ACCORDING to the United Nations, the world's population is expected to increase by nearly 2 billion persons in the next 30 years, from the current 8 billion to 9.7 billion in 2050, and could peak at nearly 10.4 billion in the mid-2080s.
Whether there are too many people or not enough, Hollywood has never let slip the opportunity to explore this pertinent issue in the science fiction genre.
In conjunction with World Population Day (July 11), here's a selection of five entertaining if thought-provoking Hollywood movies linked to future societal conditions.
1. SOYLENT GREEN (1973)
Food glorious food. We all need sustenance as a basic necessity to survive and thrive.
But in this future dystopian thriller directed by Richard Fleischer (of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Fantastic Voyage fame), overpopulation, global warming, and pollution have put a strain on the environment leading to catastrophic shortages of food, water, and housing. Bummer.
Charlton Heston (Planet Of The Apes and The Omega Man) plays a New York police detective investigating the murder of a big shot at the Soylent Corporation which produces processed foods for the populace.
The brave hero soon bites off more than he can chew as he eventually makes a shocking discovery that the 'eat' is in the 'meat'.
2. LOGAN'S RUN (1976)
Before the release of 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope which kicked off the pop sci-fi movie craze into hyperdrive, there was Logan's Run.
Set in the 23rd Century, where everything's just hunky dory, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves in this bustling computer-run utopia populated by youthful citizens.
Too good to be true? Definitely.
So to maintain the equilibrium with regards to the population and the utilisation of resources, everyone who reaches the age of 30 has to be killed off.
Logan 5 and Jessica 6, played by Michael York and Jenny Agutter respectively, do not accept this fate and make a run for it in this sci-fi action movie directed by Michael Anderson (Around The World In 80 Days).
3. IDIOCRACY (2006)
Director Mike Judge is known for grungy animated series such as Beavis And Butt-Head, King Of The Hill, The Goode Family, and the excellent work-life satire movie Office Space.
He brings his outrageous black comedy aesthetic to Idiocracy by presenting a future that is bursting at the seams with over-the-top devolved aspects of life that touch on a whole bunch of issues including consumerism and commercialism.
It follows the wild adventures of United States Army librarian Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) and prostitute Rita (Maya Rudolph), who, after undergoing a government hibernation experiment, wake up five hundred years later in a dystopian anti-intellectual society.
A silly comedy during its release, the movie contains elements that are ironically very prescient by today's standards.
4. CHILDREN OF MEN (2006)
This hard-hitting dystopian thriller based on P. D. James' 1992 novel of the same name is set in 2027 after two decades of human infertility, coupled with war and global depression, threaten the collapse of human civilisations.
Asylum seekers seek sanctuary in the UK, one of the last functioning governments in the world. It's become a police state where immigrants are arrested and either imprisoned or executed. Whew, how depressing!
That's how the main protagonist, played by Clive Owen, feels. But there's a sliver of hope when the former activist-turned-cynical civil servant is enlisted to help a particular refugee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) escape the madness.
Turns out that she's the only known pregnant woman in the world, which motivates the reluctant hero to journey through various dangerous situations to ensure the continuation of humankind.
Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) presents an arresting work with imagery that will linger in the mind long after the movie ends.
5. WALL-E (2008)
Pixar Animation Studios gives viewers a highly entertaining computer-generated animated movie with a heart and romance that also throws in some social commentary.
And this is surprisingly done with the main characters being non-humans.
The movie follows the story of the titular solitary garbage disposal robot stuck on an uninhabitable Earth that has become a planet-sized junkyard in the distant future.
A sentient contraption and a romantic at heart, Wall-E soon falls in love with another robot named EVE whom he meets after she is sent on an exploratory expedition on Earth from the starship Axiom.
This sets off a series of events that sees the earnest robot pursuing his love across the galaxy.
Directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), Wall-E features minimal dialogue and relies on body language and effective visual cues and setups that deliver spectacular results.
It deservedly won the Best Animated Feature statuette at the Academy Awards in 2009.