The 10 Best Hacker Movies

1. Tron (1982)

Tron , a poetical “cyberadventure” where the cyber world is a methaphorical representation of the “real” one.A classic! A hacker is transported into the digital universe inside a computer, and must survive combat as a cyber gladiator in order to stop the villanous Master Control. The imagination behind this movie made big ripples in the science fiction world, and today, Tron is a cult classic that every computer user should see at least once.

2. Wargames (1983)

This movie is very old, but it is still a pivotal film in many viewers’ minds. A young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III. A preposterous plot, but a compelling commentary on nuclear war and the destruction of the human race. You have to see this movie just to say you have seen it.

3. Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Leave it to Bruce Willis to save the world from uber hackers. Macintosh advertising personality, Justin Long, plays the reluctant programmer caught up in an digital terrorism scheme. Like Swordfish, this movie has over-the-top violence and outrageous action sequences, but if you liked the Die Hard series, definitely see this .

4. The Italian Job (2003)

Modern heist movies always involve some sort of hacking. This particular heist movie is extremely entertaining, especially when the supposed true inventor of “Napster” is the main hacker. At least 20 minutes of hacking footage in this actioner. An explosive guy, a safe-cracker, a computer genius, a wheel-man and a man with a spectacular plan of stealing 35 million without using a gun.

5. Swordfish (2001)

Over-the-top violence, preposterous situations, sexy women, and outstanding special effects make this a great popcorn rental. No, don’t bring your brain to watch this, but if you like techno-thrillers, definitely rent this. A secretive renegade counter-terrorist co-opts the world’s greatest hacker (who is trying to stay clean) to steal billions in US Government dirty money.

6. Untraceable (2008)

Recently my friend Desigan gave this movie to me.Its an entertaining thriller about a crazed young computer geek who becomes the deranged moderator of his own “Kill With Me” live internet feed where he displays new victims being slowly tortured to death. The more hits he gets at his site, the faster the people featured on his webcam die.
FBI agent Jennifer Marsh is tasked with hunting down a seemingly untraceable serial killer who posts live videos of his victims on the Internet. As time runs out, the cat and mouse chase becomes more personal.

7. Sneakers (1992)

Complex but lighthearted thriller about computers and cryptography, government and espionage, secrets and deception and betrayal. The story revolves around two college buddies who take different paths in life. One becomes an ethical hacker, and the other…well, he is not quite so noble. Some great plot twists and comic scenes make this a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon at home.

8. The Score (2001)

Edward Norton and Robert De Niro are fabulous in this heist flick. In a clever plot to rob a Montrealcustoms house of some royal artifacts, Norton and De Niro must break into the security systems with the help of a socially-awkward hacker who lives in his mother’s basement. Ten minutes of hacking, and 100 minutes of phenomenal robbery storytelling!

9. Foolproof (2003)

A lower-budget movie about hobby bank robbers, this was a delightful surprise to many viewers. Ryan Reynolds and his friends “virtually” rob banks for fun, but are blackmailed into doing a heist for real. This is a good action rental.

10. Revolution OS (2001)

This documentary tells the story about the Linux operating system, and how it forwarded the philosophy of “open source” and free intellectual property. Not an action movie, but definitely interesting for people who want to learn more about why computer culture is the way it is. There’s a scene where Bill Gate’s is responding to the issue of free software.I think the OpenSource movement is revolutionary, but I’m not sure this film brings this across.