1982 Cult Movie 'Blade Runner' Was Set in 2019; Did They Get It Right?

Did you know that the original 'Blade Runner' was set in the year 2019? Yep, the future is officially here, people. The events that take place in the 1982 science-fiction thriller that told the tale of a far-off dystopian future is supposed to have occurred in the year that is just a few days away.

However, as iconic as the movie was, it appears as though they got a lot of their predictions of what the future looks like, horribly wrong. Either that or somewhere in the time between then and now, mankind fell behind on the movie's forecasted path. In which case, we better get cracking on our flying police cars. 

Ridley Scott’s version of 'Blade Runner' told the story of Los Angeles cop Rick Decker in a future filled with voice-controlled technology, branded digital billboards, and environmental issues.

Okay, so they did get some things right. However, the streets of LA have not yet been abandoned by people in search of life on other planets, and neither are they filled with flying police cars. Our police officers still chase criminals in boring automobiles that can barely lift off an inch higher than the ground. Sad. Don't these brave men deserve to zoom around in the sky in swanky aircrafts? Yes. Yes, they do.

Though technology has come a long way in recent years and driverless cars are well on their way to becoming a common sight, it will probably take us few more years before we get to take our wheels to the sky.

The closest we have to it right now is the drone technology, which could possibly be the key to the movie's predicted form of transportation. Apart from the unfortunate absence of flying cars, the movie also seems to have missed the mark on what it thought fashion would be like today. And having seen the costumes displayed in the movie, we're not very sad about this particular fact. 

For starters, these notorious shoulder pads. We cannot thank the fashion gods enough for having kicked this 80s trend to the curb. Women do not want their outfits to look like they forgot to take out the hangers. Period.

Thanks for trying, 'Blade Runner', but we'd rather not dress like the 80s had a lovechild with futuristic punk. But hey, maybe we're being a bit too harsh on them. Come to think of it, Rachael's fur coat isn't that different from the fur (or faux fur, ideally) trend that was a common sight on runways this year. And considering the trickle-down effect of fashion, it may not be long before you and I start sporting similar looks. 

However, in terms of makeup, Pris went way overboard with her smokey eye. Do we really want to walk around looking like someone used a can of black spray paint across our eyes? I think not. Unlike Pris though, Dr. Tyrell’s accessory game is pretty on point.

His over-sized spectacles are very hipster, which as we all know, has been one of the hottest looks in recent time. With small framed glasses being replaced by their larger counterparts, it appears as though the mastermind behind the Tyrell Corporation was the most fashion forward out of all the characters in the film. Well done, Eldon.

On the other hand, the movie underestimated us in terms of how serious we are when it comes to entertainment. Contrary to the boxy TV screens that appeared in the movie, we today have huge flat screens that can connect to Netflix, support video games, play the radio and pretty much do everything you could possibly want of it.

On the other hand, we do sorely miss the futuristic upside-down fishbowl style hair dryer we see in the scene where Deckard meets Zhora. Come on, beauty gurus! The Dyson is great, but it's not 'Blade Runner' prediction great. 

And of course, we must talk about the 'Replicants' aka the robots that look, think, and act exactly like humans. The day is not far when such machines will be walking among us without us even knowing about it. We already have the likes of Alexa and Siri who're scarily human-like in their interactions.

Also, how do we forget Sophia? Sophia the robot was even given citizenship of Saudi Arabia in 2017! And having seen countless interviews of this totally-not-creepy-looking-and-acting (ahem ahem) humanoid robot, we'd rather have 'Blade Runner' be wrong in this aspect. 

Whereas the folks in 'Blade Runner' were lucky enough to leave earth and colonize other planets, we are bound to be stuck here for quite a while longer. And though we are glad, we haven't yet screwed up the planet to the point where almost all animals have gone extent and had to be replaced with artificial ones, we can't turn a blind eye to how unnervingly familiar the climate change projections of the movie are.

The recent increase in natural disasters and bleak environmental predictions for the future tell us that the day isn't far when the sun will be hidden by clouds of smoke as seen in the film. Ughh... I'm not sure how I feel about the movie now. Dammit. Alright, let's just focus on not having to wear shoulder pads for now.