Soylent Green at 50: Lessons from a Dystopian Future

As we mark June 15, 2025, the dystopian vision of Soylent Green (1973), set in an overpopulated, resource-starved 2022, feels both dated and hauntingly relevant. The film’s grim prophecy—humans unknowingly consuming processed remains amid ecological collapse—never came to pass, thankfully. Yet, its warnings about environmental neglect, social inequality, and unchecked corporate power resonate in our mid-2025 world.

In Soylent Green’s 2022, New York City housed 40 million people, food was rationed, and the elite controlled scarce resources. Today, global population growth has stabilized, with urban centers like Paris and Tokyo managing density through sustainable urban planning. Advances in lab-grown proteins and vertical farming have averted food crises, though access disparities persist. Climate change, a central theme in the film, remains a pressing issue. Rising sea levels threaten coastal cities, and extreme weather events disproportionately impact poorer nations, echoing the film’s class divides.

The movie’s cautionary tale about corporate greed also hits home. In 2025, mega-corporations dominate sectors like AI and biotech, raising ethical questions about data privacy and genetic engineering. While we’ve avoided Soylent Green’s cannibalistic nightmare, the risk of prioritizing profit over people lingers.

Reflecting on Soylent Green at its 50th anniversary, we’re reminded that dystopias aren’t inevitable. Collective action—through policy, innovation, and grassroots movements—has pulled us back from the brink. Yet, the film urges vigilance. To secure a just, sustainable future, we must address inequality, protect our planet, and hold power accountable. Let’s heed its lessons before our own 2073 arrives.