Why is dystopia such a reality in the media?

     With dystopian movies taking over the media sphere, why is it so accepting to watch a world completely turned upside down? Full of chaos, order, malicious activity, these are the common characteristics found in most dystopian movies. As an audience, is it normal to enjoy these types of movies? And why does it always have us leaving wanting more? As dystopian movies are one of my most enjoyable genres of movies to watch it really has me thinking of why I love them so much? A couple of films off the top of my head include In time, I, Robot, and Minority Report. 

 

The three movies above have a negative connotation of dystopia. We haven't really seen any representation of a feel-good, happy dystopia or else people won't go spend money and watch the film.  When the negative dystopia is represented it is often used by survivance, control, and power. All three of those words can actually be used in the Matrix.  All these movies share the same dystopian feel but in reality, all share the same goal. GET PEOPLE TO WATCH OUR MOVIES. The typical target audience we usually see in these movies cater towards includes anyone with eyes and the ages between 18-29. Being 17 and turning 18 in January, I fit the audience they want to attract. This age range by no means limits the exposure these films get. Considering how timeless the Hunger Games is, One of the beauties of the film is how almost every generation was able to find relevance in the book/movie. Having a target audience with such flexibility in what they like to watch allows for directors to become even more creative with their work. The film Wall-E is one of the most dystopic films to be made. This doesn't seem to fit the normal audience range we all were thinking. Having such a beautiful genre to work with dystopia can be interpreted in many ways, including an animated film for kids and pre-teens. Wall-E a trash-picking machine working in a post-apocalyptic type world isn't the most ideological way to interpret a dystopian film but a way to approach it.

Having Wall-E as an animated exception. Most dystopian moves are all marketed and advertised the same way. As unusual, cruel and messed up the movies may seem in the trailers this is what brings in the audience. So this circles back to my original question of why do we enjoy this type of media so much? Having access to this false reality gives us humans a break from the real world. We enjoy seeing outside the standards of life because it gives us that "What If factor". In ta more recent film The purge. This is where the government decides to make one day a year a crime-free day. Allowing all crimes to be legal for 12 continuous hours. This movie does not encapsulate the futuristic vibe of movies but definitely touches on the control side of dystopia. 

Dystopia creating a false sense of reality but yet becoming one of the hottest genres in the movie industry is really making us wonder, is this where our future is heading, or is it really just a movie.