Best Movies for Hackers
— 13 min read
I see that you are curious, and looking for some good 'ol hacker adventures! Well, the internet has guided you to the right place. In this article, you are going to unlock the world of hacking through the lens of cinema with my top hacker movie picks!
WHO AM I? I am d3adr1nger 😎
From thrilling narratives to ingenious hacking techniques, these movies not only entertain but also inspire. Embrace the rich culture of hacking, fuel your passion, and spark innovative project ideas. If you are a true cyber security geek from script kiddie to 31337(Elite), these films are a must-watch and definitely worth rewatching. I know I've lost count with some of them. What do you say? Should I get the corn poppin'? 🍿💥
Table of contents ( for the impatient )
Blackhat
A furloughed convict and his American and Chinese partners hunt a high-level cybercrime network from Chicago to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta.
A few words: This movie has some scenes with coding, malware analysis, networking, pen-testing, reverse TCP connection with the help of a rubber ducky, and other cool hacky stuff. I wasn't really hooked on it but I am not here to hate, and who am I to judge a movie, right?
So, in this movie, Thor is playing Chris Hemsworth who is playing an incarcerated black-hat hacker who is trying to catch a group of hackers that kinda blew up a nuclear power plant by using malware that he wrote. If he succeeds, he gets to walk free out of jail!
You can watch Thor solving HackTheBox and tryHackme challenges on Netflix!
🤓 Fun fact, in 2010 a zero-day worm was found on Iran's power plant, which caused a huge deal of damage to Iran's Nuclear Program, but fortunately, nothing blew up. This worm is called Stuxnet, and there is a really good Documentary about it called Zero Days: Stuxnet Virus
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
A journalist teams up with a young female hacker to search for the killer of a woman who has been dead for forty years.
In this movie, you should not expect to see many hacking scenes but there are a few that count! Overall is a true masterpiece with all kinds of unexpected scenes. We are talking about funny, badass, romantic, sad, happy, and gory moments. We are talking about Stieg Larsson.
You can find the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on Amazon Prime: Watch the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Be a scholar 🤓 Buy the Book: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Book 📚
Ex Machina
A young programmer wins a competition that makes him the human component in a groundbreaking experiment where he must evaluate the capabilities and consciousness of Ava, a breathtaking A.I.
This movie took my breath away! The cast is A-class and the acting follows. Garland ( the director ) tackles this particular theme with confidence and wit and the result is a "dazzling sci-fi thriller" as the Guardian puts it. If you haven't seen it and you are in a serious mood. Jump right in! You are in for a treat.
You can find Ex_Machina on Amazon Prime: Watch Ex_Machina
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.
This Anime Movie is absolutely a piece of art and one of the most seminal pieces of Japanese cinema.
You could also take a look at the Hollywood Movie adaptation with Scarlett Johansson, because... Scarlett Johansson. 😏
You can find Ghost in the Shell on Amazon Prime: Watch Ghost in the Shell
If you have already seen Ghost in the Shell and you are a hardcore fan take a look at The Ghost in the Shell Deluxe Complete Box Set
Hacker (2016)
Inspired by true events, Hacker (2016) is a rather cool adventure about a young hacker who gets in trouble while raising money for his family with illegal hacking techniques, I recently found out that the critics hated it but I really liked it. I believe that it is fun to watch! Not so thought-provoking, but fun nonetheless.
You can watch this movie for free on YouTube: watch Hacker (2016)
Who am I? No System is Safe
The only reason that this movie is not in the top five is that it has not become a classic yet. This movie left me in awe, a slick German Cyber-thriller full of suspense, killing, partying, drugs, women, and computer-based action with a classic genius computer nerd (Benjamin), struggling to have a social life at the center of the hacker action.
You can find Who am I? on Amazon Prime: Watch WHO AM I? on Amazon
23 (1998)
Since we are in Germany let's continue with another German Hacker Film.
23 is a film that left me in shock. I got goosebumps all over me when I realized what I was watching! At first I thought it was yet another old-school 90s hacker film. It had everything, Conspiracies, Drugs, Bad Guys, Russian Spies, Betrayal, Paranoia, Nuclear Warfare Scenarios, literally everything I am looking for in an underground German hacker film. But wait... This movie is based on the real story of **German Hacker Karl Koch**or as you may know him Hagbard 🕶. I'll stop here, I have already spoiled enough.
