There's a sci-fi film that many have seen, yet few truly discuss. It didn't spawn a massive franchise, didn't become a spectacular space opera, and didn't break box office records. Yet today, in 2026, it seems more realistic than ever.
This film is none other than Gattaca (1997). A world where you no longer decide your fate.
The story unfolds in a future where people are 'optimized' genetically before birth. Those who are 'perfectly designed' get a chance at life. Those born naturally start at a disadvantage. The protagonist isn't 'ideal,' yet he aims to join the most elite space program. He's not chosen; he's simply unwilling to let his DNA be his destiny.
Why has this film suddenly become so relevant?
Back then, Gattaca was 'just' philosophical sci-fi. Today, genetic tests are available to anyone, CRISPR and gene editing are realities. AI-based health predictions already influence insurance and risk assessments. The film's question is no longer 'can it happen?' but rather has it already begun?
There's another film that asks what happens if humanity no longer wants to remain 'natural'? The more unsettling, modern vision: Crimes of the Future (2022).
Gattaca – A Sterile, Controlled Future
In Gattaca's world, genetics create order:
- 'good' genes = opportunity
- 'bad' genes = limitation
- human = data profile
Here, society isn't violently dystopian. Instead, it operates on a seemingly rational injustice. The protagonist doesn't fight nature but a system that wrote him off before he was born.
Currently available on:
- Apple TV (iTunes) – rent or buy
- Rakuten TV – rent or buy
- Google Play – rent or buy
- Not available on streaming subscriptions.
Crimes of the Future – When the Body Is No Longer Taboo
Crimes of the Future approaches from a completely different angle.
Here, genetics and biology are no longer constraints...
but artistic mediums.
The human body:
- constantly 'redesigned'
- surgically moldable
- evolutionarily accelerated
And the strangest part: this is no longer a secret, not a system glitch.
This is culture itself.
Currently available on:
- MUBI – available in multiple regions (most common streaming home)
- Apple TV / iTunes – rent or buy
- Amazon Prime Video – typically rental / digital lease (not always subscription-based)
The Most Frightening Twist:
In classic sci-fi, the problem was that the system was too strong.
In the new narrative, however:
- humans no longer resist
- but actively rewrite themselves
- and in doing so, lose the boundary: what is still human, and what is not
We fear not only being restricted but also that one day there will be nothing left to restrict us.
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