13 Movies That Depressingly Predicted The Future

6. Torture Porn - Videodrome

Videodrome Saw
Universal

David Cronenberg's unforgettable 1983 body horror flick follows TV executive Max Renn (James Woods) as he comes across a pirate TV channel broadcasting apparently staged torture and murder for the enjoyment of its audience.

Though gory horror flicks have been around for decades, the rise of the "torture porn" genre began in the mid-2000s with movies like Saw and Hostel relishing the graphically detailed dismantling of human bodies for the satisfaction of millions.

The darkly hilarious twist, of course, is that Renn is in fact watching snuff videos rather than staged vignettes, which is admittedly a whole, gigantic step further than the gore-festish films that land in cinemas every other weekend.

Still, with the Internet providing a more wide-open avenue for these interests than ever, where accountability is virtually non-existent, Cronenberg's vision only feels that much more terrifyingly current.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.