This is the second in a series of articles where we’ll be covering the Top Dystopian Films. Dystopian Films are primarily in the Sci-Fi genre and feature a future society with a totalitarian or authoritarian state, humans living in a world ravaged by environmental disasters and a general decline in societal structures. Dystopian futures are most often found in subgenres including Post-Apocalypse Films, Cyberpunk Films, Future Noir Films, Films About Artificial Intelligence, Films About Robots, Time Travel Films, Survival Dramas and Survival Horror Films.
This second article will cover the Top Dystopian Films You Haven’t Seen from the 1980’s and you can check out additional articles by decade below. We are also going to include a Best Of subgenre article as a grand finale. There are so many great films featuring a dystopian future from the last 60 years that we felt it best to break down some of the subgenre’s forgotten and lesser-known gems by decade before we give you the Best Of list which will likely feature many films you’ve already heard of or have seen.
- Top Dystopian Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s
- Top Dystopian Films You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s
- Top Dystopian Films You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s
- Top Dystopian Films You Haven’t Seen – 2000’s
- Top Dystopian Films You Haven’t Seen – 2010’s
- Top Recent Dystopian Films
- Best Dystopian Films
In the 1980’s, two classic Dystopian films would be released that would have an outsized impact on the subgenre for decades to come. The first film, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) is considered the most popular film about Dystopian governments and its control over citizens. The film was based on George Orwell’s novel of the same name and popularized pop culture terms like “Orwellian Future” and “Big Brother” for a government’s use of mass surveillance and thought control of the populace. The other film, Blade Runner (1982), was a more stylistic view of a Dystopian world where AI (in the form of human-like Replicants) would blur the philosophical line between humans and robots.
While post-Apocalyptic Dystopia was another major theme of the decade, there were also a few unique subgenre themes that would emerge. These would include crime-ridden futures (sometimes leading to fascist and authoritarian governments) and the media’s role in support of Dystopian rule.
Post-Apocalypse Films were one of the most popular Sci-Fi subgenres of the 1980’s and would often feature many different Dystopian elements. One of the best examples of this subgenre crossover would be the Mad Max franchise. While the second film in the franchise – The Road Warrior (1981) – focused on societal breakdown and survival, the third film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), featured different Dystopian elements including the authoritarian Bartertown ruled by Aunt Entity (Tina Turner). Other notable films that featured Dystopian elements in a post-Apocalyptic world included Turkey Shoot (1982), Sexmission (1984) and Cherry 2000 (1987).
Rampant crime in a futuristic world was another prominent theme within the subgenre. The classic Dystopian film, Escape from New York (1981), included a fascist US government and its United States Police Force (USPF) and the authoritarian rule that develops amongst the inhabitants of the Manhattan Island prison. RoboCop (1987) was another subgenre classic that involved the OCP’s development of Cyborgs and Robots to battle a crime-ridden Detroit while also monitoring and controlling the population. And the Class of 1984 (1982) was a futuristic view of a world where the education system has deteriorated to the point that criminal gangs have taken over schools.
Media’s role in Dystopian societies would also be explored in various ways within the subgenre. The Prize of Peril (1983) and The Running Man (1987) would both feature contests where humans are hunted for sport with the media’s encouragement and involvement. Death Watch (1980) would feature a futuristic disease-free society where a reality show covers a unique case of a woman dying of natural causes. And another subgenre classic, They Live (1988), would involve the media’s role in broadcasting subliminal messages to subdue the population before an alien invasion.
Our complete list of Dystopian Films features over 220+ films from 1965 – 2023. This collection features Dystopian futures with totalitarian governments, worlds ruled by mega corporations, post-apocalyptic worlds due to war or environmental disasters and general societal decline. If you don’t see a film in our collection, it is likely in other collections such as Post-Apocalyptic Films, Virus & Pandemic Films, Cyberpunk Films and Survival Dramas. Also, as we’re always updating our collections and will be releasing additional articles of great Dystopian Films, subscribe to our newsletter for our latest updates as we post them.
