Neo-Tokyo was reconstructed 30 years after a catastrophic disaster, but the forces responsible for that tragedy learned nothing from that experience. The anime film "Akira" from 1988 is one of the genre's pillars, proving that the medium could present a gripping tale with hallucinogenic moralizing to boot. In "Akira," as in "Scanners," the military seeks to unleash a small fleet of psychologists, with their few achievements being known as Espers. Decades later, after their most powerful invention - Akira - blasted everything to pieces, the Japanese Defense Department hunkered down and reflected on that disaster: "What's the deal? Let us do it again." As the film continues to demonstrate, this plan does not go well.

There are some examples of the strength of brotherhood in "Akira", and for aficionados of dystopian movies, Tetsuo presents the most hideous changes outside of a typical guro film. With terrorist acts and gang violence rocking the enormous metropolis, society as a whole is failing. The fact that our heroes are gang members might add an ethical dimension to their actions.

The conclusion of the film is as cryptic and hallucinogenic as the conclusion of Kubrick's "2001"; the subsequent manga by Katsuhiro Otomo might provide viewers with a greater understanding of what's going on.

Year of Release: 1988

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

Before the famous "Star Wars" franchise turned him into a giant, director George Lucas created "THX 1138," a bizarre picture that is almost similar to a Russian picture due to its minimalism and philosophical depth. It also displays the same weaknesses that plagued Lucas throughout the production of the Star Wars original trilogy: he has an incredible imagination, but he cannot construct an emotionally engaging plot without assistance. But that is not a criticism for “THX 1138”; actually, the fact that Lucas's first film is about an emotionless world is quite advantageous and suits his strengths.

Even when Robert Duvall - the main character - is not on the drugs that keep his life under the line, there is no profound connection. The world he lives in is full of sexual activity and aggression, but little affection. Religion has a role to play here, as a remote and mechanical warning against sin. The real-world chapel is redesigned with a large image of Jesus and rechristened OMM. A sight of a lizard crawling through the mechanism that controls the people implies that nature is gradually reclaiming everything it has bestowed upon us, and that no one appreciates what THX has had to say.

Even the conclusion of the film is a metaphor for brutality. THX manages to evade the robot policemen and escape into the sunlight, but that is only because the expense to catch him exceeds the budgeted amount of the government. In the universe of "THX 1138," nobody truly cares about everything, and the fate of these free people is unclear. Maybe they are finally free, but lack the capability to appreciate that freedom. Aren't we all?

Year of Release: 1971

Stars: Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, Don Pedro Colley

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

Based on a short tale by Philip K. Dick and featuring Tom Cruise, "Minority Report" combines the concept of free will and the eventual perversion of a "perfect" judicial system. Here, the policemen are content to presume that they are always accurate in arresting a criminal before the commission of a crime, since everything has been predetermined. This concept alone is more than sufficient to terrify everyone.

Instead of delving into Dick's philosophical conundrums, the film focuses on police corruption. However, the themes of fate versus free choice continue to be significant, ending in a decent conclusion that maintains alternative interpretations of the concepts. It also helps that every performance in the movie is outstanding. Max von Sydow's portrayal as the producer of Precrime is flawless for most of the film, only faltering at some minor moments.

Overall, "Minority Report" is a lesser Spielberg movie, but still delivers an excellent insight into a society where the prospect of a thoughtcrime causes us to dread even our neighbors.

Year of Release: 2002

Stars: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

The concept of "Scanners" is veiled by David Cronenberg's pure bizarreness, and yet, in hindsight, the film is a prophetic little thriller. What used to be a body horror film that gave special power to the next generations of political radicals is now an examination of what might occur if commercial and military firms had psychics. The outcomes turn out to be horrific!

(If you want some clearer contexts to enjoy "Scanners", then we suggest watching "The Men Who Stare at Goats", which is inspired by a nonfiction book about the US army's efforts to use hippy power and paranormal phenomena to get an advantage over our Cold War adversaries).

In "Scanners," the potential advantage these individuals sought is privatized, militarized, uncontrolled, and unleashed in a society in which the military-industrial complex has been raised to the level of a shadow government. Worse, this government is one that is readily exploited by the new psychics; Revok, the villain of "Scanners", is a typical example of a scumbag with a valid argument. You will find yourself questioning whether the villain is truly the villain after all.

