Retro Futurism and Telekinesis

Being an avid anime watcher like myself, I have way too many recommendations to give out on what’s the best to watch out there. I am a big fan of the late 80s feature film Akira. It circles around a biker gang leader named Kaneda trying to get back his friend Tetsuo who has been kidnapped by the government in a dystopian, futuristic, neo-Tokyo, set in what’s supposed to be 2019. When Kaneda and his gang try to take him back, they come to find out that he has psychic powers, which proves a problem for them. It’s a very action packed, visually pleasing, and sometimes even disturbing film to look at. This movie has a lot of aspects about it that you might want to search for in different titles. If you like futuristic films such as this, especially films that embody the retrofuturism of the 90s, then Blade Runner and Back to the Future: Part 2 are both excellent choices to capture that from. In one way or another, they manage to make great depictions of a what a futuristic world would have entailed from the perspective of the late 80s and early 90s, covering things from cybernetic augmentations, to vehicles, to holographic advertisements, to outlandish clothes and patterns, etc. These films accomplish the task of painting a unique, aesthetically pleasing image of the future while still conveying a very interesting plot. Blade Runner is brimming with urban and cyberpunk elements of what’s supposed to be a 90s depiction of what would come in the coming times. Even though they are set in their respective timelines. Both Blade Runner and Akira keep traditional elements for their environments. Akira, being set in 2019 Neo-Tokyo Japan, displays holographic advertisements of traditional Asian women, just like Blade Runner does with their outlook on a futuristic Chinatown in 2019 Los Angeles.

Despite them having more differences than similarities, Back to the Future: Part 2 is still worth the watch for it’s take on the future. The movie entails hoverboards and cars as modes of transportation, colorful clothing that sometimes are automated, holograms, and even advanced handleless doors. What I will say though is that both do have a different yet intriguing take on how things would be, considering one film is set in 2015 and the other being in 2019.

Tetsuo, being of the main antagonists of the film, is remembered mostly for his destructive behavior after escaping the government’s wrath with his telekinesis. He was definitely a driving point not only for the movie, but many other telekinetic superhumans that made their debut on screen. For stories circling around superpowers, especially ones involving that of the mind, Mob Psycho 100 and Chronicle are perfect productions that show off such characters. Chronicle is not only inspired by Akira, but a much more realistic, if not modernized version. It tells of a lonely teen, his cousin, and a star athlete that come in contact with an alien artifact that gives them telekinetic powers. At first, they have genuine fun with the powers, some using it to play tricks, others to win talent shows at school. Of course, things go too far. Andrew, the lonely teen, decides that he is the self proclaimed “apex predator” and takes matters into his own hands whether that be stealing, killing, etc. This reminds me a lot of Tetsuo because of how ruthless and misguided both of the characters are. Tetsuo was more or less in Kaneda’s shadow, but with superpowers, he doesn’t only escape the government's grasp, but kills members of the biker group he was once a part of. Both characters of both movies go way too far with something that was bestowed upon them out of pure coincidence. When you look at Mob, the main character of Mob Psycho 100, he is more or less the polar opposite of Tetsuo. Tetsuo uses the powers because he wants to.

Mob does it when he absolutely has to and there’s no other choice. Mob is a hero in his anime and displays that with numerous acts of selflessness to defend the ones he cares about, whether that may be his master or friends from school. Regardless, they all display great action amongst the situations these characters are put through, making them all a redeeming watch.