Classic Dystopian Films from the 1980’s: Outland (1981), Escape from New York (1981), The Road Warrior (1981), Blade Runner (1982), Class of 1984 (1982), Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), Brazil (1985), The Running Man (1987), RoboCop (1987), They Live (1988) and Back to the Future Part II (1989).
Lesser-known Dystopian Films from the 1980’s that didn’t make our list: Brave New World (1980), Golem (1980), Crazy Thunder Road (1980), The Last Battle (1983), Z for Zachariah (1984), Music of the Spheres (1984), Loft (1985), Dead End Drive-in (1986) and Bunker Palace Hotel (1989).
Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Here is our list of the Top Dystopian Films from the 1980’s:
#10
Death Watch
Plot: In a future world where the disease has been finally defeated and everything can be sold, even the crude spectacle of death, the rare case of a dying woman becomes the morbid theme of a revolutionary reality show, broadcast through the curious eyes of a peculiar camera.
KBZ’s Take: This little-known film of the subgenre stars Romy Schneider, Harvey Keitel, Harry Dean Stanton and Max von Sydow. While it doesn’t have some of the popular visual and thematic elements of other Dystopian films, it does have a unique and prescient narrative.
Though the film is from 1980, it would have been unheard of at the time that the media would secretly record and broadcast the last days of a terminal woman. 40 years later the Sci-Fi premise in Death Watch has all but become a reality.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XeBfCt
#9
Split
Plot: Sci-fi story about a man (Timothy Dwight) on the run from a Big Brother-like security force.
KBZ’s Take: This obscure film from 1989 is often cited as a precursor to The Matrix (1999). But be warned – this isn’t a big budget offering but rather a low budget film with very dated CGI that looks like a student film project. However, if you’re a fan of Cyberpunk and Dystopian films featuring Big Brother themes of government control vs. free will, it’s worth checking out.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://youtu.be/4pc1Nta-3LU
Plot: During World War II, the passenger liner Goliath is sunk by a German submarine. Portions of the ship’s hull remain airtight, and some of the passengers and crew survive. Over the decades they build a rigidly regulated society completely isolated from the surface world, until in contemporary times a diving team begins to explore the wreck.
KBZ’s Take: We debated including this film as it technically wouldn’t be called a Dystopian film (by most people’s definition). However, we thought it had enough elements of the subgenre to include it on our list. It’s also a lower budget TV Movie that’s elevated by the acting performances of Mark Harmon, Christopher Lee and Robert Forster.
The film does take some suspension of disbelief regarding the people that have survived underwater for 40+ years. But when you can get past that detail, it’s a fairly interesting story that grapples with Utopian vs. Dystopian themes in the secluded society that’s been created over time. Recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://youtu.be/pyv7B8lkeJs
#7
Millennium
Plot: Two jetliners collide, and Bill Smith (Kris Kristofferson) is put in charge of investigating the accident. But something isn’t adding up about the crash — from the strange comments on the flight recorder to the unidentifiable object found in the wreckage. What Smith doesn’t know is that time travelers have taken the ill-fated passengers to repopulate the future. To ensure their mission’s success, they send a gorgeous operative, Louise (Cheryl Ladd), to the past to hamper Smith’s work.
KBZ’s Take: A mashup of Aviation Thrillers, Time Travel, Detective Films and Dystopia, Millennium is one of the forgotten Sci-Fi films of the 1980’s.
While the acting varies – Kris Kristofferson is good in the lead role while Daniel J. Travanti seems miscast – it’s not enough to take away from some of the better themes of Time Travel and Dystopia. The Dystopian future in particular is interesting though never fully explained.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/446Yb91
Plot: In a futuristic wasteland, survivors play a brutal game known as Jugging.
KBZ’s Take: This is another forgotten film of the 1980’s that has to be seen to be believed. Starring the great Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen, Delroy Lindo and Vincent D’Onofrio, The Blood of Heroes (aka The Salute of the Jugger) is a film that is hard to describe to people who haven’t seen it.
