Near Future Cities in Film: The Dystopic Erosion of Globalization's Rising Tides

Abstract

Film, as a popular culture artifact, serves both as a medium for social reflection and a mechanism for provoking and predicting future changes in our increasingly interconnected global culture. In terms of cities and their social, political, and physical characteristics, cities in film serve as a means of commentary, expression, and a vehicle of experimentation with regard to possible future developments. This research project explores the topic of how near future First-World cities are projected in film with an emphasis on the consequences of globalization for future urban populations. By employing social entropy theory, the dystopian imagery and narratives of selected films are used to explain and contextualize the potential erosion of boundaries in near future cities brought about under the pressures of globalization.