Its no wonder Spike Jonze would aim to create a stark sci-fi story with social commentary. The director is known for his work with not only award-winning musicians, but with the king of social commentary himself, Shane Smith. The dare devil director even traveled with Smith on a quest to find al Qaeda. In Her, however, his missive is slightly less calamitous. Its more of a notification to society one sent specifically via a smart device. Samantha, the operating system to which the main character, Theodore Twombly, becomes desperately attached, is an obvious nod to Siri (the voice of Apples iOS). The relationship and the dependence that develops between the Twombly and Samantha show both our reliance on technology for everyday tasks, as well as communication. Perhaps the saddest bit of commentary is about the inauthentic interactions that result.
2. Logan's Run (1976)
Logan's Run is a quintessential dystopian film. Fear and ageism abound in this creative look at what it would be like to eliminate the voice of the future. The film depicts a seemingly pristine and exciting society that functions for the moment and its citizens only function till the age of 30, at which time theyre sacrificed (re: murdered). In this classic tale of the hunter becoming the hunted, the audience is shown what it would be like if youth actually was silenced. The results arent pretty.
Miles Young is a freelance writer who specializes in tech, sports and pop-culture. When he's not busy finishing up his next article, he's walking his dog or catching up on Game of Thrones.
