Top 30 Best Hacker Movies To Watch
![Top 30 Best Hacker Movies [RANKED]](/images/elap31.jpg)
There is often something in the news about cyberattacks, hacking, and ransomware. Besides, there is always some movie or series out there that captures the nuances of dangerous and disruptive digital assaults that have proven capable of destroying lives and livelihoods.
This blog will, hopefully, promote awareness and provide entertainment in equal measure. So let’s start exploring some of the best hacking and computer geek movies that have come and gone over the years.
Recommended:
1. WarGames (1983)
Even as a techno-thriller, this Science Fiction movie was ahead of its time. The plot features a young whiz kid named David (played by Matthew Broderick), who discovers a ‘back door’ in a top-secret U.S. military software. Game worlds and reality soon fuse in strange and fascinating ways. After all, the plot sees David playing a nuclear war game between America and Russia, all the while assuming it is harmless fun.
In truth, the game software is powered by a supercomputer that not only simulates and predicts nuclear war but can also initiate it. David’s gaming almost ends up starting World War III when the computer begins a timer that leaves him desperately trying to disarm the whole situation.
This script is still one of the most talked-about hacker movies out there. Ally Sheedy, John Wood, Dabney Coleman, Barry Corbin, and Juanin Clay play key roles in the movie
Recommended:
2. The Matrix (1999)
Some people call it “woke” while others consider it to be one of the most philosophical movies of our time. Either way, this Sci-Fi story is no stranger to scandal and conspiracy.
In addition to containing a small galaxy of subtext and outstanding action-sci-fi tropes, The Matrix also proved to be ahead of its time. Dystopian themes, hacking skills, and digital technologies galore define the soul of this movie and its sequels.
The possibility that humans can be suppressed and exploited by highly intelligent sentient AI is a core concept woven throughout the plot. The story comes alive thanks to excellent artists like Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Laurence Fishburne, and Joe Pantoliano.
The lead character Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) is himself a hacker (an ethical one) who finds himself discovering there’s a lot more to the so-called real world than he possibly imagined.
Deific computer programs, covert human rebellions, and expansive illusions are significant themes that have made this movie a bonafide cult classic.
Recommended:
3. M3GAN (2022)
Science Fiction meets horror in this movie where a woman named Gemma is tasked with being caretaker to her 8-year-old niece Cady. The little girl was orphaned and in desperate need of comfort and safety.
However, Gemma is far from ready to take on the role of being a parent in any capacity. Her work pressures alone keep her schedule tight, leaving little time to spend with Cady.
She, therefore, finds a M3GAN prototype doll to give Cady and hopes it will be enough to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, the AI doll seems capable of hacking information that lets it gain a life of its own.
The plot explores concepts related to AI self-awareness and sentience. The M3GAN doll was expertly performed by Amie Donald.
Recommended:
4. Breach (2007)
Robert Hanssen (played by Chris Cooper) served the FBI for 25 years. Despite such loyalty, he gets arrested on charges of spying, which results in a series of domino-effect consequences.
The events that lead up to his arrest involve a computer expert called Eric O’Neill (played by Ryan Phillippe). The man is assigned to Robert as a clerk and, deep down, he aims to someday become a bona-fide field agent.
His secret assignment is to study Robert’s every move and verify his alleged sexual exploits. But this is easier said than spied. Personal struggles and investigative thrills abound in this hacker movie about the real-life “worst spy in history.” The story cleverly covers one of the greatest security breaches that ever took place in the United States of America.
5. 23 (1998)
This dark and suspenseful movie is every bit as mysterious and thrilling as its name suggests. This script is based on a true story and captures the challenging lives of two young hackers who turn to cybercrime to make ends meet.
Karl Koch (played by August Diehl) and his friend David (played by Fabian Busch) make it their personal goal to successfully hack into high-level military and government computers. They slowly branch out from doling conspiracy theories to executing high-end computer-based crimes that promise large payouts.
