BigBug: A Futuristic Imagined Alternative to Life as we Know it
- GroovyHayley
- Feb 26, 2022
- 2 min read
BigBug is a new Science Fiction Netflix movie that was just released on February 11th, 2022. The setting of the movie is human life in 2045, during the revolution of Androids. The resident of one house find herself locked inside her home with some of their neighbors and friends, unable to escape due to her smart home locking the doors and refusing to open them at all costs. This event in the movie has a deeper meaning that applies to our current lives…we are becoming trapped by technology. The “Yonyx” are military robots that were attempting a political takeover throughout the movie. They terrorized citizens and had TV shows that displayed humans in embarrassing dehumanizing situations, such as inside of a zoo being treated like animals.
The social life in the movie was different than our current society. Citizens in BigBug no longer need to go to the store themselves or meet new friends. The need for finding a new parter has even been eradicated. They have very sophisticated and intelligent robots that can satisfy everyone’s needs. Being trapped together in the house, the main characters realize the importance of other humans in each other’s lives. Humans have empathy and are humorous, two important traits that the robots cannot possess.
During a targeted digital commercial towards one of the characters, the ad discusses an island that has distilled water pools, adjustable climate temperatures, virtual fishing trips, and hypoallergenic beaches. This advertisement was meant to open the viewers eyes and show how we take certain things for granted in our current society, such as getting to fish in real life.
In order for the BigBug reality to exist in our society, we will have to accomplish many different technological advancements, such as the ability to successfully create multiple clones of an animal, or the ability to have a robot that can do laundry and clean dishes. Artificial intelligence has come a long way since its beginning, but still has a long way to go before it is on par with the technological life in BigBug.
Another major topic throughout BigBug is the use of extremely targeted advertisements. Floating advertisement screens hover around every block, waiting to provide a very personalized ad to everyone. This concept was very interesting and deep, considering we are currently living in a world full of digital targeted advertisements all around us. It was terrifying to imagine our world becoming similar to the reality in BigBug. Advertisements following you around everywhere and listening to your every word, ready to provide you with the next product. It makes you wonder if we are already closer than we think to that reality.
This movie brought a creative style that is new to the science-fiction genre. If you are looking for a new Dystopian film to watch, this is the perfect movie for you! There are definitely elements of this alternative reality that are reflected in current conditions. Advertisements already seem to be on every block and website. Hopefully humans will continue to be cautious with the creation and use of robots, and never let artificial intelligence take over the world.
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This reminds me of reading “The Martian Chronicles” and also Isaac Asimov’s story, “I, Robot.” With the launch of the metaverse, this type of dystopian society is becoming more of a reality…and I’m not sure I’m ready for it.