Wile E. Coyote has tried out every possible contraption in his ongoing, fruitless chase of the Road Runner over the years. But what if the reason for his failures lies not with him but with the Acme Corporation? Could it be that the company responsible for products like the “Instant Tunnel” and the “Do-It-Yourself Tornado Kit” simply produces subpar items?

This forms the basis of the movie “Coyote vs. Acme,” where our unlucky protagonist enlists a less-than-capable lawyer to sue the Acme Corporation for the physical agony he has endured using their merchandise. The film is set to premiere in theaters on Friday after facing delays and getting shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery in 2023, only to be resurrected by independent distributor Ketchup Entertainment last year.

To commemorate the essence of the film, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite movies with anti-capitalist themes from the past four decades.

“RoboCop” (1987) envisions a near future where a corporation named Omni Consumer Products essentially controls the Detroit police force. The titular man-machine, RoboCop, discovers the ruthless tactics of Omni executive Dick Jones in his climb up the corporate ladder, despite being programmed not to harm company executives.

“They Live” (1988) showcases a blue-collar worker who uncovers a secret alien race masquerading as humans, manipulating society to consume and conform while exploiting Earth’s resources.

In “Fight Club” (1999), the protagonist rebels against consumerism after meeting Tyler Durden, leading to anti-capitalist actions culminating in the destruction of bank towers.

“Michael Clayton” (2007) exposes the lengths corporations go to hide their culpability, with George Clooney portraying a fixer aiding a law firm defending U-North in a lawsuit over a deadly pesticide.

“WALL-E” (2008) portrays a future where consumerism has destroyed Earth, forcing humans onto a spaceship run by the Buy N Large corporation, promoting excessive consumption.

“Sorry to Bother You” (2018) follows a telemarketer who discovers unsettling truths about his company’s practices, including breeding a hybrid labor force called “Equisapiens.”

“How to Blow Up a Pipeline” (2022) delves into the actions of a group aiming to challenge the fossil fuel industry by sabotaging its infrastructure, highlighting the consequences and challenges involved in such activism.