Science Fiction isn’t about the future. It’s about the present. In an optimistic age, we get Star Trek. In today’s fascist America, we know we’re on the wrong path, we see no easy way to change direction, and we think that things we mostly just get worse. And so we make that kind of movie.
This isn’t true.
Star Trek was a very optimistic view of the future in very turbulent times when it first appeared in the 60’s. 2001 was also very hopeful in its tone.
A few years later we got the dystopian Clockwork Orange, while not necessarily true science fiction it was based on future society.
The 80’s ran the gambit from Blade Runner and Alien on the dystopian side, the best of the best of the Star Trek movies II and IV were the worst of times and best of times respectively. You also had very hopeful Sci-Fi set in contemporary times like ET, The Last Starfighter, Starman.
The genre lends itself to the best and worst in the best and worst of times.