Before long, the story takes on a life of its own when German authorities and the KGB get involved. Memorable artists like Stephan Kampwirth, Dieter Landuris, Burghart Klaußner, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Jan-Gregor Kremp, and Regine Zimmermann add to the movie’s worth.
6. Sneakers (1992)
Leading a group of security systems experts, Martin Bishop (played by the one and only Robert Redford) soon experiences blackmail and at the hands of government agents no less. He is tasked with stealing a highly sensitive black box that can decode any encryption system in the world.
One intrigue leads to another and Martin comes to learn that the people who hired him aren’t from the government at all. Outstanding artists like the late-great Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, David Strathairn, Gary Hershberger, Jo Marr, Donal Logue, Eddie Jones, and River Phoenix play key roles in this thrilling hacker movie.
7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Lingering mysteries and dark drama set amazing tones in this movie. The story features a journalist named Mikael Blomkvist (played by Daniel Craig) who finds himself searching for a woman who’s been missing for well-nigh 40 years.
Helping him is a young computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (played by Rooney Mara), the titular girl with the dragon tattoo. Remarkable artists like Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright, Donald Sumpter, Goran Visnjic, and Joely Richardson add to the suspense.
Serial killers, secrets, and corruption further enrich this multi-layered hacker movie.
8. Swordfish (2001)
Action and crime merge seamlessly in this story about a classified counter-terrorist unit named Black Cell whose core agenda is to fight international terrorism. Gabriel Shear (played by John Travolta) leads the unit with passion but is in desperately in need of financing.
His eyes are set on the DEA-shut dummy corporation called Swordfish, which was closed in 1986. The $400 million generated during the bust has been sitting in government servers accumulating interest and become $9.5 billion!
Gabriel decides to bring in convicted hacker Stanley Jobson (played by Hugh Jackman) to steal the dough and fund his top-secret counter-terrorist goals. Memorable talents like Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Sam Shepard, Vinnie Jones, and Drea de Matteo add to the production’s thrill factor.
9. Cyberbully (2015)
In this TV movie, Casey (played by Maisie Williams) is a teenager conflicted. Her circumstances lead her into being blackmailed by an online hacker who threatens to leak her sensitive photos over the Internet.
The unknown cyber-criminal allots select tasks that Casey has to comply with if only to buy herself sufficient time to stop the hacker before he ruins her life. Ella Purnell, Wilson Haagens (voiceover only), Jake Davies, Haruka Abe, and Daisy Waterstone add to the mystery and captivation in this movie.
10. Hackers (1995)
A little romance and plenty of crime define this memorable 90s hacker story that features five major oil tankers, which capsize following a cyberattack. The blame for this event is pinned on a group of young hackers.
Jonny Lee Miller, Jesse Bradford, Matthew Lillard, Laurence Mason, Fisher Stevens, Alberta Watson, Renoly Santiago, and Angelina Jolie play essential parts in the script. The involvement of a U.S. Secret Service agent and perilous computer viruses maintain great suspense and thrill in this hacker movie.
11. Antitrust (2001)
This movie is a fictional dramatization of computer programming mastermind Milo Hoffman’s life. His forays into the world of ingenious computer software are brought into captivating focus. A loose representation of Bill Gates is the character Gary Winston (CEO of NURV; in the script).
The story features the imminent completion of a worldwide communications system called Synapse. Deadlines and launch dates aren’t the only thrill factors in the movie. Cyber hacks and lack of trust also keep tensions taut from beginning to end.
Amazing artists like Ryan Phillippe, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tim Robbins, Richard Roundtree, Claire Forlani, Tygh Runyan, Nate Dushku, Ned Bellamy, and Yee Jee Tso fulfil important roles.
12. The Fifth Estate (2013)
Based on actual events, this hacker movie captures the sacrifices required to expose corruption among the powerful. The movie is a semi-biography on famous WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (played here by Benedict Cumberbatch).
