9. Equilibrium (2002)
Dystopian futures are a staple of the science fiction genre and for good reason the concept is a highly intriguing one with a wealth of possibilities to explore, though many films that use it as a storyline backdrop are ultimately underwhelming despite how interesting their premise is. Kurt Wimmers Equilibrium is unfortunately one of these, though it is by no means unwatchable. In a world where feelings and emotions are forbidden and individuals must take daily doses of drugs to suppress their emotions, Christian Bale plays the role of John Preston, an enforcement officer who begins to question the morality of his actions, joining a resistance movement and engaging in a number of stylish gun fu sequences more frequently seen in Hong Kong cinema than Hollywood. Bean plays the role of Bales partner, Errol Partridge, who takes a book of poems rather than incinerating them, as per protocol, during a raid and is executed in cold-blooded fashion (as he reads Yeats, no less) by Preston as a result (at the 00.24 mark in the video at this article's start.) It is a death that comes unexpectedly early (given Beans star power at the time in comparison to the rest of the cast), but is a defining moment of the film as it begins Prestons path to righteousness. And here it is again...