According toWebster’s dictionary, a “utopia” is “a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions.“Often in films, a utopia or utopian society does not experience violence or address taboo topics but one that strives to place a greater emphasis on order.
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Individuals who challenge the morals or laws of the utopian society or even try to find out what is going on may face unexpected consequences. They simply are required toenjoy their life as it is, such as Alice Chambers (Florence Pugh) in the upcoming 2022 filmDon’t Worry Darling.What can be introduced as a utopian society can be just a dystopian society in disguise, where there are more drawbacks to this society than benefits.
‘The Truman Show’ (1998)
Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) starred in his own show, centered around his daily life, even if he didn’t know it. Contestants or participants in reality TV shows likeThe Kardashians,The Bachelor, or evenMasterChef,are aware that cameras recorded their actions. Truman inThe Truman Show(1998) wasn’t aware of that, and he wasn’t too fond of the idea of someone watching his every move.
His friends and next-door neighbors were all controlled by a production team, which dictated precisely how they should react when talking with Truman. Even the weather, such as when it rained or how quickly the sun set, was controlled by someone else. InThe Truman Show, Truman didn’t want to live in his type of reality, and he intended to break away from it. The Truman Showis available on HBO Max.
‘Pleasantville’ (1998)
Nothing exists outside Pleasantville, at least that is what the townspeople assume in the 1998 filmPleasantville. The film focused on the town of Pleasantville, a 1950s sitcom that David (Tobey Maguire) enjoyed watching. After being handed a strange remote, the remote transport David and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) to Pleasantville.
Watching the people in Pleasantville versus living among the people in Pleasantville was a completely different experience for David and Jennifer. These people didn’t address or speak about art, profanity, sex, or violence.Pleasantville’s theme tackles repression and how pushing against it leads to surprising outcomes.Pleasantvilleis available on Hulu.
‘The Island’ (2005)
Instead of winning a large amount of money, contestants enter the lottery to win a trip to “The Island” in the 2005 filmThe Island.“The Island” was advertised as a dream destination for many with a scenic view. Winning the lottery also meant that the winner no longer had to live under the control of the government, or at least that was what many contestants believed.
Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson) learned that this dream destination wasn’t real. “The Island” was an idea sold to the public to hide the truth: that once they went to the island, they wouldn’t return alive. If any winner refused to go to the island, they were hunted down by the highest authority.The Islandis available on Pluto TV.
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‘The Hunger Games’ (2012)
In each of the 12 districts, individuals are chosen to participate in the life and death games known as the “Hunger Games.” Out of the 12 districts, only one individual leaves the competition alive. This time around, Katniss' sister, Primrose (Willow Shields), qualifies for her name to be submitted into the pool of possible participants. When Katniss hears Primrose’s name, she volunteers to take her place.
AlthoughThe Hunger Gamesis considered a dystopian novel, viewers and readers see the dystopian side of society from the point of view of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence). For the people living in Panem, they saw the competition as a form of entertainment and competition they were invested in seeing the outcome of. For the wealthy, this society was a utopia.The Hunger Games,the first movie and book from the series,is available on The Roku Channel.
‘The Giver’ (2014)
The 2014 film,The Giver,was based 1993 young adult novel written by Lois Lowry.The Giveradded a romantic plot that wasn’t included in the bookand made plenty of other deviations, but the central theme still existed: a world without pain. The film followed Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a 12-year-old who was assigned to work with the Receiver (now titled The Giver), a man who transfers knowledge about what love and pain are.
The society that Jonas lived in was formed to eliminate any feelings. People didn’t have to experience grief, sadness, or pain because they didn’t know what it was. Yet a caveat of not experiencing the unfavorable feelings also meant not knowing what joy or love was.The Giveris available on Netflix.
‘Divergent’ (2014)
To maintain order, everyone was assigned to a faction. Those born into a faction would have the chance to switch factions once they were teenagers. A person’s virtues and decision-making determined whether they belonged to Erudite, Abnegation, Amity, Candor, or Dauntless. Individuals who matched with more than one faction were considered divergent.
The general premise of a world divided into factions might have seemed like the ideal structural foundation for building a utopia. Everyone in this society had a role based on what their virtues indicated. However, Tris (Shailene Woodley) and the other characters learned that those categorized as divergent were dangerous because they couldn’t be controlled, unlike those who tested into only one faction.Divergentis available on YouTube.
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‘Tomorrowland’ (2015)
While leaving jail, a police officer handed Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) her belongings, but among her belongings was a strange pin that was able to transport her to a different place. This pin transported her to Tomorrowland, a place that explored the newest high-tech ideas to create a better future. Tomorrowland felt like an illusion compared to the current state of reality that Casey was living in.
As bright as the future looked like in Tomorrowland compared to the reality that Casey was living in, it still held its secrets. Merging the two worlds together led to even more issues. Not everyone in that place was after the same goals and desires.Tomorrowlandis available on STARZ and Hulu.
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