by Milica Filipovic
The 2010s are defined by many significant advancements: new technology, new social media, new music, and of course, new movies. Specifically, the market for dystopian films reached its peak in the span of that decade. With famous franchises such as The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games, and Divergent, this era not only began society’s hyperfixation with dystopian tales but also skyrocketed the standards for book to screen adaptations. It’s no coincidence this genre became so popular; there are several factors that contributed to its triumph.Â
The majority of dystopian films in these periods were based on pre-existing books. Alongside the aforementioned well-known movies laid more famous examples of Ready Player One and The Giver. Part of the reason why these screen adaptations did so well was because they already had large fan bases that would watch. This ensured wide audiences upon their initial release. Once the films came out, it seemed as though they would never stop with the undeniable achievements produced such as an abundance of MTV awards and People’s Choice Awards for films across the genre. Both readers and new viewers were pleased and spread the word. It was clear that the film industry knew how to tweak these stories to draw in both old and new audiences.Â
What these movies accomplished that was remarkable for their time was providing audiences with exciting stories that followed up on themes of injustice and social conflicts. These issues were brought to light through escalated circumstances and complex characters. A great example of this would be the ever successful Hunger Games series. Put simply, these films follow a young woman living in an oppressive environment as she fights for her survival against harsh conditions put in place by the government to assert control. The movies have an entertaining storyline of sacrifice and justice while dealing with the various consequences of each characters’ actions in this system. The plot parallels situations we can see in our history of war as well as warning of what our future could hold. By bringing these issues into the public eye, viewers were forced to face the realities of how our own world is flawed and unfair.Â
Not only did these stories confront heavy topics, they were being catered to young adult audiences between the ages of 12-18. Younger viewers were being exposed to real world issues through simplistic and entertaining narratives. This is what ultimately made these films so successful.
Aside from the reasons listed above, the cinematography seen in each of these films was a result of the dozens of new innovations emerging at the time. With the continuing improvement of CGI and green screen technology, these movies were able to immerse the audience in new worlds and surroundings. This contributed to holding the attention of the viewers for the long streaming periods of these films that usually ranged over 2 hours long.
The overall downfall of dystopia started once it became so mass-produced that audiences grew tired and bored of the same storyline being repeated in different ways. Towards the end of these popular series, the viewer numbers slowly shrunk. This was obvious with the Divergent series when the fourth film was canceled following the low earnings of the previous installment. Many of the movies still hold a special spot in people’s hearts as nostalgic media. We have even seen a mini revival of dystopian content with the release of the Hunger Games prequel: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Although it is unlikely that this means dystopia will ever reach the same rates it did back in the 2010s, the films produced will always be around. We can see the effects they’ve had on both the film and book industry as well as society as a whole. These films are something to be cherished for the love and action that emerged with them. Their stories live inside us all and the lessons they’ve taught us will never leave.Â