Friday Flicks: ‘Future World’, ‘The Misandrists’, ‘Mary Shelley’
Hollywood had a bruising week, with fresh sexual misconduct claims surfacing against Harvey Weinstein and Morgan Freeman while Show Dogs faced edits over scenes critics said normalized unwanted touching. The weekend slate offered an escape. Travel across a dystopian wasteland in Future World; join a radical feminist liberation army group with The Misandrists; and discover the life behind the writer who gave us Frankenstein with Mary Shelley.
Future World (Lionsgate Premiere)
Released May 25, 2018 in limited theatrical and VOD markets, the film later hit DVD and Blu-ray on July 10, 2018. Director and star James Franco leans into a Mad Max vibe for this sci-fi Western set in a post-apocalyptic future. In a world where water and gasoline supplies have dried up and humans have gone haywire, a prince from the oasis ventures out into the desert to find medicine for the queen. Along the route he crosses paths with a warlord and his robot Ash, leading to an action-packed journey through the dystopian wastelands.
Production and Co-Director Background
James Franco shares directing credit with Bruce Thierry Cheung. The screenplay is credited to Jeremy Craig Cheung, Bruce Thierry Cheung, and Jay Davis. Production companies behind the project include 513 Films, Black Sparrow, and The Fyzz Facility. The collaboration marks Cheung’s feature debut and gives the film a lean, independent edge despite the recognizable names attached.
Full Cast and Notable Performances
Beyond the core trio of James Franco as the Warlord, Suki Waterhouse as Ash, and Lucy Liu as the Queen, the cast expands with several recognizable faces. Milla Jovovich appears as the Drug Lord. Snoop Dogg plays Lord Love. Method Man shows up as Tattooed Face. Margarita Levieva and Twin Shadow round out the ensemble in smaller but memorable roles that add texture to the wasteland setting.
Critical Reception and Legacy
Audiences and critics parted ways quickly. The film sits at a 0 percent Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes from nine reviews and a 10 out of 100 on Metacritic. The New York Times called it a “miserable, idiotic sci-fi trifle.” Still, some viewers on social platforms found it entertaining in the same guilty-pleasure lane as low-budget post-apocalyptic knockoffs, citing the Mad Max energy and Snoop Dogg’s brief screen time as highlights worth the price of a rental.
Where to Watch Future World Today
Current streaming options keep the film accessible without a trip to the video store. Viewers can find it on YouTube TV, Philo, and the MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel. The Roku Channel carries it free with ads. Physical copies remain easy to locate through standard retailers if a permanent shelf copy is the goal.
Future World never pretended to be high art. It delivers a quick, dusty chase through familiar genre territory with enough recognizable performers to keep the ride watchable. The new sections above fill in the gaps the original write-up left open, from the production team to the long-term availability picture. For anyone curious about a low-stakes Friday night genre fix, the film is still a few clicks away.
