass. It's fascinating to look back on what previous filmmakers thought the year could bring in terms of technological innovation and sweeping political change, landing on 2024 as a year far enough ahead to warrant their ideas.

Beyond the Time Barrier

A Boy And His Dog, Beyond The Time Barrier, Highlander II: The Quickening, Illang: The Wolf Brigade, Narcopolis, Songbird, The Thirteenth Floor, Thunder Force, and The Last Days Of American Crime are just a few examples of the imaginative and often bizarre visions of the future in science fiction movies set in the year 2024.

A closeup of Connor in Highlander 2

A Glimpse into the Dystopian and Futuristic Worlds

One of the most striking representations of 2024 in science fiction is depicted in the movie 'Narcopolis.' This British science fiction thriller offers a weary look into the future, postulating a United Kingdom in which all drugs have been legalized, leading to pharmaceutical companies experimenting with dizzying chemicals in the name of profit.

character looks at advanced display in Narcopolis

Another interesting portrayal is seen in 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade,' an anime live-action adaptation from South Korea based on the critically acclaimed animated movie, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. The film's 2024 envisions a re-unified North and South Korea fearing a re-militarized Japan and an encroaching United States and Russia. The advanced exosuits for the future create a unique and futuristic setting for the movie.

Robotic soldiers point weapons in Illang: The Wolf Brigade

Furthermore, 'The Last Days Of American Crime' adapts the graphic novel of the same name, imagining a United States government that is developing an advanced broadcast signal for use against its citizens, preventing them from committing crimes. This dystopian premise sets the stage for a rather straightforward heist movie, not taking full advantage of its setting compared to others who dared to breach the year 2024.

Édgar Ramírez in The Days of American Crime on Netflix