#1 – THE MATRIX
There is no movie that takes the idea of computers and the power they may hold more literally than THE MATRIX. We are all inside of The Matrix and yet there are ways in and out of the machine. All it takes is a little faith and basic programming skills. Plus, kung fu and lots of guns help as well.
#2 – HACKERS
There is nothing remotely realistic about the hackers in this movie. It is incredibly dated and the computer scenes are fake for anyone who has ever used a PC, but there is something oddly entertaining about this guilty pleasure. Jonny Lee Miller makes for an appealing hero, Angelina Jolie was hot, and Fisher Stevens makes a quality douche villain.
#3 – TRON
Both TRON and TRON LEGACY visualize the inside of a computer in a way unlike any other movie before or since. Visually stunning, this is a movie that gives us a literal representation of computer programs as people and how they would function in a world with a very different set of rules. There is no movie quite like TRON.
#4 – SNEAKERS
SNEAKERS is one movie I always forget that I loved until it pops up on cable and I remember all of the great characters played by River Phoenix, Dan Aykroyd, Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, and Ben Kingsley. Everyone in this movie is a hacker of one sort or another and they team up for one of the best action thriller comedies of the 1990s. Too many secrets.
#5 – JURASSIC PARK
Dennis Nedry’s fate in JURASSIC PARK is always a fan favorite, as is the hacking protocol he installs in the amusement park’s system that both unleashes the dinosaurs and toys with Samuel L. Jackson. You gotta love the shaving cream can and the animated warning from Nedry. While pre-teen Lex being an expert hacker in her own right stretches suspension of disbelief, this is a movie about dinosaurs.
#6 – SWORDFISH
Most people remember this movie for Halle Berry’s nude scenes or John Travolta’s awful hair, but this was really the FAST AND FURIOUS of hacking movies. Does anyone really buy Hugh Jackman as a geeky hacker? Probably not, but he definitely makes it look cool.
#7 – THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Not centered on hacking, but Lisbeth Salander truly embodies every stereotype we have about the Goth hacker girl. She still embodies every cliche but still manages to be an intriguing and original character.
#8 – WARGAMES
WARGAMES is the movie everyone forgets is actually about computer hacking. Back in 1983, hacking was just not something we discussed like we do today. It truly was the JAWS for personal computing.
#9 – GOLDENEYE
Alan Cumming’s portrayal of Russian hacker Boris comes across as the douchiest guy in your IT department who actually thinks he is pretty damn cool and could go toe to toe with superheroes or supervillians. In the end, he gets his, which is oddly satisfying.
#10 – GAMER
Not the greatest movie, but it also doesn’t mess with giving us ones and zeroes bouncing around the screen. Instead, we get a realistic visualization of what actually being inside the game would look like. Pretty effective when you watch the film if not exactly the most stunning way of doing it.
Honorable Mention – INDEPENDENCE DAY
Well, he did manage to take down an entire alien war fleet using a Mac. That has to count for something, right?
