When we think of sci-fi, the first movies that come to our minds are “Star Wars” or “Star Trek”. These movies have been popular for ages, and we saw them as another fantasy-inspired saga.
We would watch them and know something like that would never happen. However, there are some retro movies that predicted how we live today.
When we first watched them, their topics seemed like a far-fetched reality, but looking back, some of them predicted the way we live now.
It makes you wonder, can the movies we make now predict what we will experience in the future? Nevertheless, there are some eerily accurate predictions, and here are the best ones.
1. Back to the Future Part II (1989): Video Calls and Smart Homes
We were mostly distracted by the hoverboards, but this movie surprisingly predicted FaceTime, fingerprint locks, and voice-activated appliances.
Also, some never-before-seen features are used now – from remote-controlled dog walkers to smart TVs.
It was surprisingly spot-on with the predictions. Even the idea of scanning your eyes to enter your home feels very familiar now.
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Voice Assistants and AI
HAL 9000 was nothing less than terrifying, but it laid the groundwork for what we know today as Siri and Alexa.
This film from the ’60s imagined calm-voiced computers that were capable of conversation and control.
It seemed scary at the time, but today, we are more than happy to use our AI assistants, sometimes even too much. Let’s just hope our AIs never learn to lock the doors.
3. Minority Report (2002): Personalized Ads and Gesture Control
Though it is just on the edge of “retro,” this film showed ads reading your mind. Sounds familiar, right?
Targeted marketing, eye-tracking tech, and hand-swipe interfaces definitely predicted the way we’re living (in a toned-down version of its future).
Also, it showed police monitoring our data, which is totally relatable to us in 2025.
4. Blade Runner (1982): Urban Overload and Digital Billboards
Blade Runner gave us dark, neon-soaked cities with giant animated ads. Doesn’t that remind you of a random Tuesday in Times Square?
This film surely predicted an overcrowded world that was dominated by constant marketing noise. I would say that the marketing noise we live through every day is nothing short of.
Another thing it highlighted was an early vision of synthetic humans, which we’re definitely seeing more of every year.
5. Total Recall (1990): Virtual Vacations and Memory Manipulation
VR is a totally new concept, but it was somehow introduced in Total Recall. It felt like wild fiction then, but now it feels very familiar.
AI-powered escapism is something we all consume daily, from Instagram reels to AI-created videos on YouTube.
We may not implant memories (yet), but virtual vacations are not a strange phenomenon anymore.
Also, filters and Photoshop are nothing strange nowadays, while they were highly unrealistic back then.
6. The Truman Show (1998): Reality TV and Surveillance Culture
This movie was highly disturbing for many – the idea that people are watching your every step is beyond creepy.
But, is it? Today, social media has turned many of us into our own 24/7 broadcast where we show the world what we eat, wear, or when we sleep.
Manufactured realities in this movie are much more realistic with influencers and social media. What was once a scary concept has become the norm today.
7. Robocop (1987): Police Tech and Corporate Overreach
The idea of robots enforcing the law felt very dystopian. However, now we use drones, AI surveillance, and more, which begs the question, was it really that far-fetched?
Also, it predicted private corporations influencing public safety, which is totally familiar to all of us now.
Sure, there are no cyborg officers, but the vibes are quite there. Until we start seeing them on the streets very soon…
8. Gattaca (1997): Genetic Engineering and Designer Babies
Gene editing was once seen as impossible and was only used as a perfect plot for a sci-fi movie.
However, today, it is an ethical debate in real life. Some say it is playing God, others say it is how we advance as a species.
We are hearing more and more about CRISPR and gene-editing in the news, so Gattaca’s world of DNA-based status isn’t so distant.
This movie provoked many minds and raised many questions, which we are still answering today.
9. Demolition Man (1993): Contactless Everything and Cancel Culture
Back when everything was face-to-face, virtual meetings were considered impossible.
Wi-Fi and Zoom were not even comprehensible. However, this movie predicted it, almost too accurately. Also, cash was everything, so to imagine the world without cash was scary.
These things are a norm now, and we do not see them as odd at all. Futuristic at the time, realistic now, even the cancel culture was hinted at. It was surely weird, wild, and a little too accurate in hindsight.
10. Her (2013): AI Romance and Emotional Tech Dependency
Though not deeply retro, this movie proves that humans long for connection – even if it means with something non-human.
Voice assistants, loneliness, and tech companionship are all part of today’s everyday reality, and some do take it to the next level.
The best proof of this is the news that many users of AI are actually falling in love with them – because they sound like their perfect partners. ‘Her’ predicted this, and although it seemed far-fetched, it is a scary reality now.
