In a not-so-outlandish future a fascist party controls the United Kingdom using all the tools of oppression to stay in power.  Out of the shadows comes a masked vigilante who saves Natalie Portman from being assaulted from the curiously named secret police “The Fingermen.”  This sets in motion a rebellion of Guy Fawkes-masked folks who challenge the fascist government, resulting in the destruction of parliament.  This movie is based on a comic book, and its themes are thin as the paper it is printed on.  Despite that weakness, director James McTeigue, working a script from the Wachowski sisters, makes the most of the story to deliver a satisfying albeit rudimentary story.  The sad thing about this movie is that a lot of fascist-curious incel dickheads completely missed the point and adopted its imagery (namely the aforementioned masks) for their own brand of hatred.

In the late early 2000s, the market for teen fiction was flooded with apocalypse stories.  The pinnacle of that was The Hunger Games, from author Suzanne Collins. The universe of the Hunger Games is where vapid, blue haired elites run everything and keep the masses in line with annual death matches, enforced with brutal techno-efficiency from cuddly President Snow.  Their whole world is upended when a plucky huntress Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) gets super popular from kicking ass in said deathmatch.  The Hunger Games is a modern take on resistance, with mass and social media being the medium for rebellion.  What clicks is Lawrence’s performance as the steely eyed Katniss and the tense direction from Gary Ross.  Donald Sutherland shines as a Santa-like President Snow, who is equal parts menacing and huggable.

This movie may be a bit too on-the-nose for current events (read the Screenopolis review).  It depicts a brutal second civil war in the United States.  The USA is under the control of a fascist president, played by Nick Offerman in an unusual casting choice. States have rebelled, people are trying to avoid reality, and journalists just want to get the money shot.  Civil War is frustratingly opaque with its politics and meanders a bit at first.  However, late in the movie we get an absolutely harrowing scene with Jesse Plemons (who was cast at the last moment) that shows clearly where fascist ideology leads. It also reminds us that you cannot reason with unreasonable people.

In 2274, everybody lives an idyllic, hedonistic life loafing around in their pajamas and humping on demand.  It seems a computer, that looks like the robot from Lost in Space mated with a cybertruck, runs everything and ensures everybody is happy, healthy, and humping.  While the kids are glued to their Tik Toks and getting non-stop hand jobs, they forget that when they reach the ripe old age of 30, they die in a psychedelic ritual that makes the ceremonies of the Bagwan Rajneesh from the 1980s look positively cultured in comparison.

If all this sounds weird, then you obviously have not seen this bonkers movie.  If you set aside the 1970s Zardoz-esque production design, there is a strong story about how fascists use pleasure and ignorance to keep people docile and obedient.  The final scene, in a devastated library, is a not-so-subtle message that unlimited handjobs are not a viable replacement for knowledge and freedom.

When Rowdy Roddy Piper puts on those sunglasses and sees subliminal messages everywhere, you know a serious fascist butt-kicking is coming, and he is all out of bubblegum.  In this world, the elites are predominantly creepy, ghoul-looking aliens (and the sycophants that enable them). They use television to control our minds and keep us obedient.  Okay, subtlety was not director’s John Carpenter’s strongest attribute. However, what They Live lacks in sophistication, it more than makes up for in a hilarious, over-the-top plot about an everyman fighting back against our oppressors.  Keith David and Meg Foster are absolutely at the top of their careers in this supremely enjoyable flick that also revels in lampooning the 1980s-era Reagan Administration.

This movie is a version of George Orwell’s famous book of the same name.  Reflecting on the Second World War, Orwell was horrified how fascist states brainwash their people with a constant barrage of lies.  The original movie from 1956 seems tame in comparison to the 1984 version with John Hurt as the main character Winston Smith.  Director Michael Radford shows a bleak, war-ravaged England under the pervasive eye of Big Brother.  Radford made some interesting choices for this movie, but perhaps the best was the outstanding production design.  Many dystopian movies, such as Brazil and 12 Monkeys, would lift Radford’s style to depict a dreary, totalitarian bureaucracy that oppresses not merely the spirit of its populace but all the senses as well.  Unfortunately, the movie was marred with a dispute over music, when the producer Virgin Films foisted music from The Eurythmics on the movie.  This messed up the tone.  However, when MGM got the rights years later, they restored the original score, which improved the movie.

