There are many movies and TV shows which predicted events before they happened or future technology even before it was developed. The movies and TV shows have already predicted the future in which we are living right now. From mysterious events to technological stuff, movies have predicted many futuristic things which were just a piece of fiction back then. Presenting the list of such 10 movies or TV shows that predicted the future right.

1 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – Procedure of Erasing Memories

The movie shows the technology of erasing memories, especially heartbreaking ones. In the real world, researchers at the University of Toronto have made an effort to erase a targeted memory of events inflicting emotional trauma from the soldiers suffering from PTSD.

A 2004 film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, is an American, romantic sci-fi movie written by Charlie Kaufman. The movie is about two lovers, Clementine and her boyfriend Joel, who try to erase each other’s relationship with the help of technology.

It is a procedure that erases heartbreaking or emotionally traumatic memories. This 2004 movie accurately predicted the upcoming technology of erasing memory.

The neuroscientist, Joseph LeDoux of New York University, has suggested the idea of erasing memories, especially those that are painful, is possible in humans. Dutch scientists suggest that a common medicine of the heart can be used to decrease the impact of the traumatic memory or can erase it.

A successful experiment was conducted on a rat. The fearful memory of the rat was erased after a drug was injected into the rat which blocked protein synthesis.

The rat would still have the memory of the fearful experience but doesn’t have the emotional reaction to it. The researchers of the University of Toronto also discovered that soldiers suffering from PTSD can be cured after erasing a targeted and emotionally traumatic memory. (1, 2)

2 Star Trek (1960) – Smartphones, Bluetooth Devices, Terraforming, etc.

Star Trek, a 1960s show, predicted many future technologies like mobile phones, Bluetooth earpieces, universal translators, and medical hypo syringes. In 1982, The Wrath of Khan introduced the idea of terraforming, which was one of their right predictions. Elon Musk is already converting terraforming into reality with his plans to colonize Mars in the future.

Star Trek is an American TV show from the 1960s which has a history of giving many great ideas about upcoming generation technology and predicted most of the gadgets or technology that we use today.

The Star Trek (1976) – The Motion Picture introduced the first cell phone, modern smartwatch, tablet, and Bluetooth earpiece. In Star Trek (1987) – The Next Generation, the characters were seen using touchscreen computers.

The Star Trek (1982) – The Wrath of Khan introduced the unique idea of terraforming, the process of developing an Earth-like environment on other planets.

Although pioneers like Elon Musk are already working on the idea of converting terraforming into reality, he is planning to colonize Mars in the future. I can’t believe this show was so good at predicting future things. It surely was ahead of its time. (1, 2)

3 Total Recall (1990) – Self-Driving Car

The 90’s sci-fi action drama made one right prediction of self-driving cars. Now two decades later, fiction is converting into reality, as Google has been making an effort to launch self-driving vehicles which will be pre-programmed with GPS coordinates for the use of all people.

The 1990 movie, Total Recall, is an American science fiction movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie is set in 2084 when Mars is being colonized and implantation of false memories is done in people’s brains to satisfy the wish of visiting colonized Mars.

Many interesting predictions were made in this movie and one of the predictions is on its way – self-driving cars. In the movie, a robot was seen driving the car.

After two decades, many companies are researching and making an effort to develop self-driving cars to make people permanent backseat drivers.

However, many companies like Google have been working on the project of self-driving cars since 2009 and will probably launch soon.

Recently, AutoX launched a Robo taxi service in Shanghai, China. We can also expect Tesla Robo taxis. Self-driving cars will have pre-programmed GPS, self-parking of cars, cameras will track objects around the car, and it will have many more features. (1, 2)

4 You’ve Got Mail (1998) – Online Dating

The trend of online dating started with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan during the 90s. They met through ancient email messages and began their cute love story. Nowadays, online dating is in trend with popular dating apps such as Tinder, OkCupid, Bumble, and many more.

The 1998 movie, You’ve Got Mail, is an American romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. In the movie, both lovers meet online and begin an anonymous romance on the Internet. They chat through email messages without knowing each other’s identity.

Later, Joe Fox (Hanks) got to know about the reality of the woman he’s been chatting with as his business rival. This only email dating sounds very much similar to today’s online dating where new apps have been developed such as Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid, and the list continues. In these online dating portals, people meet online and start their romantic relationships.

However, online dating is not the only thing You’ve Got Mail predicted in the future. Things like coffee orders will be taken online, online meetings or discussions will be normal, people will engage more with computer screens, people will call each other by usernames, and many more. (1, 2)

5 Wargames (1983) – Online Hacking

This 1983 movie depicts a young hacker who accidentally gets connected with a military supercomputer and starts a game of Global Thermonuclear War, triggering World War III. Nowadays, hacking is dangerously common, an activity that was considered science fiction back in the 80s. Hackers hack into many systems online and create chaos.

The 1983 movie Wargames depicts the story of a high school student who inadvertently gets access to a military supercomputer while trying to hack a company that publishes his favorite video games. The US military supercomputer is programmed to predict the possible outcomes of nuclear war.

While he was thinking that he was playing a video game, he had access to missiles and triggered a military conflict between the USA and the USSR. When he came to his senses, he was doing everything to stop World War III.

Online hacking, which was just science fiction back then, is a reality now, and the movie Wargames highly inspired a generation of hackers and cybersecurity pros. This 80s movie was the perfect reflection of today’s reality where nothing is secure online,  and everything can be hacked by hackers. Today, hacking is a criminal offense. (1, 2)