Soylent Green (1973) & What Happened to Monday (2017): Overpopulation & Survival | EP10

In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we tackle one of the most enduring fears explored in dystopian science fiction: overpopulation.

Many dystopian stories imagine futures where the planet’s resources can no longer sustain humanity. Food becomes scarce, governments impose extreme policies, and society begins to fracture under the pressure of survival.

This week we explore two films that imagine how societies might respond when the world simply has too many people.

Because here on Journey Through Sci-Fi, we explore the history of science-fiction cinema one subgenre at a time.

LISTEN BELOW:

What We Discuss In This Episode

In this episode we talk about:

• Overpopulation as a dystopian sci-fi theme

• Food shortages and environmental collapse in speculative futures

• Government control over reproduction

• How dystopian stories reflect real fears about resources and sustainability

• Why overpopulation narratives appear repeatedly in science fiction

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Soylent Green (1973) – A World Running Out of Resources

Soylent Green presents one of the most famous dystopian worlds in science-fiction cinema.

Set in the year 2022, the film imagines a planet devastated by pollution, climate change and extreme overpopulation. These conditions have created severe shortages of food, water and housing, leaving most of humanity struggling to survive in overcrowded cities.

The story follows New York police detective Frank Thorn, who investigates the murder of a powerful executive from the Soylent Corporation — the company responsible for producing the food wafers that sustain most of the population.

As Thorn’s investigation continues, he uncovers the horrifying truth behind the corporation’s newest food product: Soylent Green.

The film’s shocking twist has become one of the most famous moments in sci-fi history and cemented Soylent Green as a classic dystopian cautionary tale about environmental collapse and resource scarcity.

What Happened to Monday (2017) – Population Control

While Soylent Green explores the consequences of overpopulation, What Happened to Monday imagines a government attempting to control the problem through strict population policies.

Set in the year 2073, the film takes place in a world where food shortages and environmental damage have forced authorities to implement a global one-child policy.

Any illegal children discovered by the government’s Child Allocation Bureau are taken away and placed into cryosleep.

The story follows seven identical sisters secretly raised by their grandfather. Each sister is named after a day of the week and is only allowed to leave their apartment on that specific day while living under a shared identity.

When one of the sisters disappears, the others risk everything to uncover the truth about the government system controlling their lives.

Overpopulation as Dystopian Fear

Both of these films explore how societies might react when the balance between humanity and the planet begins to collapse.

In Soylent Green, the crisis leads to environmental destruction and horrifying corporate solutions to feeding the population.

In What Happened to Monday, the government attempts to solve the problem by imposing strict control over reproduction.

These stories highlight one of the central functions of dystopian science fiction: imagining the consequences of real social anxieties and pushing them to their extreme conclusions.

Continuing Our Journey Through Dystopia

This episode forms part of our Journey Through Dystopia series.

Across the series we explore how science-fiction cinema imagines societies shaped by authoritarian control, environmental collapse and technological power.

From early dystopian classics to modern sci-fi thrillers, these stories reveal how science fiction reflects humanity’s fears about the future.

Start Your Journey Through Sci-Fi

Journey Through Sci-Fi is a podcast exploring the strange, visionary and world-changing history of science-fiction cinema.

Each series focuses on a different sci-fi theme — from space exploration and artificial intelligence to time travel, virtual reality, cyberpunk and dystopian futures.

Join us as we explore the films and ideas that shaped science fiction.