source: onsophiastreet.com

One of the reasons I find science fiction movies so appealing is the opportunity to provide social commentary. Whether it is the latest Super Heroes, a new world or just a future version of our world, science fiction movies tend to focus more on our current problems then the future problems.

For instance, last night I watched Elysium. Elysium is a movie set in 2154 and throughout the movie you can clearly see the struggles of futuristic living. The United States (and the rest of the world) has become over populated and there are pockets of extreme poverty. Most of the rich have moved into space to a place called Elysium where they enjoy peace and tranquility, endless healthcare and everything is just right. Citizens of Elysium and Earth rarely see each other or for that matter understand each other. Two different cultures, with different values and access to different resources. These futuristic inhabitants clearly live in two different worlds – comfort and security or survival and ingenuity. Sound familiar?