29 films that predicted the future

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

What it predicted: Tablet computing, space tourism, Siri, the International Space Station

The timeframe might have been a little off, but looking back now Stanley Kubrick’s Oscar Winning sci-fi epic looks suspiciously like the cinematic equivalent of Nostradamus. Alongside tablet computing, a Siri-like computer and an International Space Station; Kubrick’s movie also accurately predicts the concept of space tourism decades before Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic made it a reality.

Weird Science (1985)

What it predicted: 3D printing.

Terminator (1984)

What it predicted: Military drones.

We were only given the briefest of glimpses of hunter killer aircraft in the first Terminator film. Back then the idea of robotic planes that rained fiery death down to forces on the ground seemed like the stuff of science fiction. Today however drones are everywhere, playing a prominent part in conflicts across the globe. Did you know the British military also have a satellite system called Skynet? Now we’re not saying that it’s going to go rogue and do a Judgement Day. But come on guys, why even tempt fate?

The Truman Show (1998)

What it predicted: Reality TV.

It may seem strange at a time when approximately 67% of all TV output is reality orientated, but back in 1998 the idea of voyeuristic programming was strange enough to be considered fiction. And whilst The Truman Show didn’t quite predict the invention of Ghost Hunting with Girls Aloud, it did prove to be spot on when it came to audience’s obsession with watching other peoples’ lives unfold on the idiot box.

Blade Runner (1982)

What it predicted: Digital billboards.

Starship Troopers (1997)

What it predicted: The red button.

WarGames (1983)

What it predicted: Hacking / cyber warfare

Short Circuit (1986)

What it predicted: Military robots

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

What it predicted: Skype

Demolition Man (1993)

What it predicted: The Governator.

Minority Report (2002)

What it predicted: Personalised advertising, gesture-based interfaces

Steven Spielberg hired a team of futurologists for his adaptation of Philip K Dick’s short story; so it’s perhaps no surprise that his vision of 2054 is on course to become disturbingly accurate. After all the gesture based interfaces Tom Cruise and co. use in the movie aren’t a million miles away from the X-Box’s Kinect system, whilst personalised advertising has also become an everyday occurrence for people who use the Internet.

Total Recall (1990)

What it predicted: Self-driving cars

Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)

What it predicted: Airport body scanners

Dick Tracy (1990)

What it predicted: Watch phones.

Videodrome (1983)

What it predicted: YouTube

Forbidden Planet (1956)

What it predicted: Mobile phones

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

What it predicted: Bluetooth headsets, hyposprays, Universal Translator.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

What it predicted: Memory wiping.

Woman in the Moon (1928)

What it predicted: Space travel

Jetsons: The Movie (1990)

What it predicted: Robot vacuum cleaners.

The Cable Guy (1996)

What it predicted: Home shopping, online gaming.

During his ‘Future is now’ rant, Jim Carrey’s cable guys yells: “Soon every American home will integrate their television, phone and computer. You'll be able to visit the Louvre on one channel, or watch female wrestling on another. You can do your shopping at home, or play Mortal Kombat with a friend from Vietnam. There's no end to the possibilities!” And do you know what? Apart from the Mortal Kombat bit, it’s proved to be a scarily prescient prediction about the future of home entertainment.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

What it predicted: Resource wars

It wasn’t even that outlandish at the time of its release, but as time goes on this Mad Max sequel starts to look more and more prophetic about impending resource wars. In fact Governments have already admitted that a full-scale war over natural resources is possible and the UN has pointed to the scarcity of natural materials as the fuel behind conflicts in places such as Darfur and the Ukraine. But whilst Road Warrior is worryingly accurate, whether anything from Thunderdome actually comes to pass remains to be seen; unless of course you know of a seedy Tina Turner-run outpost that is.

Enemy of the State (1998)

What it predicted: The surveillance state

Super Mario Bros. (1993)

What it predicted: The fall of the World Trade Center.

Network (1976)

What it predicted: Tabloid TV

Americatahon (1979)

What it predicted: America’s economic hardships, demise of the Soviet Union and the rise of China.

This oft-overlooked satire features a bankrupt American Government that must run a telethon to raise cash for its ailing economy. It also features hybrid vehicles, the end of the Soviet Union, China turning to capitalism and becoming a superpower, Vietnam becoming a major tourist attraction, smoking being banned and a future where The Beach Boys are still recording. All in all it’s an absurdly accurate take on the world we call home today.

The Net (1995)

What it predicted: Identity theft, online pizza ordering

Youve Got Mail (1998)

What it predicted: Internet dating.

If it were remade for today’s altogether more web savvy audiences You’ve Got Mail would probably feature a semi-naked Tom Hanks cruising for chicks on Chat Roulette. But this was the 90s, a more innocent time before internet dating had even invented yet. So instead of trolling the web he decides to meet the woman of his dreams via this newfound thingamajig called Electronic Mail. Trust us, it will never catch on.

The Man (1972)

What it predicted: President Obama