Science fiction films often struggle to juggle plot, real science and fiction. In some cases, it is difficult to maintain all three elements in a film. Gattaca does a good job of handling all three, even though it is futuristic. It still seems real and makes perfect sense to viewers in the universe where the movie takes place.

Gattaca’s science, while not being completely real, is more accurate than the fictionalized science that was done solely to sell popcorn. Many of the scientific advances in Gattaca are real and being used, researched, created, or studied today. Some examples of modern science in Gattaca are in vitro fertilization, shown at the beginning of the movie as eggs and sperm are taken from each parent and fertilized by choice instead of natural, traditional birth, DNA modifying/hand-selecting DNA as the embryos are selected for having the most ideal genes, similar to what the future of CRISPR could entail, and genome sequencing which is shown in the movie by seeing what lies within the nucleotides in DNA, and is being studied and more understood in science today. The science in the film is rated 4 out 5 test tubes. It is based on realistic science, although not all of it is accurate. For instance, obtaining a good sample of DNA from urine is difficult. Although not entirely accurate, much of what is shown in this movie is in line with the current state of science and the possible future of our world.

In vitro fertilisation is a technique that has been used for decades and allows human embryos to be manually fertilized. I would give Gattaca 3 test tubes because the method of hand selecting DNA from each parent’s best eggs/sperm is similar. In the future, CRISPR might be used to change genes in embryos for better health. I’d give Gattaca a 4 out 5 test tube rating for how genomes are screened and all the issues that can be found by just a DNA screen.

Gattaca has a lot to offer in terms of science and reality, but it is also a drama that keeps viewers entertained. Vincent’s narrow escape from his crime, as well as the bond that forms between Jerome and Vincent, and Irene’s romance, keep the audience captivated. The fusion of science fiction, plot, and the action of this film would earn it 5 popcorn kernels.

Gattaca could very well be our future. As I live, the future of science will look very much like the science depicted in Gattaca. We’ll be editing and hand-crafting our DNA using methods such as CRISPR. This movie is a great watch because of the science and plot.