7 Best Dystopian Movies Of The 1980s

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Khuraijam Roger Singh
Nov 05, 2024

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

A post-apocalyptic dystopian action film directed by George Miller and George Ogilvie follows Max who seeks shelter in Bartertown, a desert city with no civilization and must try to survive and fight the barbarians.

The Running Man (1987)

Set in a dystopian United States, a police officer who was wrongfully convicted is forced to compete in a TV game show where prisoners and runners must fight murderers for their freedom, he gets his chance at freedom.

Blade Runner (1982)

Directed by Ridley Scott, set in a dystopian future Los Angeles, former police officer Rick Deckard joins the special agent team with the goal of eliminating a bunch of aggressive androids.

The Quiet Earth (1985)

Geoff Murphy's film centers on Zac, who survives a failed suicide attempt and wakes up alone in the world. He later finds two other survivors, connected by the fact that they were all present when they died.

Escape from New York (1981)

A sci-fi action film directed by John Carpenter, set in a crime-ridden United States, follows an ex-soldier turned convict, who is sent to Manhattan, now a maximum security prison, to rescue the stranded US President.

Cyborg (1989)

A martial-arts cyberpunk film directed by Albert Pyun, the story follows Gibson, a martial artist who must help a cyborg named Pearl and deliver the cure for a disease that will help stop humanity from going extinct.

Turkey Shoot (1982)

A dystopian action film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith, the plot centers on a political activist and an innocent prisoner as they work together to survive one such game and turn the tables on their oppressors.

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