Top 10 Old Movies Set in 2020 That Were WRONG

Top 10 Old Movies Set in 2020 (That Were WRONG)

Nostradamus, these movies weren’t! Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 old movies set in 2020 that were WRONG!

For this list, we’ll be looking at the films set in or around 2020, but made prior to 2020, that predicted the state of the world this year incorrectly. Warning: spoiler alert.

#10: “A Quiet Place” (2018)

The most recent film on our list and the closest to 2020 itself, “A Quiet Place” follows a single family struggling to survive in a world overrun by alien creatures that react to sound. Naturally, given its proximity to the current year, the differences in technology aren’t that far off from what we have now, and the family even seems to be using more old-fashioned tech to combat the aliens they encounter. And here’s the thing: it’s true that much of the world is in quarantine, so the situation is sort of close in a way… but not really. The alien invasion isn’t — and hopefully never will be — a reality.

#9: “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014)

Speaking of alien invasions, this film is set in a 2020 where an alien race called Mimics have invaded Earth and are seemingly able to defeat humanity at every turn, with only a few exceptions. To fight the invaders on the ground, form-fitting, mechanized combat suits are used that augment strength, increase mobility, and come with built-in guns. As previously noted, the world is currently, thankfully, alien invasion-free, and although exoskeleton suits like those seen in the movie are in development, they’re nowhere near ready for deployment in actual combat. But watch out, future aliens, we’re on it.

#8: “Reign of Fire” (2002)

Aliens aren’t the only creatures to have overrun the planet in these set-in-2020 movies. In “Reign of Fire,” the culprits are dragons, who, after being rediscovered in the year 2000, proceed to spend the next two decades overrunning the planet and transforming it into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, with humans forced to shelter in more durable structures, like castles, for protection. A ragtag group of survivors and military members take the fight to the beasts, of course. Although we in the real 2020 always watch the skies, in hope and fear, dragons have yet to reclaim their place at the top of the food chain…or, you know – become real.

#7: “Real Steel” (2011)

Another relatively recent movie, “Real Steel” is set in a 2020 where the sport of boxing has essentially replaced human fighters with robots instead. The film follows an ex-boxer, and absent father, who must reconnect with his son, while also trying to get out from his debts in the ring with a busted down robot. In the real 2020, boxing is still very much a human competition. While robot vs robot contests exist, they aren’t quite at the level on display in “Real Steel.” At least, not yet. The technology doesn’t feel that far off, but time will tell.

#6: “Soylent Green” (1973)

Set in a dystopian version of 2022 (which is close enough for our list), the world of “Soylent Green” is one that that has suffered the ravages of overpopulation, pollution, and mass extinction of animals, leading to severe shortages in food, water, and housing. The plot follows detective Frank Thorn, as he uncovers that the titular food substitute, which is supposedly made from plankton, is actually made from . . . us. Although our own 2020 is not at the point where we’re eating each other to survive, our own environmental and population issues could lead us down dark paths if we don’t get on top of them.

#5: “The Island” (2005)

In this version of 2019, celebrities and the powerful pay for the privilege of having cloned organs as a kind of ultimate insurance in case of injury. However, the catch is that the organs actually happen to be inside living cloned humans who all have minds of their own, and who are raised in a compound, where their “reward” of going to a mythical island is actually just them being killed to harvest their organs. This is simply not reality in 2020. Yet it’s important to note that despite the lack of the movie’s central conceit — human cloning technology — organ harvesting from vulnerable populations is an all too real horror of the modern world.

#4: “Pacific Rim” (2013)

In this monster action film, the invading creatures don’t come from the sky, but from an interdimensional rift in the ocean. To battle these Kaiju, the governments of the world don’t use targeted nuclear strikes or long-distance weaponry. Instead, they construct massive locally controlled mecha robots with multiple pilots, who are connected by a psychic link, to punch them into submission. Huge walls are also built along coastlines. Considering cost, the huge increases in technology required, and how impractical, if awesome, the Jaeger robots are, we doubt we’ll see the like any time soon in our world.

#3: “The Running Man” (1987)

A seminal dystopian action film from the ‘80s starring AH-nold Schwarzenegger, “The Running Man” is set in a 2019 where criminals are forced to battle killers for the entertainment of the masses, with a slim hope for survival and a pardon. Despite some parallels today with the increasingly intertwined nature of entertainment and politics, “The Running Man” is pretty off-base with its depiction of modern society. Sure, reality TV is still a pretty big draw, but we aren’t into watching real people fight to the death on live television. In fact, the chances of this sort of thing happening today are – “plain zero.”

#2: “Akira” (1988)

Set in a totalitarian, futuristic version of 2019 Tokyo, rebuilt after a cataclysmic disaster and renamed Neo Tokyo, “Akira” follows several biker gang members who develop psychic powers. They then clash with the government and each other. As much influence as Akira has had on Japan, and pop culture at large (some people have even recreated that iconic motorcycle!), Tokyo is thankfully still standing in 2020, and psychic powers have not yet been definitively proven, much less been capable of the kind of awesome and disturbing things the espers in “Akira” can do with them.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
“Rollerball” (1975)
“Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet” (1965)
“Mission to Mars” (2000)
“Daybreakers” (2009)

#1: “Blade Runner” (1982)

Set in a cyberpunk version of 2019, the original and influential “Blade Runner” may be a fantastic movie, but it got a lot of things wrong about what the present is like. The grungy, futuristic world features flying cars, as well as intelligent humanoid androids called replicants who act as slaves. There are also mentions that humans have colonized space. None of these things have come to pass yet, despite advancements in artificial intelligence. And all the moments of this version of reality that could have been, are lost in time, like…tears in rain.