Can you find and watch 23 online? I did. But I can't tell you where it's illegal. But pasting random hashes isn't ( f4d7f7ce00104e4f509334ae15f76207 )
War Games
Now that is a classic! Almost everyone working in the information security industry has seen it. “War Games” is the story of a teenage hacker from Seattle named David Lightman, who hacks, by accident, into the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) mainframe system, called WOPR (War Operation Plan Response) and by that honest mistake, he sets the nation’s nuclear forces on the road to World War III.
You can find War Games on Amazon Prime: Watch War Games on Amazon
Sneakers
A regular heist movie with a top-cast red hacker team, by the people behind war games. Sneakers is also a classic hacking culture movie.
You can find Sneakers on Amazon Prime: Watch Sneaker on Amazon
The Fifth Estate
WikiLeaks? Julian Assange? Do any of these rings a bell? The Fifth Estate is a movie that every conspiracy theory junkie should definitely watch! Triggering our age of high-stakes secrecy, explosive news leaks, and the trafficking of classified information, WikiLeaks forever changed the game.
You can find The Fifth Estate on Amazon Prime: Watch The Fifth Estate on Amazon
Underground: The Julian Assange Story
You can also take a look at the younger hacking days of WikiLeaks founder Assange, and understand what was the fuel that lit up the hacktivist flame that we have never witnessed before!
I really liked this film! I sat down, grabbed a bowl of cereal on a rainy Sunday with a hot cup of coffee, and I just purely enjoyed everything about it. The acting is solid, the production, directing, and script are pretty well thought. Overall, an entertaining film.
Perfect for the hacker-curious cinephile. ⭐Sudorealm Approved⭐
You can find Underground: The Julian Assange Story on Amazon prime: Watch Underground: The Julian Assange Story on Amazon
The Imitation Game
Alan Mathison Turing was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.
The Imitation Game is a 2014 Drama about Turing and how he played a crucial role in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial engagements, including the Battle of the Atlantic, and in so doing helped win the war.
Overall, a beautiful movie and a must-watch.
You can find The Imitation Game on Amazon Prime: Watch The Imitation Game on Amazon
Citizenfour
A shocking, academy award-winning, a documentary about Edward Snowden and his struggles after exposing the illegal surveillance activities of the American government. Every hacker must watch this documentary, it’s an eye-opener.
You can find Citizenfour on Amazon Prime: Watch Citizenfour on Amazon
TPB-AFK (The Pirate-Bay Away From Keyboard)
The Pirate Bay, our favorite torrent website was taken down and 25 million users were left disappointed and alone, not knowing how to watch their favorite movie in 1080 blu-ray for free ( exaggerating ). Jokes aside, this documentary shows the rise and fall of The Pirate Bay, everyone who is using the website should watch it.
You can find TPB AFK on Amazon: Watch TPB AFK on Amazon
The Matrix (Trilogy)
Where does one start with this? You are a top Elite hacker, your circle worships you, but that’s not all, you are the ONE (NEO get it?) and only you can save the REAL world. Seriously, The Matrix is a hacker’s sci-fi wet dream and definitely the best blockbuster grounded in computers. Also, Matrix can be the subject of a polite conversation and a heated argument between hackers, it’s amazing! So… Red or Blue pill? You choose!
You can find Matrix on Amazon: Watch Matrix on Amazon
Hackers (1995)
Video games, roller skating, underground Hacking communities, The Prodigy, an acid burn, a zero cool, and a Nikon combined give you the best movie representative of the hacker culture. Hackers is a cult classic that gets a lot of things right, especially the way kids were using technology in order to create their own communities. Their cyber worlds!
You can find Hackers 1995 on Amazon: Watch Hackers 1995 on Amazon
V for Vendetta
Remember, remember! The fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot!
This is my all-time favorite film, I can’t even count the times I’ve seen it. But this is not the reason it ranks at the top. V for Vendetta gives us the mentality of hacktivism and also puts a face to hackers... and we all know that face.
You can find V for Vendetta on Amazon: Watch V for Vendetta on Amazon
For the Hardcore Hacker Movie Fans 🎥🎬
I know for a fact that some movies MUST be included in the list! But I haven't seen them yet! And since I am planning to keep updating this article I will include them when I see them. 🤓😏
If you are a Cinephile and you are into this genre don't hesitate to hit me up anywhere with a suggestion! I will make some time and watch it.
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