Lumon From Severance and 3 Other Most Evil Corporations From Movies & TV Series
Implantation, eugenics, employee discrimination, and more.
What will happen when AI becomes indistinguishable from the real thing? How do you know you are dealing with a robot when it acts and feels like a human? What will happen when machines become conscious, who will be kinder and fairer – they or humans?
The antihero is increasingly becoming a soulless big business, behind which there is always a creator – a person or a state.
1. Severance (2022-...) – Lumon Industries
The biotech company Lumon Industries revolutionized the corporate world when it invented severance. It allows an employee's consciousness to be divided between work and home, so that a person does not think about personal matters at work.
Severance raises many ethical and philosophical questions. What is the relationship between the work and personal parts of a person? How is creating a copy of oneself different from slavery, because part of the consciousness never sees anything but the office?
The show not only touches on complex issues, but also creates and maintains intrigue about the company's activities.
2. Blade Runner (1982) – Tyrell Corporation
Tyrell produces replicants that are indistinguishable from humans. Androids are implanted with human memories, and the latest models can even experience emotions.
Most importantly, these creatures want to live. However, according to company policy, replicants only last for four years.
The plot of the movie begins when a group of replicants escape to kill their creator. The main character, Rick, captures the rebellious androids. He goes in search of the fugitives, but as the plot progresses, he begins to doubt his humanity.
3. Devs (2020) – Amaya
Talented programmer Lily works with her boyfriend Sergei at the IT company Amaya. One day, he is transferred to a prestigious and secretive division called Devs.
Soon after his promotion, Sergei disappears, and the company claims he committed suicide. Lily finds it hard to believe the official version and begins to investigate her lover's death herself.
Amaya is a truly sinister company, but not entirely evil. Computer genius Forest created it after his wife and daughter died in a car accident. This event changed the man and he set himself the goal to bring back his loved ones. His dream is hard to judge, but the man definitely chose questionable ways to fulfill it.
4. Gattaca (1997) – Gattaca Corporation
In the near future, eugenics has evolved to the point where almost all children are the result of artificially crossing the best genes of mother and father. Those unlucky enough to be the fruit of natural love are declared second-class citizens.
Gattaca is not only forced to submit to the world order that divides people into "valid" and "invalid," it profits from it. That is why the company has an endless number of medical tests and checks to prevent "second-class" people from working.