7 Movies That Changed the World in Surprising Ways

It’s easy to dismiss movies as nothing more than entertainment, but sometimes the summer blockbuster, the Oscar-contender, or the obscure indie-house darling lead to major changes in how the world works. These developments may surprise or even dismay the filmmakers who had only intended to create a compelling story. Steven Spielberg has famously expressed regret for his possible role in the “Jaws effect,” the widespread irrational fear of sharks triggered by the success of Jaws (1975). According to experts, the movie led to an uptick in commercial fishing for the animals, and per Smithsonian, the number of large sharks in the waters off North America decreased by around 50 percent in the years following the release of Jaws.

Check out some other movies that have made tangible changes to our world in weird and unforeseen ways.

1. The China Syndrome (1979)
2. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
3. Silence of the Lambs (1991)
4. Field of Dreams (1989)
5. Victim (1961)
6. Spectre (2015)
7. Taxi Driver (1976)

The China Syndrome (1979)

Released on March 16, 1979, this political thriller about safety problems in nuclear power plants seemed prescient when the nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania melted down just 12 days later. It remains the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history, although there were no injuries or deaths.

The China Syndrome coinciding with Three Mile Island pushed public sentiment definitively away from nuclear energy, and construction of new nuclear power plants ground nearly to a halt for more than 30 years.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

The depiction of Satanism in Rosemary’s Baby kicked off a lasting trend of Catholic-themed horror films—and the evocative imagery director Roman Polanski created, based on Ira Levin’s novel, also entered the public consciousness as plausible behavior for devil worshippers. This became abundantly clear two decades later during the satanic panic of the 1980s, when descriptions of alleged satanic ritual abuse resembled Hollywood’s version of events.

One case of satanic panic, the McMartin Preschool abuse trial—in which parents accused preschool employees of child molestation and performing satanic rituals that included flying while dressed as witches—was actually two trials over the course of seven years that cost $15 million, making it the longest and most expensive criminal trial in American history. There were no convictions, and experts today generally agree that there was nothing to the allegations.

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Considered by some to be the most influential movie of the last 40 years, Silence of the Lambs launched a spate of gritty police procedurals and crime dramas, many featuring strong female characters (The X-Files was among the shows that drew direct inspiration from the film). The prevalence of this kind of media—where law enforcement protagonists almost always catch the bad guy (unless he’s a brilliant psychopath who’s fun to watch)—has demonstrably affected our culture’s views of policing and police brutality [PDF].

Field of Dreams (1989)

“If you build it, they will come” has become a cliche over the years—but state governments have taken the advice literally. Starting with the 1992 construction of Camden Yards in Baltimore, Field of Dreams triggered a nostalgia-fueled, 25-stadium, $9 billion taxpayer-funded spending spree.

These stadiums, and the policymakers who use public funds to build them, may promise a return to a simpler, more baseball-centric time—just like Kevin Costner’s character got in his field of dreams. Instead, public funds and nostalgia are often being turned into private profit, and taxpayer-subsidized stadiums don’t even generate enough revenue to repay the public investment of building them.

Victim (1961)

Homosexuality was heavily policed in the United Kingdom when this British thriller came out, and the movie’s lead actor, Dirk Bogarde, lost his matinee idol status after the film’s release. The story follows a closeted married lawyer who stands up to blackmailers. The plot was controversial, but it depicted a common occurrence among the queer community of Britain.

Censors gave Victim an X rating for using the word homosexual, but some believe it helped accelerate the decriminalization of homosexuality in the UK. Lord Arran, who brought the legislation to parliament, wrote a personal letter of thanks to Bogarde for his courage in acting in the film.

Spectre (2015)

In the sumptuous opening sequence of 2015’s Spectre, Daniel Craig’s James Bond follows his quarry through a Day of the Dead parade through Mexico City. But the event was never part of the traditional Mexican celebration—it had been invented for the film.

Rather than disappoint any Bond-loving tourists who may have planned future vacations to the city expecting a parade, the Mexican government decided to give them what they wanted. As of 2016, Mexico City has a Day of the Dead parade, and the new tradition is all thanks to Bond, James Bond.

Taxi Driver (1976)

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was leaving the Washington Hilton Hotel when would-be assassin John Hinckley Jr. began firing on the president. Hinckley was obsessed with Taxi Driver and its main character, Travis Bickle, as well as its lead actress, Jodie Foster, whom he began stalking. He was determined to commit violence to impress her.

Hinckley fired six shots that day, injuring four people—including the president and White House Press Secretary James Brady, who was left partially paralyzed. Brady became an advocate for gun control measures and introduced the Brady Bill in 1987, which mandates a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases. President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law in 1993.

Discover More Stories About Movies: