20 - Sci-fi
Ex Machina - A24
Yesterday I wrote about my love for all things science. It’s only fitting that I write about science fiction today.
It’s my second favorite genre behind horror, and when you combine the two, magic happens. Annihilation is my favorite sci-fi horror film, followed by Ex Machina (both directed by Alex Garland), though you can’t discuss that sub-genre without mentioning Alien or Jurassic Park - the granddaddies of ‘em all. Nor can you overlook Black Mirror’s contributions to all things sci-fi, especially since the horror from that show stems from the fact that most of the technology used in the episodes either already exists, or will very possibly exist within the next decade or so.
And it’s in that semi-grounded reality where science fiction shines for me.
Sure, I appreciate aliens, genetically modified dinosaurs, galactic dog fights, sentient killer robots, and other fantastical imaginings that are heavier on the “fiction” side of the word and lighter on the “science” side - but it’s much more interesting to me when that weight is reversed. When a film, or book, or any medium focuses on the science, and creates a world that’s not so different from the one we’re living in now. Works that feature inventions that eventually become reality, or at least make a plausible case for how those inventions could exist someday.
When done right, the results are both intellectually stimulating, and terrifying.
For example, I get why people like Terminator. Futuristic killing machines are inherently cool. Especially when you’re looking at it from an action perspective.
But in my opinion, Ava (Alicia Vikander’s character in Ex Machina) is much scarier than a T-800 will ever be, because she kinda sorta already exists.
Those are the kinds of themes that warrant serious thought and discussion. The prospect of a dinosaur theme park gone predictably wrong doesn’t keep me up at night. Human-like robots that can do our jobs better than we can, and are smarter than us, absolutely give me pause, because they’re already here.
And ultimately, that’s the biggest reason I love sci-fi. When it’s at its best, it’s only considered “fiction” for a brief moment in time. Good science fiction is just science that hasn’t happened yet.