From AI romances to DNA-based hiring, science fiction movies like Minority Report, Gattaca, and Her predicted today’s tech with surprising accuracy.
These movies predicted us
ChatGPT
I’ll skip the wizards and superheroes. Give me a movie that looked into the future and actually saw something real coming before we even had Wi-Fi.
These are the ones that got it right, eerily right. Some were made 10, 20, even more than 50 years ago, and they still hold up. If you haven’t seen them, add them to your list.
📺 Back to the Future Part II (1989)
It’s easy to laugh at hoverboards and self-lacing shoes, but this movie predicted flat-screen TVs, FaceTime, wearable tech, voice assistants, smart homes and drones. Oh, and video glasses? Sound like Apple Vision Pro to you?
👁️ Minority Report (2002)
Ads that talk to you by name. Touchless interfaces. Eye scans. Predictive policing. Facial recognition. Targeted marketing. This movie predicted half the tech you’re already using and the half you hope never shows up.
🗣️ Her (2013)
He falls in love with his AI assistant. Not Alexa. This is more like Replika or Character.AI, where people are actually forming relationships with bots. They text them, confide in them, say “I love you” and even have sex. This movie isn’t the future, it’s now.
🧠 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
HAL was Siri with an attitude. Voice-controlled AI, video calling, space tourism, all decades before they were real. If HAL had a better personality and didn’t shut people out of air locks, he’d fit right into today’s smart home.
🎭 The Truman Show (1998)
OK, not technically sci-fi, but stick with me. It predicted reality TV, influencer culture and how we broadcast every moment of our lives like someone’s watching.
🧬 Gattaca (1997)
Designer babies. DNA-based hiring. Genetic discrimination. This one’s a warning wrapped in a killer wardrobe. It’s starting to happen now, and it raises real ethical questions that we’re barely ready for.
🕵️♀️ The Net (1995)
Sandra Bullock’s identity is stolen and erased online. Back then, it was fiction. Now, it’s called a Tuesday.
🌍 WALL-E (2008)
Earth is trashed, robots clean up the mess, and humans are too glued to screens to notice. What was once Pixar’s dystopia is now … kinda familiar?
🍼 Idiocracy (2006)
The future is dumb, loud and sponsored by fast food. In a world where ads are everywhere and critical thinking’s gone MIA, a totally average guy becomes the smartest person alive.
Got one I missed? After you rate today’s newsletter at the end, tell me in the comments. I always want to hear what you’re watching. 🍿
Make a movie in a minute
OpenAI Sora
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, AI is changing everything. And now it’s coming for video. This is the future, and it’s so fun to play around with these new tools.
Forget editing software, green screens or even a camera. Now your keyboard is the director, the producer and creative partner. All you need to do is type what you want to see, and AI will turn it into a slick, high-def video.
📺 Just what we need, more streaming services: First up is Howdy, an ad-free Roku channel for $2.99/month with old shows and movies from Warner Bros., Discovery, Lionsgate and more. The catch? You’ll need a Roku device (25% off). Then on Aug. 21, Fox One drops for $19.99/month with live NFL, MLB and news.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
250 million
That’s how many views over 9,000 pirated movies and shows pulled on YouTube, before anyone noticed. From Netflix exclusives to box office hits, pirates uploaded it all (paywall link). YouTube’s algorithm even gave them a boost.
🍿 Delete Netflix history: You can remove shows and movies from your watch history to improve recommendations (or hide guilty pleasures 🤭). On PC, go to Your Profile > Viewing activity and click Hide from viewing history next to the title. Also handy if you’re trying to remember something you watched months ago.
Know what you’re getting into: Before starting a new book, go to How Long to Read to see how much time it’ll take. Just search up the title name. For movies, try using Bingeclock, and for shows, Tiii.me. Good sites for when you’ve got two days, not two months to spare.
😭 This made me pause and think: Jim Acosta just interviewed an AI version of Joaquin Oliver, created by the parents of the Parkland shooting victim. It aired on what would’ve been Joaquin’s 25th birthday. The digital Joaquin discussed gun control, movies and grief. His parents emphasized it’s not about resurrection but making sure he’s not silenced again. If you were in their position, could you do this?
🍿 Movie theater ad bloat: I saw F1 last night. It was pretty good but 70 minutes longer than it should have been, courtesy of 25 minutes of commercials. AMC is stuffing up to 30 minutes of ads to plug revenue holes, and movies will start later than the listed time. Order dessert, your seat’s not going anywhere.
37.4 terabytes
That’s how much junk data one IP got smacked with, in 45 seconds. Taking the crown as the largest cyberattack in history, the DDoS attack was so heavy, it could’ve streamed 10,000 HD movies simultaneously. Somehow, Cloudflare’s clients stayed online.
📺 Your TV, your rules: Some Roku wallpapers double as ads for shows, movies or brands. Don’t want your screen turning into a billboard? Go to Settings > Theme > Sponsored Wallpapers, and switch it to Off. Btw, you could save big on a new Roku Ultra (20% off).
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
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🎬 Not sure what to watch? Try FlixPatrol. It shows daily top 10 charts of what’s trending worldwide, from Netflix movies to HBO shows. Already have something in mind? Use JustWatch to find out where it’s streaming and go straight to the site. Saves time and all that endless scrolling.
Your Echo knows movies: Planning your next movie night? Just say, “Alexa, tell me about the movie [title].” She’ll give you a quick rundown on the plot, director and cast without spoiling anything. It’s an easy way to help decide what to watch.
Watch TV for $0: You can watch shows and movies for free — no credit card required. Subscribe to Clark.com’s free newsletter to receive more must-have money tips every day.
☁️ Your cloud library: Ever rented a movie digitally, only to find the DVD buried in your closet? Libib helps you catalog all your physical media like movies, music, books and games. Just scan the barcode and the app (iOS, Android) fills in the info. Their free plan lets you track up to 5,000 items in the cloud.
Don’t know what to watch? Hit up moviewiser.com. Type in the mood you’re going for in their AI tab. It’ll spit out a list of movies that fit the bill. I searched for “summer love story,” and the winners include The Notebook and About Time.
Netflix is updating its home screen: Well, they should for what we pay them every month. Live events like NFL games will be easier to spot so you don’t miss them. You’ll start seeing labels like “Emmy Winner” right on show images. And they’re adding AI to search, so you can type stuff like “something scary but also funny,” and it’ll suggest movies and shows that actually fit. Neat.