Over the last few years, there has been a rise in the number of workplace dystopias in film and TV. But what are the essential elements of these stories? And why do writers return to the format again and again? We take a look at the key parts of workplace dystopias in film and TV, their context, inspiration and resonance.
Table of Contents
- The Rate Race on Film – What is a Workplace Dystopia?
- A Brief History of the Workplace
- Severance – a 21st Century Workplace Dystopia
- 1. Mundane and Surreal: The Office Space
- 2. “Low Overheads” – Neglect of Workers in Workplace Dystopias
- 3. Workplace Dystopias – Sharing is Caring?
- 4. The Little (and Large) Madnesses of Office Workers
- 5. Bureaucracy and Injustice
- 6. The Illusion of Freedom
- 7. Dark Designs: What are the Workers Working For?
- 8. The Everyman Hero
- In Conclusion
The Rate Race on Film – What is a Workplace Dystopia?
Workplace dystopias in film and TV come in as many varieties as there are types of workplaces. Equally, many films set in workplace scenarios can feel dystopian whilst being entirely real.
Dystopia: an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives.
Merriam-Webster
In this article, we’ll focus on films and TV depicting that most modern and ubiquitous of workplaces; the office. This seemingly mundane setting has been host to all sorts of mediations on the idea of the workplace as dystopia.
The most notable recent contribution to this genre is the critically acclaimed series Severance, which we will use as a touchstone to look at other workplace dystopias, and see what makes them tick.
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