Let’s rewind a bit. “Idiocracy,” penned by Etan Cohen and directed by the sharp satirist Mike Judge, premiered in 2006. While the storyline itself is intriguing, the movie’s production journey was equally peculiar. Since the film openly mocks capitalism and big corporations, 20th Century Fox appeared hesitant to give it a broad release or significant promotion. Notably, “Idiocracy” wasn’t shown to critics before its release—a rather unusual move. In a 2018 interview, Terry Crews, who plays the fictional U.S. president in the film, suggested the portrayal of corporations might have been the reason behind its limited release.

“The rumor was that because we used real corporations in our comedy,” Crews explained during a GQ career retrospective, discussing the film’s strange launch and its disappointing box office performance. “Fox, who owned the movie, decided, ‘We are going to release this in as few theaters as legally possible.’ So it got a release in probably three theaters over one weekend and it was sucked out into the vortex.” While Crews was speaking figuratively, his point stands.

Fortunately, over time, “Idiocracy” gained a cult following and is now accessible on Netflix. But what exactly unfolds in this film?

Now that we’ve covered the film’s rocky release, let’s delve into the plot of “Idiocracy.” The story begins in 2005 with Corporal Joe Bauers (played by Luke Wilson), who is chosen for being the most average soldier and undergoes suspended animation, essentially freezing him in time. His female counterpart, Rita (Maya Rudolph), a sex worker, is also placed in suspended animation against her will. Due to bureaucratic mishaps, the facility where they are stored shuts down, and both are forgotten. Fast forward 500 years, and they awaken in a chaotic Washington D.C. in 2505, stirred by a “garbage avalanche” that shakes them out of their slumber.

Let’s talk about what actually happens in “Idiocracy” now that we’ve been over the film’s famously troubled release. We first meet Corporal Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) in the year 2005, where he’s selected as the most average guy in the entire military (unflattering, to be sure) and placed in a suspended animation sequence, basically meaning he’ll be frozen in time. Because he needs a female companion, Rita (Maya Rudolph), a sex worker, is essentially kidnapped and put into suspended animation with Joe. Unbeknownst to both of them, petty squabbling at the facility where Joe and Rita are, for lack of a better term, stored leads to the closure of the military base, and everyone forgets about the pair … until 500 years pass, and the two wake up in a disheleved Washington D.C. in 2505 (they’re only even roused because something called a “garbage avalanche” literally shakes them out of the suspended animation). 

Awake and horrified at what the world has become — a world that prioritizes and centers its dumbest citizens — Joe and Rita team up with idiot Frito Pendejo (Dax Shephard) after they accidentally arise from the “dead” in his apartment. Though Joe accidentally runs afoul of authorities, an incredible score on an aptitude tests captures the attention of this world’s president, Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews). Still, Joe is determined to stop the “dumbing-down” of all humanity and, using a time machine, is able to at least reverse course away from this unsettling future … although it should be said that a president constantly noting that the White House is sponsored by fast food chain Carl’s Jr. does feel feasible in 2025.

Part of the reason that the bizarre rollout of “Idiocracy” was so confusing for frequent moviegoers is because director Mike Judge was already a confirmed box office draw at this point — thanks in large part to the success of his biting workplace comedy “Office Space.” In 1999, the film — written and directed by Judge and also released by 20th Century Fox — hit theaters and became a modest box office success but, more importantly, earned its place in cinematic history as one of the greatest and most honest movies about dead-end jobs.

Our entry into the world of “Office Space” is Peter Gibbons (a spectacularly well-cast Ron Livingston), who works an unsatisfying and even infuriating job as a programmer at a fictional company called Initech alongside his two friends Samir Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu) and Michael Bolton (David Herman). After Peter goes to see a hypnotherapist with his controlling girlfriend Anne (Alexandra Wentworth) and watches the therapist die in front of him, he realizes precisely how futile and stupid his days at Initech are. Not only does he start acting out at work — aggravating his boss Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole) and weirdly impressing the two Bobs (John C. McGinley and Paul Willson) who are brought in to downsize Initech, but Peter, Samir, and Michael even come up with a plan to steal money from the company so they can finally quit. Oh, and along the way, Peter strikes up a romantic connection with local waitress Joanna (Jennifer Aniston), and while all of this is happening, poor Milton Waddams (venerated character actor Stephen Root) really, really wants his stapler back.

If you love “Office Space,” definitely check out “Idiocracy” on Netflix — and ignore any eerie real-life parallels, if you can.