Imagined Futures in Sci-fi: Fight Club

I am taking a course called "Utopia/Dystopia: Imagined Futures in Sci-fi" which focuses on science fiction films from the fifties to the present. I will be writing a few words about each of the films I watch in class.

Fight Club
Directed by David Fincher
Released October 15, 1999

Clearly I had seen this film before, but not in this context where we were looking at it as an examination of a near-future dystopia. The testerone-motivated "fight club" designed by a disillusioned insomniac mutates into a vicious and unstoppable cult with members deeply rooted in nearly every organization and capable of controlling major events. This concept is highly disturbing but is balanced by the extremely dark comedy throughout the film. Edward Norton and Brad Pitt play perfectly off each other, and Helena Bonham Carter does a great job as well. Director Fincher makes his films in a highly stylized manner, and this certainly shows it. From the pounding opening credits with furious music by the Dust Brothers, this is one intense thrill ride.

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