Rollerball

Corporations  are taking over, man! That was the fear in the 1970s, and it's still with us today. Rollerball takes that fear and twists it just enough to make what should be a simple story of the rise of a near-messianic sports star, Johnathan, and the corporations that are attempting to hold him down and restore order. Violent, dark, and message-driven, every single moment of Rollerball is like playing the murderous game it portrays. Frenetic shooting of the game scenes, coupled with exceptional performances from James Caan and John Houseman, Rollerball is, perhaps, the essential 1970s heavy science fiction work. It says a lot about the world we live in, all without ever showing it to us. Why it's on the list Well-made, well-acted, and influential on how  movies would be shot over the decades that followed, Rollerball is far more impressive today.