In short, it’s a very grim film where the game features gladiator-types playing a form of medieval football. It’s one of the more realistic views of what a post-Apocalyptic society might look like and is well worth seeking out if you still haven’t seen this lost gem.
Additional Lists: Top Post-Apocalypse Films You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) #10
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3WPEher
Plot Raven Shaddock and his gang of merciless biker friends kidnap rock singer Ellen Aim. Ellen’s former lover, soldier-for-hire Tom Cody, happens to be passing through town on a visit. In an attempt to save his star act, Ellen’s manager hires Tom to rescue her. Along with a former soldier, they battle through dangerous cityscapes, determined to get Ellen back.
KBZ’s Take: Audiences in the 1980’s weren’t ready for a film like Streets of Fire. Because it combined so many different subgenres – Dystopian Future, Alternate History, Musicals, Neo Noir, Films About Gangs, and more – it was a nightmare to market and the result was a box office bomb.
Fast forward a few decades and the film has become a cult classic that’s better suited for modern audiences used to genre mashups.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XdBwWp
#4
Turkey Shoot
Plot: In a dystopian future, survivors are herded into prison camps and hunted by society’s elite.
KBZ’s Take: Before The Hunt (2020), there was this Ozploitation flick from 1982. Sharing themes with The Most Dangerous Game, political prisoners and social deviants are hunted for sport.
While the post-apocalyptic event or how the totalitarian state came to be aren’t disclosed in the film, it’s still an interesting view of a Dystopian society. The film has a much inferior remake, Turkey Shoot (2014), so your best bet is to watch this original classic film of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Top Post-Apocalypse Films You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) #9
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3JoJwyR
#3
Sexmission
Plot: Two scientist undergoing a hibernation experiment, wake up 50 years later to find they are the only males left in a society composed exclusively of women.
KBZ’s Take: This Polish film is a rare treat that mixes political satire of Communism set against a futuristic Dystopian state. While the sets are dated, the film’s themes are not – and are quite funny.
Jerzy Stuhr and Olgierd Lukaszewicz are absolutely brilliant in this film as the men who initially enjoy being the last males alive but soon figure out the danger they are in. World Cinema Comedy Films often have a hard time translating their cultural comedy to other audiences, but this is one film where the comedy is universal. Definitely worth seeking out by fans of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Top Post-Apocalypse Films You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) #6
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3jh0wwb
Plot: In a futuristic society, contestants fight to the death for cash prizes on live television.
KBZ’s Take: If the plot line above sounds familiar, then you either read The Running Man by Richard Bachman (Stephen King), or saw the ‘inspired by’ film The Running Man (1987). The Prize of Peril is based on Robert Sheckley’s short story of the same name but tracks more closely to King’s novel and its Dystopian themes.
It’s not a great film by any means, but it’s an interesting curiosity to watch to see what a film adaptation of King’s novel could have (and should have) been. Try to find the original French language version if possible as the English dubbed version is horrible.
Additional Lists: Top Chase Film You Haven’t Seen #9
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ENqwWQ
Plot: New teacher at an inner-city high school clashes with the school’s tough kid and his gang.
KBZ’s Take: Featuring a Dystopian Future with schools overrun by gangs, Class of 1984 was ahead of its time in 1982 showing the eventual decay and growing violence in inner-city schools. At the time, metal detectors in school and students with weapons were unheard of, but the film was prescient in this regard.
The film’s theme is ultimately about the confrontation between Perry King’s teacher representing order and Timothy Van Patten’s student/gang leader representing chaos. Where the film excels is with showing the gang leader’s privileged background, yet he still chooses life as a thug.
It’s a very violent film with Sci-Fi undertones that is one of the best films of the subgenre and shouldn’t be missed.
Additional Lists: Top Films About Gangs You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) #2
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3RhNsTU
Comments 1