The article discusses dystopian narratives in film that explore the consequences of totalitarianism and societal collapse, specifically highlighting popular films like The Hunger Games and The Running Man. It notes how these narratives often involve a survival competition in which characters must fight to the death, presenting violence as a form of entertainment. The piece also references the earlier film Death Race 2000, which satirically portrays American bloodlust through a fictional race, illustrating how these stories comment on contemporary issues and societal anxieties surrounding violence and control.
In Paul Bartel's sci-fi actioner, costumed drivers with wrestling-style personas and custom-built themed cars compete in an annual Transcontinental Road Race, a spectacle engineered to excite the American public's bloodlust.
The most popular television show is now state-sponsored, a cutthroat competition designed to keep an agitated population distracted and squash a potential uprising.
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