10 Movie Endings With Disturbing Implications You Totally Missed
4. Closing The Oasis For Two Days Per Week Will Ruin Many Lives - Ready Player One
Ready Player One ends with Wade (Tye Sheridan) winning ownership of the VR simulation known as the OASIS, which he decides to run with his friends.
His most controversial decision is to close the OASIS every Tuesday and Thursday, to ensure that people take a break from it and remain present in the real world.
At face value it seems like a sensible idea, and one that passes commentary on how aggressively technology is integrated into our own lives.
Moderation is key, except Wade's concrete solution doesn't seem to account for the many people whose livelihoods and mental health are maintained by the OASIS.
For starters, people actually use the OASIS to make a living - an entire economy exists within the VR world, which will be massively hobbled by shutting down for two days during the week.
In a world where chaos and poverty are rife, cutting people's financial lifeline off for almost 30% of the week is majorly irresponsible.
And then there's the fact that, for a lot of people who lack the mobility to explore the world either financially or physically, the OASIS is an everyday boost to their mental wellbeing, allowing them to interact with far-flung friends and experience things they never could in real life.
Does taking that away from them in such strict terms really seem like a responsible thing to do?