The story also covers his colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg’s (played by Daniel Brühl) part in the extensive game of digital deception and betrayal. The men create a special online platform where whistle-blowers anywhere in the world can anonymously expose classified information regardless of whether the data includes government secrets or corporate-level crimes.
In this movie, Julian and Daniel get their hands on the largest confidential intelligence documents in U. S. history; based on true events. The story explores the price of living in a so-called free society where ethical hackers are being jailed while criminal elements of all kinds live free.
Talented artists like Carice van Houten, Peter Capaldi, Alicia Vikander, David Thewlis, and Dan Stevens further enrich the script.
13. eXistenZ (1999)
A generous helping of Sci-Fi and horror tropes set a captivating, though at times grotesque, tone in this strange but curious hacker movie. Another ahead-of-its-time script, the story tracks a virtual game designer’s attempts to escape assassins, because she is on to something dangerous.
The skilled game designer Allegra Geller (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) has to grapple with organic game-port devices and VR worlds to save herself. Ted Pikul (played by Jude Law) supports her cause, adding to the mystery and madness in the movie.
Amazing artists like Ian Holm, Willem Dafoe, Callum Keith Rennie, Don McKellar, and Robert A. Silverman play important roles in this code-crazy script from the brilliantly twisted mind of David Cronenberg.
14. Reality (2023)
Reality Winner is a 25-year-old Air Force linguist. She also works as an NSA contractor. Sometime after the 2016 US Presidential election, she is accused of hacking and then leaking classified information to the Russians.
Most of the dialogue comes straight out of the FBI interview where Winner was grilled to reveal what she did and how. The movie stars Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton, John Way, and Marchánt Davis in important roles. The plot covers the many perils and dangers of hacking, especially when it comes to influencing major elections.
15. El App (2022)
This latest hacker movie features a remarkable and relevant storyline about the fictional life and times of one of the world’s most renowned hackers, Jackie “N3xt3p” (played by Isaac Saviñón).
He apparently developed an app that could hack anyone’s social media account using only their phone number. Other amazing artists in this production include José Guillermo Cortines, Lydia Li, William Beckwith, and Ralph Joseph.
16. Who Am I (2014)
This German-language hacker movie deserves to be added to this list purely for its thrill value and attention to hacking-related tropes. The story features a young German computer whiz named Benjamin (played by Tom Schilling), who is invited to be part of a subversive and radical hacker group called CLAY (aka, Clowns Laughing @ You).
This covert club wants global attention for their digital exploits, setting quite the tone in the movie early on. Wotan Wilke Möhring, Elyas M’Barek, Antoine Monot Jr., Hannah Herzsprung, Stephan Kampwirth, Trine Dyrholm, and Leopold Hornung play key roles.
The BKA (or Bundeskriminalamt, Federal Criminal Police Office) are hard at work trying to stop this hacker collective from causing irreversible international incidents.
17. Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Scarlett Johansson plays the lead as Major Mira Killian in this gripping neo-noir cyberpunk thriller set in the future. Mira is more than just your average human, she is the first of her kind.
After being saved from a deadly crash, Mira underwent a revolutionary treatment that saw her become a cyber-enhanced being. She is now the perfect soldier who can take on a slew of criminals using her new digital capabilities.
Mira is not altogether pleased with Hanka Robotics Corporation and their classified projects, but her work as part of a critical anti-terrorist division inspires her to keep going. Her biggest challenge comes from a cyber-criminal named Kuze (played by Michael Pitt) who can hack androids and make them commit deadly acts of terror.
Takeshi Kitano, Pilou Asbæk, Juliette Binoche, Daniel Henshall, Yutaka Izumihara, Anamaria Marinca, and Chin Han add to the worth of this outstanding script. This movie was originally inspired by the bestselling “Ghost in the Shell” seinen manga series written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow.
18. Tron (1982)
Outstanding Sci-Fi and adventure tropes grace this futuristic movie with remarkable visuals and a story that’s ahead of its time. It features a computer hacker who is dragged against their will into a fully digital world where they have little choice but to take part in gladiator-style games.
