Typical Dystopian Synopsis

WARNING: This post contains spoilers

Whilst writing my film synopsis I decided to analyse four of my favourite dystopian films and TV shows.

The Scorch Trials

The Gladers escaped the Maze, now Thomas, Teresa, Newt, Minho and the other Gladers face a deadly disease called the Flare and their so called rescuers aren't who they made out to be. With fellow teens being taken to the 'Safe Haven' each day Thomas and his friend, Aris must figure out everyone's fate. The Gladers' journey takes them into the Scorch, the wasteland which was once our world. After teaming up with the resistance they challenge WCKD itself, resulting in a worse fate than they had already been. 

The 100 - Season 1

Set 97 years after a nuclear apocalypse that wiped out most of humanity, the surviving human race live in space in a large space station formed by many called 'the Ark', where about 2,400 people live. Due to having been in space for so long, resources are scarce and all crimes are punishable by death unless you are under 18. 

When the Ark's support systems begin to fail, one hundred juvenile prisoners are declared expendable and are sent down to Earth. On arrival, the teens find the Earth as the beautiful planet they always dreamt it was but struggle to form a close community. However, they discover that there were other survivors and are quickly called 'grounders' by the teens who quickly realise that they are not welcome to the 'grounders' and must group together to survive. 

Moon

Sam Bell has a 3 year contract to work for Lunar Industries. For the contract's entire duration, he is the sole employee based on the lunar station. His primary job is to harvest and periodically rocket back to Earth supplies of helium-3, the current clean and abundant fuel on Earth. There is no direct communication link available between the lunar station and Earth and therefore the only interaction he gets is with GERTY who is an intelligent computer that tends to his every day needs. With little human contact he believes that three years is too long to be in complete isolation and begins to hallucinate near the end of the contract. All he wants is to return to Earth to be with his wife, Tess and their infant daughter, Eve who was born shortly before he left for the lunar station. Two weeks before he goes home he has an accident at one of the mechanical harvesters. Injured, he awakens back at the station in the infirmary, he assumes assisted by GERTY. GERTY tells him that a rescue team called Eliza will come to help after the accident. After recovering he goes back to broken harvester and finds an unbelievable discovery causing him to doubt his sanity and then his own identity. GERTY's willingness to what is best for Sam tips him over the edge and the only thing he cares about is getting back to Earth on his own. 

V for Vendetta

In the not too distant future, Britain is filled with torture cells, unfair punishments and prejudice against minorities. However in the midst of the chaos, one man by the name of V dares to stand up to the government and is labeled as a terrorist. One night V rescues an innocent woman called Evey Hammond and an unlikely bond is formed between the two which results with Evey becoming V's ally. But though V may be charismatic and have a passion for justice he is also bitter and has his own personal hatred against the government after what they did to him in the past. As November 5 approaches V and his followers decide to stand up to the government. Meanwhile, Detective Finch becomes more and more determined to uncover the truth about V, leading him to question if he's on the right side or not - especially after the truth about the St Mary's virus begins to surface.

Throughout all of these I noticed the main things that these films had in common are that they are aimed at a young adult audience, contain a plot line with an incurable or dangerous disease in it, main characters are struggling to fit in or are in some way excluded by society and things are never as they seem to be. 

I have considered these things for the synopsis of my own 2 minute film opening.