25 Movies and Shows That Best Predicted the Future

It's so chilling and strange to watch an old movie or TV show and realize they predicted the future – probably without even knowing it. There are specific TV shows and movies that are especially known for their prophetic episodes and moments. But which ones are they? And are they really predictions? 24/7 Tempo reviewed various online sources including forums like Reddit, looking for these interesting movies and shows. Click through to discover 25 movies and shows that best predict the future.

"The Simpsons" is notoriously known for predicting the future with their eerily-familiar episodes. This happens so often, in fact, that there is even a Wikipedia page dedicated to all the moments in "The Simpsons" that came true. Some of these include the Donald Trump presidency, Disney buying 20th Century Fox, the Ebola virus, and a fourth "Matrix" movie.

Moving on from "The Simpsons", we have "Network," a unique and satirical comedy film released in 1976. The film poked fun at television networks and all the crazy things they would do to increase ratings. While the movie isn't a carbon copy of the future, you can't deny that this doesn't happen now. The movie also technically reflected the world it lived in, but it's gotten worse over time.

"2001: A Space Odyssey", predicted a lot of the future, although very little came to be true by 2001. Still, many pieces of technology in this sci-fi film are used today. For instance, the movie used tablet/flat screen technology, which hadn't been yet invented in 1968. Video calls were also common in the film, which we have now!

This prediction might be a little bit of a stretch. Thankfully, we don't have TV networks or billionaires buying babies and staging a show based on their lives. We did kinda see this, though, in the TV series, "Jury Duty." In "Jury Duty" everyone is in on the show, except for one person – Ronald Gladden. The entire case is fake.

With a name like "Back to the Future Part II," it's unsurprising that this movie predicted the future. A lot of the technology used in this 1989 film we see today, like VR headsets. Smart clothing is starting to gain traction too, although it's nowhere near as sophisticated as Marty McFly's jacket. Another interesting prediction was frequent sequels. Although the Jaws series ended with "Jaws: The Revenge" in 1987, so many other films continue to gain sequels, even years later, like James Bond movies.

"WALL-E" is a charming animated film with a lot of heart and unique technology. While we aren't living in the same world as "WALL-E," there are some similarities that are shocking. For instance, it isn't uncommon to meet people glued to their phones, tablets, or laptops. Of course, it isn't as intense as the humans in "WALL-E" who are stuck in their chairs glued to technology.

Another film on our list that may have predicted the future is "The Matrix." This is not to say that we are all stuck in a virtual matrix, but the technology in the film is common today. The rise of AI is predicted in "The Matrix," although the technology we have is nowhere near as destructive.

Are you surprised to see "RoboCop" here? Don't freak out just yet, there aren't robotic cops terrorizing the streets. Still, some futuristic elements of the film are reflected in our world today. A few of these elements include smart technology and facial-recognition.

While 2019 did come and go, it didn't exactly resemble the world of "Blade Runner." Still, there were some things the film got right – kinda. The first thing is video calling, it was common in the film and is even more so in the real world. A big part of "Blade Runner," were the flying cars – as cool as it would be to say they are common – we aren't quite there. Still, scientists and engineers have created quite a few prototypes. Who knows, maybe one day we'll see flying cars everywhere.

Humans must be pretty predictable during pandemics. "Contagion" was scarily accurate as to how people react to a virus and how quickly it can spread. During this film, panicked people all over the world get sick or try to stay safe. This sounds a lot like Covid-19, thankfully Covid-19 was not as deadly as the virus in "Contagion."

While researching for this slideshow, "Children of Men" was frequently recommended as a film that predicted the future – or at least one that continues to. In this film, the world is chaotic and thrown into a thick depression as infertility is rampant. No children have been born in 18 years. Apart from this, immigrants and refugees are looked upon negatively and treated terribly.

Can you imagine falling in love with a robot – Or an AI system? This is basically the plot of "Her," released in 2013. This sci-fi film might not be all fiction. As more and more dating simulation games come out and AI progresses, who's to say people won't fall in love with machines?

Back to TV shows – "Parks and Recreation" has predicted the future a couple of times. This charming and hilarious series ran for seven seasons, so you can imagine that it's gotten at least some things right. Like what? The biggest future prediction the series brought up that most know is the Cubs winning the World Series.

1987 was a fantastic year for movies. During this year, we got films like "Predator" and "The Running Man." While we don't have killer predators on the run, we do have exploitative reality TV shows – they just don't involve prisoners. The technology in "Running Man" is also accurate as large flat-screen TVs are everywhere. Smart appliances are also common.

"The Last Man on Earth" is even more shocking and realistic as we've lived through the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic within the show is way worse though, but how people react is the same. Wealthy people hunker down together in expensive bunkers, and people go outside wearing DIY PPE.

While researching, "Idiocracy" constantly came up as a movie that predicted the future. We aren't there yet, though. The world within "Idiocracy" is struggling with basic needs and filled with people who know nothing. On Reddit, many users compare "Idiocracy" to the United States' current political climate and what's to come.

When you've been around for as long as the hit show "Supernatural," you're bound to accidentally predict the future. But did you know it may have given us a glimpse into 2020? During an episode from season 5, which aired in 2009, Dean goes five years into the future, one that is changed by a virus. He is even told to hoard toilet paper!

Interestingly, dystopian films seem to predict the future best. "Minority Report" is no exception. The technology in "Minority Report" isn't as far-fetched as once thought. Voice-operated homes and devices are all over in the movie and in real life, too!

Did you expect to see a series made in 1965 on this list? "Thunderbirds," set a century after its release, imagined a vibrant future. This future isn't too different from real life. Some future predictions that came true include technology like video calls, phone watches, and solar generators/panels.

"Demolition Man" is another film set in the future. While the film was released in 1993, it was set in 2032. In 1993, mobile phones were not nearly as developed as they are now, and yet in the film, people use handheld devices to video chat. Sound familiar? The movie even hints at Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming president (although he was actually the Governor of California).

How can we not mention "The Lone Gunmen?" This TV show only lasted for a season but has a chillingly familiar pilot. Released in 2001, the pilot episode was about an arms manufacturing hijacking/controlling a plane and crashing it into the World Trade Center. The same year the show was released, 9/11 happened.

In 1982, TV viewers from across the United States got to first see a show about a crime fighter and his AI supercar sidekick. While we don't have cars like KITT just yet, AI and self-driving cars are growing in popularity. We still have quite a long way to go before this becomes common. We also can't forget about Michael Knight and his smart watch.

How can a new show predict the future? Well, "Mr. Robot" did just that. The show managed to predict the creation of CBDCs as well as the Ashley Madison hack – sort of. While the show does mention Ashley Madison before the hack, a line was added after the hack to poke at the situation.

Is it funny to think that a Frankenstein movie may have predicted the future? "Frankenstein Unbound" featured a self-driving smart car with GPS technology. This is a common trend in many films. At the time of its release, in 1990, self-driving cars weren't around just yet.

"Watchmen" was a TV series ahead of its time. It was released before mass protests in the U.S. against the death of George Floyd and yet showed a reality where people wore masks to protect themselves and civil unrest. "Watchmen" was released in 2019 and ran for nine episodes.