Science fiction has always served as a reflection of the real world, even when wrapped in futuristic technology and dystopian settings. While many films exaggerate what the future might look like, the genre often gets one thing right: human behavior rarely changes, no matter how advanced society becomes. That’s what makes older sci-fi films so fascinating to revisit once the “future year” they predicted finally arrives.

Now that the world has officially reached 2026, it is worth looking back at the movies that boldly used this year as their backdrop long before anyone living today ever experienced it. Some of these films were wildly imaginative, while others unintentionally captured themes that feel disturbingly relevant.

Which sci-fi movies truly took audiences to 2026 before reality did?

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis is widely regarded as one of the most influential science fiction films ever made, and surprisingly, its story is set in 2026. Released in 1927, the film presents a futuristic dystopia where society is sharply divided between the wealthy elite living above ground in towering skyscrapers and the working class forced to toil underground to keep the city running. Its visual style helped shape the future of sci-fi cinema, but its core message about class inequality remains the film’s most powerful element.

What makes Metropolis feel even more relevant today is its warning about technology being used as a weapon of control. The film features Maria, a symbol of hope for the oppressed, only for the ruling class to create a robot version of her in an attempt to manipulate and discredit her influence.

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While modern society may not have humanoid robots walking the streets, the film’s idea of artificial intelligence being used to distort truth and influence the masses feels eerily accurate in today’s era of AI-generated misinformation.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes takes place in 2026, ten years after a deadly pandemic wipes out much of humanity. The film follows Caesar and his growing ape civilization as they build a new society in the ruins of the old world.

Meanwhile, the remaining human survivors struggle to maintain stability, creating a fragile situation where both species are forced to share limited resources. The tension becomes the heart of the film, showing how fear and survival instincts can quickly push communities toward conflict.

Although the film’s premise is fantastical, its themes feel grounded in reality. It explores how societies become vulnerable after major global disasters and how charismatic leaders can exploit fear to justify violence. The conflict between Caesar’s hope for peace and Koba’s desire for war reflects the way division can grow during uncertain times, making Dawn of the Planet of the Apes one of the most unsettlingly relevant sci-fi films set in 2026.

The 2005 film Doom, based on the popular video game franchise, begins in 2026 with humanity making a groundbreaking scientific discovery: a wormhole that allows instant travel to Mars. This discovery marks the start of a new era of space exploration, positioning the red planet as the next frontier for mankind. While the film quickly shifts away from realistic sci-fi and into action-horror territory, its use of 2026 as the launch point for interplanetary travel is still notable.

After establishing the discovery, the movie jumps ahead to 2046, where most of the story takes place inside a Martian research facility overrun by monstrous creatures. While Doom does not carry the same layered social commentary as the other films on this list, it captures the long-standing sci-fi obsession with Mars colonization. Its exaggerated depiction of what could go wrong also taps into a familiar fear: that humanity’s hunger to explore space may come with consequences beyond imagination.

Now that 2026 is no longer science fiction but real life, these films feel like strange time capsules, reminders that the future may not arrive exactly as predicted, but the fears that inspire it often remain the same.

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Which sci-fi movie set in 2026 feels the most realistic today? Let us know in the comments!