Equilibrium is still Christian Bale’s most important sci-fi movie

Is it human tribalism and status anxiety at work?When two guys square up mutually, it's raw hierarchy negotiation—winner proves superior value in strength, will, nerve. But the loser's crew can't stomach it. Their guy just got publicly diminished, so the group piles on to restore collective face. "Can't let our boy lose clean." It's not about fairness; it's coalition defense. Evolution wired us for bands, not duels. Lone alphas threaten the equilibrium—better to swarm and equalize downward than