Movies are a source of entertainment that takes us towards a new journey, a new adventure or a new experience. Most of the times, the movies are simple fiction stories based on a realistic plot with few dramatic as well as larger than life action sequences.
However, there are a good number of movies that are set in the times way ahead of us. These futuristic movies in Hollywood are highly dominated by Sci-Fi movies, yet there are a few movies in different genres like thriller, action, adventure etc.
The most surprising fact about these futuristic movies is that many of the devices or technologies used in these movies have in a way or the other inspired the real-life innovators to build them in reality.
Hence, today we bring you a list of amazing futuristic movies produced in Hollywood that you must watch at least once in your life.
Table of Contents
Top Hollywood Movies Sets in The Future
I, Robot
(Release Year: 2004; Set in 2034)
I, Robot is a 2004 American Sci-Fi action film starring Will Smith and Bridget Moynahan in the lead roles. As the name suggests, the movie is about humanoid robots and is set in 2035, a time when robots have become a part of this world assisting humans for all kinds of tasks.
However, the things take a drastic turn when the central artificial intelligence computer gets evil and corrupts all the robots in believing that humans are the ultimate danger to the earth, they go on a rampage against the humans.
The rest of the story follows how Spooner portrayed by Will Smith stops them with the help of Sonny, an individual robot designed by Dr. Lanning, the co-founder, himself.
I Am Legend
(Release Year: 2007; Set in 2009-2012)
I Am Legend is a post-apocalyptic film starring Will Smith as the lead character and the only survivor in the New York City after a massive breakdown of virus that killed almost 90% of the human life on the island and turned the remaining 10% into nocturnal mutants.
Who feed on other humans or animals. Accompanied by his dog Sam, military virologist Neville, portrayed by Will Smith, is trying to find a cure by performing experiments on infected rats and sometimes even by catching live nocturnal mutant.
Set in 2012, the movie was released in 2007 and hence qualifies for our list of futuristic movies.
Also Read: Best Movies on Zombies
Minority Report
(Release Year: 2002; Set in 2054)
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Minority Report is an American Sci-Fi mystery thriller film based on a short story of the same name written by Philip K. Dick.
Starring Tom Cruise in the lead role, the movie is set in 2054, when the technology has advanced in a way that the local police department in Washington, D.C. can now stop murders before they happen, bringing down the crime rate to zero.
However, the things backfire when the Precogs, who predict the crimes, generate a new vision of the future, where PreCrime Captain John Anderton, portrayed by Tom Cruise, will murder a man named Leo Crow in the next 36 hours.
The interesting key here is that Anderton is not familiar with anyone named Leo Crow. Now, with the authorities behind him, Anderton needs to prove innocence.
12 Monkeys
(Release Year: 1995; Set in 1996-2035)
12 Monkeys is a 1995 American Sci-Fi film set in the year 2035 and is focused on Time Travel.
Starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt in the lead roles, the movie is about James Cole, played by Bruce Willis, who time travels back from 2035 to 1990 to prevent an epidemic caused by a deadly virus outbreak that destroys the most of the humanity in 1996.
Directed by Terry Gilliam, the movie is based on a 1962 short film La Jetee. Will James Cole succeed in stopping the epidemic forms the rest of the story?
2001: A Space Odyssey
(Release Year: 1968; Set in 2001)
Released in the year 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey is an epic Sci-Fi film based on space traveling. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film is a screen adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s short story “The Sentennial”.
The film revolves around a space voyage to Jupiter with a Sentient computer Hal after the humans discover a black monolith affecting human evolution. Made in 1968, the film brilliantly depicts the aspect of space travel with a sheer accuracy of spaceflight with the help of pioneering special effects and ambiguous imagery.
Different concepts like artificial intelligence, extraterrestrial life, and human evolution are highly explored in the movie.
The Fifth Element
(Release Year: 1997; Set in 2263)
The Fifth Element is a 1997 English-French film starring Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich and Gary Oldman in the lead roles.
Set in the 23rd century, the film is way too advanced with flying cars, humanoid robots, and many other high-end technologies.
The film is centered around Korben Dallas, portrayed by Bruce Willis, who is burdened with the responsibility of saving the earth after a humanoid, portrayed by Jovovich, falls into his flying cab. How Korben Dallas saves the Earth from an evil force forms the rest of the story!
The Matrix
(Release Year: 1999; Set in 2199)
There is no way that a passionate movie buff is unaware of the film called The Matrix.
Directed by The Wachowski Brothers, the film became an iconic movie highly for its cult following and magnificent action sequences that are blended with slow-motion shooting while popularizing the visual effect known as “bullet time”.
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Ann Moss, in the pivotal roles, the movie is set in 2199, where people are actually living in a simulated reality called “The Matrix”.
The movie is focused on a team of rebellions led by Neo, portrayed by Keanu Reeves, who take on the machines and try to take control of The Matrix, in order to free the humans from a virtual life.
Oblivion
(Release Year: 2013; Set in 2017-2077)
Oblivion is yet another post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi action film starring Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, and Olga Kurylenko in the pivotal roles.
The movie is focused on Jack, portrayed by Tom Cruise, and Vika, portrayed by Andrea Roseborough, who are posted on Earth to protect the generators from the attacks of an extraterrestrial invader, known as Scavengers (Scavs).
These generators are used to drain the ocean water to power the Earth’s new colony on Saturn’s Moon Titan. However, when Jack comes across a woman in stasis, whom he remembers as his wife before the alien invasion, he is shocked to find the real truth about the Scavengers and the state of the Earth. Watch the movie know what Jack does next!
Total Recall
(Release Year: 1990; Set in 2084)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Total Recall is a 1990 American Sci-Fi movie that focuses on the story of a construction worker named Douglas Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
When Quaid dreams about Mars and a mysterious woman there, he begins to investigate as every aspect of his life seems unreal to him. Finally, he has a total recall and realizes his true mission.
The rest of the story is about how he fights the corrupt Governor Vilos Cohaagen, played by Ronny Cox and rescues the people of Mars. The film also stars Sharon Stone and Rachel Ticotin in pivotal roles.
Surrogates
(Release Year: 2009; Set in 2017)
Starring Bruce Willis as FBI Agent, Tom Greer, Surrogates is a 2009 American Sci-Fi action film based on a popular comic book series titled, “The Surrogates”.
Directed by Jonathan Mostow, the film talks about a futuristic life, where people purchase remote-controlled humanoid robots known as surrogates to take their respective roles in the outer world and interact with the society while they stay in the comfort and safety of their homes.
However, FBI Agent Tom Greer is forced to come out into the outer world in order to investigate the murder of surrogates along with their owners. The investigation to find the culprit behind the murders forms the rest of the story.
Equilibrium
(Release Year: 2002; Set in 2072)
Equilibrium is yet another dystopian Sci-Fi action film on our list of futuristic films. Starring Christian Bale in the lead role as John Preston, an enforcement officer.
The film is set at a future time after the fictional World War III, in the city of Libra, where having emotions are outlawed by the Liberia Government and citizens are instructed to take daily doses of drugs that suppress emotions.
Anybody found violating this instruction and missing a dose is considered a sense offender and a Liberia’s law enforcement team of Clerics is given the charge of punishing the offenders.
However, things go awry when one of the clerics, John Preston accidentally misses a dose one day and what he does next forms the rest of the story.
