More Politics in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Following yesterday's blog post about the politics of The Dark Knight trilogy, here is a look at some other science fiction, fantasy, and horror films that use metaphors and fantastical scenarios to confront the political and cultural issues of their time:

Night of the Living Dead
Each of George Romero's Living Dead films incorporate and address the politics of the time. The original is very much a film of the late 1960s reflecting the instability of society.


Land of the Dead
Under appreciated by many, Romero's fourth film used the zombie story to comment upon the George W. Bush era although its observations about greed and social stratification are more wide reaching than that.


28 Weeks Later
This sequel to 28 Days Later was a barely disguised metaphor for Iraq. Watch this film back-to-back with Green Zone and the link becomes obvious. Interestingly the film co-stars Jeremy Renner, who went on to star in the in Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker.


The Planet of the Apes
This series has commentary on race, class, and gender running through it. The original was co-written by Rod Serling, who used his Twilight Zone television series to a similar effect.


Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
The violent riot in which apes strike back at human (and predominantly white) slave owners was staged and shot to recall the 1965 Watts Riots.


They Live
John Carpenter's flawed but entertaining alien invasion story was a disguised criticism of the Reagan-era.


Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The original version was a reflection of Red Scare politics. The 1978 remake repurposed the premise as a criticism of suburban consumerist culture.


The Hills Have Eyes
Wes Craven's original 1977 film was a frightening reflection of America's experience in Vietnam. The sequel to the remake, released in 2007, attempted to do the same for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, although the metaphor and the film fell flat.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
In the original Star Trek series the Klingons were a stand-in for Soviet Russia. When the Cold War came to an end, the Star Trek series reflected this.