As more details about Mad Max: Fury Road. The post-apocalyptic dystopian film depicts a terrifying future where inhabitants of the Citadel struggle to survive because of the scarcity of resources like petrol, food, and, most importantly, water.
It’s far from being the scariest dystopian city in cinematic history, as there are numerous other locations that have citizens living in horrifying or even deadly conditions. While these films’ protagonists may be able to fight for their lives and goals, the average audience member likely wouldn’t last too long in these hellish urbanscapes.
Elysium (2013) – Los Angeles
Available to stream on Netflix.
Set in 2154, Elysium depicts a disheartening future where the class divide has resulted in a stark separation between the few wealthy citizens and the rest of the population. Those who can afford it live on the eponymous space station where illness and crime are nonexistent. Others have to stay in the squalid conditions back on earth, particularly in Los Angeles.
Before Max Da Costa’s daring infiltration of the space station, the dystopian version of LA in the movie would be a horrific place to live. Most people are starving, sick, and overworked – the fact that they can look up and see the perfect yet unachievable home is just added insult to injury.
The Hunger Games (2012) – District 12
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Based on a 2008 novel of the same name, decides to the Hunger Games and represents her district in a fight to the death.
Katniss’ hometown may seem idyllic and endearing at first, what with its green fields and quaint homes. However, it begins to look scary once viewers learn how oppressed the citizens are thanks to the authorities from the Capitol. Plus, Katniss and other inhabitants are used to losing their loved ones to mining-related illnesses and accidents.
Children Of Men (2007) – London
Available to stream on Hulu.
In a dystopian future where infertility has become the norm, Children of Men follows the experiences of the disillusioned civil servant Theo Faron, who has an impossible encounter. He must journey through the chaotic and perilous streets of London to help an important refugee escape.
The usually peaceful and impressive City of London is almost unrecognizable in the award-winning film. The location has endured years of attacks and conflicts, mostly due to the fact that the United Kingdom is the last sanctuary for asylum seekers from around the globe. It’s an unforgiving and frightening place ruled by mayhem and disarray.
Wall-E (2008) – Axiom
Available to stream on Disney+.
It may have an adorable robotic protagonist, but animated movie that deals with the serious issue of climate change. It’s centered on the protagonist’s journey from trash-filled earth to outer space where oblivious humans have become dependent on technology in their daily lives.
The spaceship where most of the film is set might as well be a city, as Axiom is home to what’s left of humanity. Things look advanced and intriguing, but the true conditions there are terrifying. People in the film don’t even know how to walk, as they’re used to being bussed around by robots while they’re glued to their screens. It’s spine-chilling mostly because it’s all too familiar and easy to compare to the real world.
District 9 (2009) – District 9
Available to stream on HBO Max.
When an alien ship full of malnourished inhabitants lands on earth in District 9, the government decides to keep them all in the eponymous internment camp. Twenty years later and the aliens are still there, but their surroundings have only worsened through the years.
District 9 was meant to be a temporary solution to a permanent problem, but hatred and concern about the alien beings have kept them in their squalid camp. It soon becomes known as the slums and is no place for a human to hang around, as there’s always gruesome violence and crime around the corner.
Idiocracy (2006) – Washington, D.C.
Available to stream on Starz.
A U.S. Army librarian, Corporal Joe Bauers, finds himself in 2505 in Idiocracy. The hibernation experiment by the government has resulted in Joe waking up to a dim-witted version of what he once knew, as rampant commercialism and anti-intellectualism have turned the planet into a dystopia.
Washington, D.C., once the respected seat of power in the country, is portrayed as a ridiculous and impoverished place that sums up the nation’s problems in the future. Facing problems like nationwide food shortages, dust bowls, and an economy in shambles, it’s a terrible dystopia to live in. What’s more, it would be unimaginably lonely being the smartest person in that reality, which Joe soon finds out for himself.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – The Citadel
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action movies of the decade, as the titular protagonist’s chase scenes across the desert are flawlessly choreographed and wildly entertaining. The critically-acclaimed film depicts Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa’s attempts at escaping the cult leader, Immortan Joe, who goes after them with his loyal War Boys.
Away from all the action, the average citizen lives in the arid desert gazing up at the Citadel, which is Immortan Joe’s stronghold. The three towering rocks serve as the only means of irrigating water, giving control to the antagonist. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like living on the brink of death every single day, as inhabitants have no choice but to wait for their leader to give them a trickle of water or the War Boys to die a painful death.
The Lobster (2015) – The City
Available to stream on Showtime.
In The Lobster’s surreal dystopian world, people without partners are given 45 days to find someone or be turned into an animal of their choosing. This is an irrevocable rule of The City, which also says that those who are turned into animals will be sent off to The Woods to live out the rest of their days.
The film uses dark humor to deliver social commentary about romance and the pressure to find love. The consequences of being single in The City are severe, but viewers will discover that being single (or a loner) has its dangers, too. Wherever anyone looks in that future, it’s scenarios that are unsettling or bleak.
Dredd (2012) – Mega-City One
Available to stream on Peacock .
Set in the post-apocalyptic dystopian version of the United States in 2080, a cult classic movie that portrays a crime-ridden world managed by law enforcers given the power of judge, jury, and executioner. Judge Dredd and the rookie Judge Anderson are tasked with patrolling a 200-story high-rise block of apartments known as Mega-City One.
The huge overcrowded structure is scary enough from afar, but inside is much worse. Rundown tiny apartments are the only choices for its residents, who are terrorized by a cruel drug lord, Ma-Ma, on a daily basis. Death and violence are commonplace there, which is why even Judges are hesitant to bring order to the towering metropolis.
The Matrix (1999) – Zion
Available to stream on HBO Max.
The popular sci-fi classic The Matrix is a film that needs no introduction. It tells the story of the hacker Neo, who wakes up from the simulated reality and learns the truth about who is actually controlling their world. Together with the rebels, he must find a way to reclaim the planet and fight back against the enemies that control their waking lives.
Neo’s battle is planned and eventually reaches the underground city called Zion. It’s the last known city on earth and is a refuge for The Resistance, who can hide from the Machines there. The cavern-like structure and claustrophobic rooms paint a sad portrait of humanity’s fate in Neo’s world. It’s not as safe from the Machines as they would want it to be, either, as the enemies soon infiltrate and destroy it through a age in the Dock.
