With the release of 'Total Recall,' we contemplate futuristic fatalism

By Danny Miller
Special to MSN Movies

Dreaming of Dystopia

In the new "Total Recall," we find our beloved planet devastated by war. It is the year 2084 and the Earth is divided into two corrupt superpowers, Euroamerica and New Shanghai. Dissatisfied with his life in this depressing world, Colin Farrell decides to visit Rekall, a company that provides its clients with artificial memories of a better life. But Farrell learns that his existing memories are already something of a mystery. What does it say about our current state of affairs that we seem so eager to imagine futures for our world that are so bleak and terrifying? Let's take a look at some of the dystopian views filmmakers have given us about what tomorrow may bring.

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(Columbia Pictures)