Ridley Scott Doesn't Consider Blade Runner a "Sci-Fi" Movie

In a 1982 video interview with Reelin' In The Years, Scott talks at length about the themes of "Blade Runner" and what he means when he says it's not a science fiction film. Clarifying his position, Scott says that as the events of "Blade Runner" unfold in 2019, he's talking about the "near future," which was only "40 years old" at the time of the interview. The dystopian "multinational megalopolis" of "Blade Runner" is in ruins due to overpopulation and pollution, which have made the planet uninhabitable. Scott's goal was to fit these very real issues into a dystopian setting, mostly as a reminder that this shouldn't be the kind of future we'd want:

"I'm hoping there's some sort of dramatic separation between the audience and the film at this point, so they're quite clear they're watching a fabrication, not necessarily a prediction of the future. I hope it's not the future."

By saying the film is not a prediction of the future, Scott hopes that real-world issues of overpopulation and climate change will be addressed in a way that helps prevent such a bleak future. Despite his hope for humanity, Scott also says in the interview that he "believes this is the way it is [depleted resources, environmental degradation] 'and we could end up in a world' Blade Runner" "unless something is really done about it."

Well, terrible news, folks. "Blade Runner" is no longer science fiction, nor a futuristic film because the future of film is already here, which makes Scott's film a contemporary thriller.