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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. 🍿
Free TV isn’t free: Amazon is torching the Freevee app. It’s dead by August 2025. All that “Watch Free with Ads” content is getting absorbed into Prime Video. Jeff needs the money.
14 minutes and 8 seconds
That’s how long the average dog watches TV per day. Sure, they’ll perk up for a barking scene, but unless it’s a nature doc with squirrels, consider them emotionally unavailable. After that, they’re back to their real passion: licking themselves and judging your life choices.
📺 Your TV isn’t a tablet: Here’s a simple rule. Take your TV’s size in inches and multiply it by 1.2 to get the best viewing distance. For example, if you’ve got a 50-inch screen, sit about 60 inches (or 5 feet) back. Now you can binge without straining your eyes.
46%
How much of all U.S. TV use went to streaming in June, topping both cable and broadcast combined. Streaming is eating TV’s lunch, breakfast and dinner. And yes, Netflix is back in its hot girl summer era with 13.5% growth. Traditional TV? It’s giving “landline.”
A free upgrade could be hidden in your TV: NextGen TV broadcasts have more vibrant colors, a higher resolution, better-quality surround sound and interactive features. Newer TVs from Sony, Hisense, Samsung and TCL have NextGen tuners built in, but you probably didn’t know it. See if your TV has NextGen here and which channels are available in your area!
Streaming officially beats cable and broadcast
More Americans now stream TV than watch cable or broadcast. It’s a massive shift from just four years ago. The old guard is losing fast.
👑 Long live the king: Streaming officially beat both cable AND broadcast TV in May. The twist? Boomers sealed the deal, now bingeing reruns on YouTube, Pluto and Tubi like digital cowboys. The old networks are just looped SVU marathons now. Even Gunsmoke is streaming. It’s the Cord-Cutting End Times. Grandpa ditched CNN for cat videos in 4K.
📺 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.
📺 TV arms race: Get ready for more ads! Amazon Ads and Roku just inked an ad deal that lets brands target 80% of U.S. connected-TV homes. Starting late this year, Amazon will place ads across Prime Video, the Roku Channel and more, with smarter targeting and fewer repeats. In trials, it reached 40% more viewers with the same budget.
How to add a VPN to your TV
Unlock streaming shows from around the world. Here’s the easy way to watch anything you want.
🎮 Game lagging? Let’s fix that with a few tweaks. Head to your TV’s picture settings and turn on Game Mode. Then, turn off any “reduction” settings like noise or MPEG reduction. Finally, switch off motion enhancement or clarity settings (names vary by brand), so your button presses register right away.
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.
🔎 Where’s my remote? If it’s a Google TV remote, press the button on the back of your streaming device. Your remote will beep for 30 seconds, so you can find it. You could even say, “Hey, Google, find my remote.” Hit any button on your remote to stop the sound once you find it. I remember the first time I saw a universal remote. I thought, “This changes everything!”
Paying to unplug: What happened to self-control? Folks are dropping thousands to stay at places like Grand Velas Resorts in Mexico for a digital detox. No phones. No TV. Instead? Board games, snorkeling and outdoor activities. Most guests go crazy in the first 24 hours … but adjust by day three.
Reel look: Want to bring movie magic home? Turn on your TV’s Filmmaker Mode to tweak the color, contrast and frame rate to match the director’s vision. You can find it on Hisense, LG, Philips, Samsung and Vizio. Head to your picture settings and select picture mode. Don’t forget the popcorn.
Your smart TV might already be dumb
Some TV makers are killing off updates for models 2 or 3 years old. Here’s how to fight back without buying a whole new screen.
Free TV is having a moment
After years of paying for every streamer under the sun, young folks are waking up to broadcast TV.
ChatGPT ruined my husband — May 10th, Hour 2
Her ex quit his job and now spends his days talking to AI. Then I talk to Michaela, a bride-to-be using ChatGPT for a wedding glow-up. Plus, why your smart TV might already be obsolete, and TikTok pet psychics charging $100 a session.