A dastardly software pirate known simply as Master Control takes Kevin Flynn (played by Jeff Bridges) and literally digitizes his form, rendering him into a 3D character fit for adventures in cyberspace.
In order to survive, Kevin befriends a mysterious entity called Tron to beat the master hacker at his own game and make good their escape. Captivating artists like David Warner, Cindy Morgan, Bruce Boxleitner, Barnard Hughes, Dan Shor, and Peter Jurasik enrich this unforgettable movie.
19. Takedown (2000)
This crime drama tracks the investigation that led to the capture of a dangerous computer hacker named Kevin Mitnick (played in this movie by Skeet Ulrich). The story is based on true events and people but has been dramatized where needed.
Talented artists like Angela Featherstone, Christopher McDonald, Russell Wong, Master P, Donal Logue, Tom Berenger, Amanda Peet, Jeremy Sisto, and Ned Bellamy add to the thrill and intrigue in the script.
Touted to be the world’s best hacker, Kevin Mitnick keeps busy hunting increasingly tough cyber-trophies. He desires bigger and better digital challenges. He soon meets his match when he invades a former hacker turned security expert’s computer only to find a world of hell waiting for him.
20. Shaft (2019)
Cyber security expert JJ Shaft (played by Jessie T. Usher) has a degree from MIT. But he finds himself using his skills and smarts to enlist his own family members to learn the truth behind his best friend’s mysterious death.
Captivating artists like Samuel L. Jackson, Regina Hall, Richard Roundtree, Titus Welliver, Avan Jogia, Alexandra Shipp, and Matt Lauria fulfil key roles. Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly is well known to select members of JJ’s family, especially his father John (played by Samuel L. Jackson). Settling scores, the importance of family, and the value of friendship are significant themes that define this hacker-driven story.
21. Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)
All active undercover agents in Britain find their secret identities exposed following a major cyber-attack. One thing leads to another and the quirky, clumsy, and blunder-attracting detective Johnny English (played by the one and only Rowan Atkinson) is tasked with finding and stopping the criminal hacker.
Amazing artists like Ben Miller, Olga Kurylenko, Emma Thompson, Adam James, Kevin Eldon, Michael Gambon, and Charles Dance play key roles in this hilarious script. The movie brings the titular Johnny English out of retirement.
His identity is the only one left undiscovered, making him the last hope for Britain’s Secret Service.
22. Hacker (2016)
Alex Danyliuk (played by Callan McAuliffe) is cornered into accepting a life of crime, specifically identity theft. His family experiences troubling financial concerns, goading Alex to seek help from dark connections like a street-smart hustler named Sye (played by Daniel Eric Gold).
Before long, Alex is introduced to the world of black-market trading. His other dark-web contacts include a young female hacker named Kira (played by Lorraine Nicholson). Together they create quite the ruckus in the financial market and draw the attention of an enigmatic masked figure known as Z.
This mysterious person heads an organization called Anonymous and is routinely hunted by the FBI. Talented artists like Clifton Collins Jr., Zachary Bennett, Vlada Verevko, and Genadijs Dolganovs add to the thrills in this hacker movie.
23. Anon (2018)
Science Fiction and mystery tropes enrich this hacker movie set in the near future where private memories can be recorded in full. This scenario even made it possible for society to eliminate crime to a great extent.
However, a few negative elements here and there cause the authorities great trouble. This story features a series of murders that a detective named Sal Frieland (played by Clive Owen) has to resolve.
During his investigation, he encountered a young woman who calls herself ‘The Girl’ (played by Amanda Seyfried). She has no history or identity that Sal can find, leading him into dark and dangerous territories.
Morgan Allen, James Tam, Afiya Bennett, Jeffrey Men, Rachel Roberts, David Storch, Toyin Ishola, Sebastian Pigott, Jonathan Potts, Colm Feore, and Jean-Michel Le Gal further enrich the script.
24. Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)
When a teenager buys a second-hand laptop, he is oblivious for a while about its previous owner spying on him through the device’s camera. The original owner of the laptop is more interested in getting his machine back for reasons that include something dangerous involving hackers and cyber-crimes.
Colin Woodell, Betty Gabriel, Andrew Lees, Connor Del Rio, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Stephanie Nogueras play important roles in this tantalizing script.
25. Assassination Nation (2018)
A good dose of crime and comedy makes this hacker movie an action treat for movie lovers. America’s Salem town exposes riveting secrets following a disastrous data hack. The situation goes from bad to worse, leaving four girls fighting to survive the aftermath of the hacking.
Odessa Young, Abra, Suki Waterhouse, Hari Nef, Colman Domingo, Danny Ramirez, Cody Christian, and Bill Skarsgård make the movie gripping to watch.
26. The Net (1995)
In this action-crime-drama, Angela Bennett (played by Sandra Bullock) is a computer geek who has no friends in the world and is always on her system. Her online colleague and buddy Dale Hessman (played by Ray McKinnon) tasks her with debugging a strangely glitched program.
When he is on his way to meet her, a plane crash ends his life. Angela later pores over the disk she received from the man only to uncover secret data that paints a cyber-target on her back.
She realizes that her whole identity has been revamped, and not in a good way. This clichéd but passable hacker movie contains notable performances from Jeremy Northam, Dennis Miller, Diane Baker, L.Scott Caldwell, Tony Perez, Daniel Schorr, and Ken Howard.
27. The Lawnmower Man (1992)
A cunning scientist chooses a humble gardener to be his guinea pig. He goes about performing experiments on the man using a combination of virtual reality and intelligence-enhancement drugs. Before long, the simple gardener transforms into a veritable genius.
But he soon develops his own notions about how the scientist should continue his research. This sparks a series of events that gradually sees the scientist losing control over his experiment.
Noteworthy talents like Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan, Dean Norris, Jeremy Slate, Jenny Wright, Geoffrey Lewis, and Mark Bringelson enrich the script.
28. Blackhat (2015)
A convict on furlough teams up with his former American and Chinese partners to take down a major cybercrime network whose roots spread extensively into high-profile locations like Chicago, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Jakarta.
Chris Hemsworth plays the lead as a talented hacker named Nick Hathaway, who left a 15-year prison sentence only to find himself in familiar digital haunts. Apparently, the original code he once wrote has been modified into a deadly malware that is soon responsible for a terrorist attack in a Chinese nuclear power plant.
Though he reunites with old friends to help resolve the matter, Nick finds himself in the middle of a dangerous game between China and the USA, not to forget an unidentified hacker who later proves to be more than a minor threat.
This ‘okay’ hacker movie also stars Viola Davis, Tang Wei, Holt McCallany, John Ortiz, Ritchie Coster, Christian Borle, Andy On, and Leehom Wang.
29. Open Windows (2014)
As an ardent movie fan, Nick Chambers (played by Elijah Wood) is over the moon when he wins an Internet contest that will set him up on a date with his favourite actress Jill Goddard (played by Sasha Grey).
Posing as the artist’s manager, Chord (played by Neil Maskell) digitally guides Nick to keep track of Jill through his computer. It is all a contest-driven game to Nick, who is yet to realize that he’s been dragged into a sinister cyber-crime scheme that Chord concocted.
Other good talents in this ‘okay’ hacker movie are Adam Quintero, Iván González, Michelle Jenner, Rachel Arieff, Daniel Pérez Prada, and Jaime Olías.
30. Hot Seat (2022)
In this Mel Gibson hacker movie, the renowned actor plays a former hacker named Wallace Reed. He finds himself attempting to save a younger hacker tasked with breaking into high-level banks.
One such institution contains too many booby traps for the other hacker to manage on his own, prompting Wallace to step in. Talented artists like Kevin Dillon, Shannen Doherty, Michael Welch, Sam Asghari, Jonathan Stoddard, and Eddie Steeples fulfil important roles.
