Discussion Parts in films, music, books, media that resonate with you and, why?

[Forever Sleep]

Obviously- spoiler alerts! And, an antinatalism trigger warning too.

I find the similar themed sequences in both Moon (2009) and the HBO series Westworld really get to me. When the main character in Moon realises he's a clone and when Maeve finds out she's a robot and takes a tour of the workshops to see how badly her kind are treated.

I think it's the realisation that, as real as their lives felt to them, they were imposed on them. That their perceived suffering and loneliness wasn't even real. That their sentience was painful but ultimately, inflicted upon them to serve the needs of others. I suppose it's the bitter, pessimistic way I see life itself. That, even though my grief and suffering ia real to me, it doesn't matter. It doesn't change anything. It just hurts.

If there is a God, it was surely cruel to create sentient creatures capable of feeling such intense pain and then putting them in so much risk on this world. I tend to hold the same view towards parents too.

 

[Darkover]

"The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it."

What struck me most about The Matrix is the way it reflects the horror of realizing your entire reality was manufactured not just the world around you, but your purpose, your choices, even your sense of self. The line "most of these people are not ready to be unplugged" hits hard because it speaks to how deeply people can be trapped in illusions illusions they'll defend, even if it means staying enslaved. It's not just a sci-fi concept; it mirrors real life, where systems shape us without consent, and waking up doesn't bring freedom it brings pain, disillusionment, and the burden of knowing the truth.