Many science fiction films often present an exaggerated depiction of the future of a world. Of course there are films that show years that have already happened or are currently happening. There are also some films that show what the year 2025 should look like.
What do the films have in common? The 3 films on this list are set in their respective universes in the year 2025. Each film shows a different vision of what the year 2025 will look like. One film on this list is quite realistic and shows a future from which we are not that far away.
If you can think of any films that take place in 2025, please let us know in the comments.
1. Pacific Rim
Crazy Kaiju action in the trailer for Pacific Rim
More videos
Autoplay
Release: 2013 | Currently streaming: Currently not available with a subscription, but available to buy and rent from various providers
What is Pacific Rim about? Guillermo Del Toro’s first film takes place in 2025. A portal underground causes gigantic monsters called Kaijus to appear and destroy cities. To protect people, giant robots, Jaegers, are used, which are operated by people inside.
What is the future vision? In Pacific Rim, Earth is constantly threatened by the gigantic Kaijus. Conventional weapons and defense mechanisms don’t work, which is why anime-inspired giant robots are used.
There are no such highly developed robots yet. Although robotics is a constant topic, it is mostly linked to AI technology. Unlike in Pacific Rim, we don’t have to defend ourselves against gigantic monsters. Nowadays, small robots can at least relieve people of small tasks.
The film’s sequel takes place in 2035, a full 10 years later. The series Pacific Rim: The Black takes place later, in 2038.
2. Repo Men
Repo Men – Trailer for the sci-fi action film starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker
More videos
Release: 2010 | Currently streaming: Currently not available with a subscription, but available to buy and rent from various providers
What is Repo Men about? Repo Men is a relatively unknown science fiction film starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker. In 2025 there is a company called The Union that produces artificial organs. You can rent them at high rates. But if you don’t pay more, the repo men come to get the organs.
What is the future vision? The big focus of the film is the artificial organs, which can even be used to replicate hearts. Research with artificial organs has been going on for a long time. You can see examples of this at TheScientist. Above all, 3D printers are used here. But we don’t have this on a large scale. A heart cannot simply be reprinted.
However, this technology is not as commercial and freely available as in Repo Men. Here it is used less for healing and more for profit. That is also the satire in the film. A company rents out artificial organs and kills people who can no longer pay.
3. Her
Release: 2013 | Currently streaming: Currently not available with a subscription, but available to buy and rent from various providers
What is Her about? Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore, a writer who is going through a divorce. He buys a new AI operating system. With the AI Samantha, he spends hours and days just talking. This even goes so far that he falls in love with the operating system.
What is the future vision? Her seems like a film that could be set today. There are no giant robots or flying cars, but there are advances in AI technology. You can also talk to AIs like ChatGTP in real life. Unlike Samantha, they don’t yet have an empathetic consciousness.
Her shows a world in which loneliness is becoming ever greater. This is also shown by various studies about our world. A study by the Bertelsmann Foundation from 2024 shows that every second young person feels lonely (via ZDF). Virtual worlds act like a refuge, which can also reach dimensions like that of Theodore in Her.
However, today’s AI technology is not as sophisticated as in Her. Nevertheless, Her is a fantastic film to understand why the topic is becoming more and more present. MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski discussed this in her own article: If you want to understand the hype surrounding AIs like ChatGTP, watch this film now