5 Old Movies About the Future That Will Make You Feel Ancient, Ranked
These films used to be set in the future, but now they are basically period dramas…
Here are five sci-fi movies to make you feel your age.
5. Until the End of the World (1991)
Wim Wenders’ epic sci-fi road trip drama is set at the turn of the 20th century. In the movie, the world is supposed to end when the century does, and the main characters, played by William Hurt and Solveig Dommartin, are trying to make the most of their time, traveling across the globe. When you watch this film in 2023, we can guarantee that it will take you back to the 1990s and make you feel like a dinosaur all at the same time.
4. Blade Runner ( 1982)
Ridley Scott ’s masterpiece, starring Harrison Ford, takes place in 2019 – a future that seemed far enough compared to 1982, but close enough so that the initial viewers would still be alive when it arrived. The film didn’t really predict what the future would look like nearly four decades later, but it did become a cult classic. It’s 2023 now, where are our replicants and space colonies?
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
In 1968, 2001 was a distant future, but now it seems to be more of a distant past marked by iconic romcoms and the first Harry Potter film. Stanley Kubrick’s depiction of the future was uniquely raw at the time, and many things did indeed come to fruition. For instance, artificial intelligence is barely a sci-fi element anymore, although it wasn’t nearly as developed in 2001.
2. 2012 (2009)
Remember when we all believed the Maya’s predictions and thought that the world might end in 2012? That was 11 years ago. Back in 2009, with all its disastrous events, the movie was eerie to watch. Now the only futuristic thing about it is the fact that so much time has passed since its premiere without us noticing. If anything, 2020 felt more like the world ending than 2012 ever could.
1. Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Robert Zemeckis’ time-travel franchise is arguably one of the most well-known, and the second installment is partially set in 2015. Flying cars aside, this film perfectly encapsulates that excitement when thinking about the future – the catch is that this future is long gone eight years later. We honestly can’t help but feel old upon every rewatch of Marty McFly’s adventures.