Year of Release: 1981

Stars: Stephen Lack, Jennifer O'Neill

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%

"The Running Man" was a critical and commercial success at the time of its release. This Arnold Schwarzenegger-led movie veers its anger at a society in which justice has been transformed into a game show - for a plot that promotes violence and spectacle. An effective opposition movement that comprehends how to use the media against its abusers has also developed.

The US Department of Justice decides to fund any catastrophic game program that makes criminals primetime entertainment. Ben Richards, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a law enforcer who has become fodder for the mill.

"The Running Man" is indeed a ludicrous film that might not age well against the test of time. Still, the pull that TV has on its watchers - and how most audiences' perception of the reality varies based on what is broadcast - remains pertinent despite the corny dialogue. We could even say that the bizarreness of "The Running Man" matches that of "Black Mirror", another popular TV series that showcases the darkest corners of human minds.

Year of Release: 1987

Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Richard Dawson

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66%

Director Ben Wheatley brought the original novel "High-Rise" to the big screen in 2015, with a little budget and a stellar cast. This is among his most insistently themed works, and one of the best dystopian movies of all time. Less colorful than "Crash," "High-Rise" examines the crumbling architecture of social stratification in a skyscraper where the ultra-wealthy isolate themselves from society. There is a feeling that something is amiss with the rest of the world, but because the tower can provide for all of its occupants' requirements, these concerns become irrelevant. How lofty your apartment is will reflect your social rank, and the tower is a living symbol. No one notices that the system is slowly dissolving inside.

There are elements of 'Dredd' in this intellectual and rather nonsensical picture of "High-Rise". We have a "king" with a psychic hold on the tower's inmates; the police are bribed not to intervene; the protagonist must mount the tower to reach the "king", and there is a progressive show of brutality and primitive humanity.

However, Robert Laing (played by Tom Hiddleston) does not topple the tower's architect. The tower's godhead, portrayed by Jeremy Irons, lures Laing to his side and incorporates him into the architect's vast experiment. Laing's punishment for accepting his position in the architect's domain is a canine-eating mania. It is a haunting ending, but at least, the scenery from his balcony is magnificent!

Year of Release: 2015

Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%

Willem Dafoe crunches the scenery in this slaphappy vampire film "Daybreakers" It also addresses the intriguing subject of resource scarcity. The vampires triumphed, dominating the mortal world and reconstructing civilization as a midnight reproduction of their old life.

The vampire version of a hydroponic system lab is where Ethan Hawke - the main character - who actually likes appearing in the most unexpected places, works. To prevent the approaching food crisis, new blood substitutes are now being developed.

"Daybreakers" is a terrific variation on a classic topic, and the one single thing holding it back is none other than the film's refusal to get too clever with its central premise. The final act of "Daybreakers" turns around the common tropes of a typical action film, replete with vamp hunters and a creative approach to recovering the Earth from vampires. It is such a delight to watch, and one of the best dystopian movies of all time!

Year of Release: 2009

Stars: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Claudia Karvan

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%

After "The Matrix" was released, there was a competition to determine who could create the most elegant and incomprehensibly obscure pseudo-philosophical film with firearms and martial arts. "Equilibrium" is the apparent victor, since it had the courage to combine weapons and kickboxing into "gun-kata" in 2002. "Equilibrium" is a film that fuses the vilification of "THX 1148" with the totalitarian constraints of "Fahrenheit 451" of Play-Doh and white buttercream. Moreover, the battle sequence is so damn fantastic - considering how vague the plot is.

Christian Bale uses his "American Psycho" expression for most of the movie - a marble statue of progressively developing emotions that receives one of the finest "Oh crap" reactions in the history of action movies - when his character realizes that, yep, a horrible event might occur today.

Bale turns himself into a devastating cyclone, finally finding his way to the hypocritical fascist monarch of this numbed realm. The outcome is a perfectly messed-up film that we do not mind rewatching over and over again!

Year of Release: 2002

Stars: Christian Bale, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 41%