When I was in high school in the 1980s, I read this book by Robert A. Heinlein. I sincerely thought the book was a satire of the military, since its concepts seemed positively fascist.  Paul Verhoeven came to a similar conclusion when he adapted the book into a movie in 1997.  On the surface, we cheer for the young, attractive protagonists who fight the bloodthirsty bugs.  Yet, Verhoeven lays on the fascist imagery, language, and tone with the subtlety of a dump truck full of angry bees.  It is obvious to anybody (except Elon Musk) that humans are committing genocide against the bugs.  Meme-worthy performances from Neil Patrick Harris, Clancy Brown, Jake Busey, and Michael Ironside only improve the cheese-factor of this cult classic.  Verhoeven was fond of making fun of fascists (perhaps because he grew up in Nazi-occupied Holland) and shows up once more on this list with one of the best movies in history.

If you thought Logan’s Run was weird, Alphaville is weird and French.  You can thank avant-garde director Jean-Luc Godard and the French noir style for that.  In this movie, gruff Secret Agent 003 (in either nod to James Bond, or lampooning it, you can never be sure when it comes to French films), is on a mission to bring down the computer that controls the fascist Alphaville.  Seems this computer wants to not only rule through terror, but also eliminate all human emotion as well.  A lot of science fiction, from Star Trek to Blade Runner, took inspiration from this movie.  The movie’s style is a little dense for modern audiences; however, embedded within all the style is compelling story about the dehumanizing effects of technology.  Alphaville was way ahead of its time.  It is interesting looking back on the movie from 2024, under the lens of what social media has done to society.

The more I look back on this 1987 movie, the more genius I see.  RoboCop is not only a hilarious, over-the-top violence fest with Jesus themes, it also is a brutal satire of corporate fascism gone amok.  In the world of RoboCop, the government has failed, and corporations now run basic municipal services, like the police.  And of course, they bring their cutthroat efficiency that strategically positions police officers in the line of fire to be guinea pigs for a new cyborg project.  RoboCop is a more masterful work than director Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers, and more frightening in some ways since we can already see corporations slowly consuming traditionally governmental functions.  When Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) sneers to Bob Mortimer (Miguel Ferrer) "we had a guaranteed contract, who cares if it worked" it perfectly encapsulates the corporate fascist mindset of profit Uber Alles.  

After numerous viewings, what continues to amaze me about this movie is how well it accomplishes so many different things: it is hilarious, gory, violent, insightful, dripping with allegory, jammed with social commentary, and immensely quotable.  I’d buy that for a dollar. 

Among all the movies on this list, this was the most obvious choice.  Star Wars is the quintessential story of good vs evil, fascism vs freedom.  Darth Vader and his Empire are awash in fascist imagery, right down to the riding pants, jack boots, and Vader's Nazi-esque helmet.  Luke, Leia, Solo, and Obi Wan are the rag-tag rebels fighting to save the princess and the galaxy at the same time.  The sprawling Star Wars franchise has since diluted its core anti-fascist message with its countless spin-offs. Which explains why Vader and the Empire are routinely lionized in popular culture. However, the franchise occasionally comes back to this message, particularly in the movie Rogue One and its spin-off Andor.

What makes the original Star Wars movie work so well is the simple, unambiguous message that bravery, cunning, and hope can bring down fascists and their machines. Star Wars also hit screens right when the world needed it most.  The 1970s were depressing, and it needed a New Hope. Star Wars not only revitalized the science fiction genre for generations to come, but it also clearly showed that the struggle against fascism is important for both the young (Luke) and old (Obi-Wan) alike.