If cinema has anything to say about it the future is a scary scary place. Filled with oppressive governments and dark and dirty landscapes, dystopian cinema provides lessons of what might lie ahead if we don’t get our act together today. One of the ways we can work to make sure our future is bright, emotion filled and without oppression is to look at the examples the heroes and heroines of these films provide.

Below are the Top 10 Dystopian Film Heroes & Heroines. For some movies I’ve included not only the obvious male hero but also the woman that is often connected to him. It isn’t right that only the men should be honored for their efforts!

So take a look and let me know if I’ve missed your favorite.

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1. THX 1138 : THX 1138

The end of this film is why THX tops my list. The boldness and fearlessness he exhibits as he moves towards the unknown exemplifies what it means to be a hero. After his girlfriend is found pregnant and he is arrested THX doesn’t give in to authority. More than that he never gives up the search for his love and his freedom in the tightly controlled underground world he finds himself in. Plus, who doesn’t love Robert Duvall!?

and learn how THX could have avoided (and young girls can avoid ) pregnancy with Planned Parenthood.

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2. Kate / Offred : The Handmaid’s Tale

Volker Schlöndorff’s film based on the Margaret Atwood novel tells the story of Kate/Offed (Natasha Richardson) and her life as a handmaid. In the story handmaid’s are basically sexual/pregnancy slaves for rich families that can’t conceive (in this future most women can’t). But despite the restrictive societies and the control her family has over her, Kate never loses sight of her real feelings and who she is. She teaches us that our bodies are sacred and should never be exploited. Plus in an interesting twist, Robert Duvall plays the bad guy and is super creepy (just watch the trailer..)

and learn about an awesome store in Chicago where people can explore their sexuality in a comfortable environment and be treated with respect by a knowledgeable and friendly staff.

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3. Sam Lowry and Jill Layton : Brazil

There is no doubt that Sam Lowry is one of the most endearing characters in dystopian cinema. He is genuine, a bit shy and always trying to do the right thing. Jill Layton is the woman he loves and in a way is a great foil to Lowry. She is a touch activist, fighting for the little guys in society. Together they represent the power of love and how all folks with all personalities can stand up for what is right.

and vote - so you can live in the type of world you want!

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4. Theo Faron and Kee : Children of Men

When he meet Theo he has given up on life. What makes him a hero is how he reacts when he realizes that it is up to him to save the human race. After meeting the pregnant Kee, he moves forward and never looks back, never considers his own personal well being. Likewise Kee is one of the bravest characters to grace the big screen in sometime. It can’t be easy to be the first pregnant woman in a world that has fallen to pieces since pregnancy stopped. She never loses site of her mission and forges ahead even when it is beyond scary.

So and learn more about The Chicago Women’s Health Center - they provide affordable health care to all women!

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5. Lemmy Caution and Natacha Von Braun : Alphaville

In a great Godard pic, Lemmy Caution and Natacha Von Braun prove that emotion is a very important part of life. The way they collaborate to be together and circumvent the system is awesome. Plus this is Godard (automatic bonus points) and Anna Karina is always a heroine in my book!

and learn about Scenarios USA - a group that aims to help teens with self expression through writing and film.

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6. Detective Robert Thorn : Soylent Green

Charlton Heston’s detective is a great example of how we need more people to expose the things that are corrupt and wrong in our society. He is the Al Gore of the future in many ways - working to reveal the secrets of the decaying environment and unnatural food sources. As we learn more and more about what we’re all doing to the environment and how the food we eat isn’t really food, this film and Robert Thorn become more and more relevant.
and learn how you can get involved in ensuring that we always have food that is free of Genetically Modified Organisms.

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7. Winston Smith and Julia : Nineteen Eighty-Four

John Hurt’s Winston and Suzanna Hamilton’s Julia are heroic for their example of how love is something worth fighting for. Despite living in an overly monitored totalitarian society they realize that they are both trying to rebel against the system and fall in love! Hurt is also labeled a “thought criminal” - I know if I found myself in that world I would want to be a thought criminal too!

to see how you can help reform our current”Big Brother” - The Patriot Act

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8. Ted Pikul and Allegra Geller : eXistenZ

What I love about David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ and the main characters is that they never appear to be perfect and we often don’t know the true nature of their actions. In the complicated futures of dystopian cinema, I think it’s important to remember that everything isn’t so black and white. The confusion about whether our main characters are in the real world or not also brings to light questions about how immersed in technology we are all becoming - as a blogger I think about that often

and learn about Child’s Play Charity, a group that uses video games to help sick children.

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9. Rick Deckard and Rachael : Blade Runner

Harrison Ford’s Deckard is one the folks given the task of destroying the replicants, a a group of human-like robots that have escaped their off-world colony. When he meets Rachael he begins to question his mission and the world in front of him, revealing much about what it means to be human. The underlying environmental issues also make their actions important in the realm of today.

While it won’t help the issue of destroying replicants, you can to make sure we always have clean air to breath and land that isn’t submerged in water to breath it on.

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10. David : Artificial Intelligence : AI

The most innocent hero on our list, David is a robot that can love. When he is thrust out of his safety zone he learns more about the connection between humanity and technology than most characters in technology filled dystopian cinema. David also speaks to what the future of prejudice could include.

to learn more about adoption - we’ve got lots of kids that need homes (no need to make robots!)