10 Must-Watch Sci-Fi Films About Factories

Description: This silent film classic is set in a futuristic city where the working class toils in underground factories to support the lavish lifestyle of the elite above. The film's iconic factory scenes are a visual feast, showcasing the stark contrast between the two worlds.

Fact: Fritz Lang's Metropolis was one of the first feature films to use special effects extensively. It also inspired numerous other works in science fiction.

Description: George Lucas's debut feature film presents a dystopian future where citizens are controlled through drugs and surveillance, with factories playing a key role in the oppressive society.

Fact: The film's title comes from Lucas's earlier student film, "Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB."

Description: Terry Gilliam's dystopian masterpiece features a world where bureaucracy and technology have run amok. Factories in this film are depicted as oppressive, labyrinthine structures where individuality is crushed under the weight of conformity.

Fact: The film's title is inspired by the song "Aquarela do Brasil," reflecting the protagonist's escapist fantasies amidst a bleak reality.

Description: While not centered around a factory, the film includes scenes of the Omni Consumer Products (OCP) facility where the protagonist is transformed into RoboCop, highlighting the commodification of human life.

Fact: The film was initially conceived as a critique of corporate greed and the dehumanization of society.

Description: In this neo-noir sci-fi, the city itself is a factory, constantly reshaped by the Strangers to experiment on human memories and identity. The film's setting is a living, breathing factory of human experience.

Fact: The film was shot entirely on a sound stage, allowing for the city's surreal transformations.

Description: The film features scenes in a factory where robots are manufactured, highlighting the intersection of technology and humanity. The factory setting underscores the theme of artificial life and its implications.

Fact: The film was originally conceived by Stanley Kubrick, but after his death, Steven Spielberg took over and completed it.

Description: While not exclusively about factories, the film features scenes in the "Machine City," where humans are grown in pods to power the Matrix. The factory-like setting of the human farms is central to the plot.

Fact: The film introduced the concept of "The Architect," a character who oversees the creation and maintenance of the Matrix.

Description: In a world where emotions are outlawed, the production of Prozium, the drug that suppresses feelings, is shown in a vast, sterile factory. This setting reinforces the film's theme of emotional suppression.

Fact: The film's gun kata fight scenes were inspired by the martial art of kata, adapted for firearms.

Description: This film features a facility where clones are grown and harvested for their organs, essentially functioning as a human factory. The setting explores ethical questions about cloning and human rights.

Fact: Michael Bay directed this film, known for his action-packed style, which contrasts with the film's more philosophical undertones.

Description: This British sci-fi thriller involves a secretive government project to create artificial intelligence, with scenes set in a high-tech lab that functions as a factory for AI development.

Fact: The film explores themes of consciousness, identity, and the ethics of AI creation.