--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The future is always a dystopia in movies." description: "\"The future is always a dystopia in movies.\" — Alex Cox" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/alex-cox-19686_cinema_the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movie_1186697.jpg" --- # The future is always a dystopia in movies. ![“The future is always a dystopia in movies.” quote by Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/alex-cox-19686_cinema_the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movie_1186697.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/alex-cox-19686_cinema_the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movie_1186697.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/alex-cox-19686_cinema_the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movie_1186697.jpg) > “The future is always a dystopia in movies.” [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Movies often portray the future as bleak, reflecting societal anxieties and cautionary tales. **In simple terms:** Films show future as bleak. Key Takeaway Consider how media shapes expectations. Themes media future anxiety Mood cautious critical Type cultural reflective When to use this quote - political - entertainment Key Concepts dystopia social critique Questions to Reflect On - of can affect public policy? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Dystopia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dystopia/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [...I've spent the last fifteen years of my life railing against the game of soccer, an exercise that has been lauded as "the sport…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-ve-spent-the-last-fifteen-years-of-my-life-railing-against-the-game/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“People always think the best is still ahead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slava-pilotoff/people-always-think-the-best-is-still-ahead/) [Slava Pilotoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slava-pilotoff/) > [“Perhaps every society is a utopia when you fail to peel up all the layers and look at what's underneath”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/perhaps-every-society-is-a-utopia-when-you-fail-to-peel-up-all-the/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [“There is no sanctity. 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Dystopia is not tragedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-author-is-not-impartial-dystopia-is-not-tragedy/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“He tried. That's the big thing. He tried to do the best he could with what God gave him. He should get a nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/he-tried-that-s-the-big-thing-he-tried-to-do-the-best-he-could-with/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Alex Cox > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [You can't change the system through violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/you-can-t-change-the-system-through-violence/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [In Goodfellas they have this one scene where the camera goes down some steps and walks through a kitchen into a restaurant and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/in-goodfellas-they-have-this-one-scene-where-the-camera-goes-down/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [And it says something about our level of disassociation, that we can provoke these wars abroad but we're not allowed to see people get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/and-it-says-something-about-our-level-of-disassociation-that-we-can/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [Yeah, I'd be happy to go back to Mexico or Japan to make another film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/yeah-i-d-be-happy-to-go-back-to-mexico-or-japan-to-make-another-film/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [I don't think about Hollywood at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/i-don-t-think-about-hollywood-at-all/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [Shakespeare, who is probably the greatest writer and poet of the English language, lived in a time that was politically very conservative and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/shakespeare-who-is-probably-the-greatest-writer-and-poet-of-the/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [The original deal we made was that Walker would be treated like a regular movie, rather than an arthouse thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/the-original-deal-we-made-was-that-walker-would-be-treated-like-a/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [One of my contemporaries, a colorless chap who worked much harder at his law studies, is now Prime Minister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/one-of-my-contemporaries-a-colorless-chap-who-worked-much-harder-at/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [Artists make their work to be seen by others. Well, really we do it to please ourselves, but whatever your art is, you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/artists-make-their-work-to-be-seen-by-others-well-really-we-do-it-to/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [No, I did a film called 'Death and the Compass' as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/no-i-did-a-film-called-death-and-the-compass-as-well/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [The greatest crime in a Shakespeare play is to murder the king.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/the-greatest-crime-in-a-shakespeare-play-is-to-murder-the-king/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [Sorry, but there is no pleasure in finding new ways of saying the same stuff about projects which tanked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/sorry-but-there-is-no-pleasure-in-finding-new-ways-of-saying-the-same/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [Justin Salinger showed up one day with a pink cowboy hat on and everyone else got really annoyed because somehow he'd managed to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/justin-salinger-showed-up-one-day-with-a-pink-cowboy-hat-on-and/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [It's interesting actually, what's gone on with that footage, and also what happened with the footage from the war in Afghanistan, is that our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/it-s-interesting-actually-what-s-gone-on-with-that-footage-and-also/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) [Explore all 32 Alex Cox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The future is always a dystopia in movies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alex Cox" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movies/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movies/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/alex-cox-19686_cinema_the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movie_1186697.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/alex-cox-19686_cinema_the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movie_1186697.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/alex-cox-19686_cinema_the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movie_1186697.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The future is always a dystopia in movies.” — Alex Cox", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alex Cox", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The future is always a dystopia...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movies/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/the-future-is-always-a-dystopia-in-movies/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```