10 Best Hacking Movies in History

Since the beginning of the 21 century when computers and technology have become popular the subject of hackers has also become even more popular, prompting movie producers to delve into the world of hackers. Do you have a knack for watching movies that blow your mind away? then you are in the right place, as we will be discussing some of the best hacking movies of all time in this list.

Additionally, these movies about hackers that will be listed on this list provide a kind of picture of the kind of life hackers do live. The way they think sometimes and the way they carry out each operation.

Furthermore, whether, it is by revealing national secrets or sabotaging corporate enemies, hackers have become more and more influential in our daily lives with their practices. In addition, while this list is subjective, we would, however, appreciate your contribution and hearing your view of this list of the best hacker movies of all time.

Best Hacking Movies of All Time

1. WarGames (1983)

WarGames is a “must-watch” among the movies listed on this list. The movie which is about 40 years old since it was made is the oldest on this list apart from it being a top notch.

WarGames is a classic film set during the Cold War era, focusing on a young computer and video game enthusiast named David, played by Matthew Broderick. In a twist of fate, David unintentionally hacks into a military central computer, mistaking it for a computer game. However, this seemingly harmless act unleashes a chain of events that escalates into a global military crisis.

The film cleverly portrays the hacking scenes with a simple black and green screen, using accessible language to keep the audience engaged. As tensions rise between nations, David finds himself caught up in a web of chaos. He becomes the target of FBI agents, who arrest him under suspicion of being a Russian double agent attempting to sabotage the United States.

2. Who Am I (2014)

The movie set in Germany delves into the world of hacking from a different perspective from what has been done previously. Who Am I” is an intriguing film that puts a fresh spin on familiar movie tropes, setting itself apart from the rest. The story revolves around Benjamin (played by Tom Schilling), a determined individual who yearns to establish himself within the hacker community.

He finds himself joining forces with a group of skilled tech experts, aiming to create an exceptional hacker collective. What sets this movie apart is its innovative portrayal of the interactions between hackers in the virtual realm. Picture a subway car filled with anonymous figures, their faces concealed, while dynamic 3D text fields encircle them. Additionally,

3. Hackers (1995)

The movie Hackers became one of the most intriguing movies in the 90s, mostly because of the plot that the movie employed to deliver a great performance of a cult-like hacking movie that made it stand out among the many best hacking movies of all time. The movie which starred Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford, Matthew Lillard, Laurence Mason, Renoly Santiago, Lorraine Bracco, and Fisher Stevens centers on high schoolers who attempted to commit theft in the wake of the internet in the 90s.

Hackers featured a series of hacking methodologies and ideals that would later shape some of the ways that hackers operate in their manifesto that was released on January 8, 1986, in Hacker Manifesto. The movie also focuses on a teenager who wishes to prove his worth in the hacking world while stumbling upon a secret that could cripple a mega cooperation stealing from them $25 million dollars while triggering a chain of reaction to conceal the deed.

4. Sneakers (1992)

You would think why does hacking movies become the phenomenon of the 90s and 2000s? this is obviously because this is the wake of the internet and as you know the internet is the home of hackers. Sneakers which was released in 1992 was among a series of movies that were released in the 90s that truly reveal what hacking entails and what hackers really seek to achieve.

Martin Marty or Martin Bishop played by Robert Redford runs a company dedicated to revealing weaknesses in other company’s security systems. He stumbles upon a hacking tool that proves to be too powerful for anyone to control alone, and his team became embroiled in a series of dangerous games that seek to end them.

Sneakers basically center on teamwork with hackers with a plot that is mind-blowing and features puzzles and mind games. Mostly, the movie seeks to exploit the theme of the importance of cybersecurity rather than the subject of exploits done by hackers which has made it one of the best hacking movies of all time.

5. The Matrix (1999)

This is a takedown, obviously, if you haven’t seen Matrics this is the best time to see it. This movie is electrifying, it takes the hacking game to a different new level. The Matrix, if you are not careful enough you may find it difficult to understand the plot as this movie is suitable for any moment in time, I might say Matrix is the movie of the future.

Matrix garnered a whole lot of positive approval from the audience as the movie not only prove to be thrilling and intriguing alone, but it also shows the nature of complex design protocols that makes it the most powerful movie on this list.

Additionally, the Matrix follows a  computer programmer named Thomas Anderson, who led to fighting an underground war against powerful computers who have constructed his entire reality with a system called the Matrix. The movie is action-packed with a whole lot of fighting scenes with a few computer hacking scenes.

Keanu Reaves who played Neo in the movie serves as the main character with a strong computer background and later found out when his eyes open to the truth and reality that his entire life has been a simulation created by an AI hive-mind. Matrix is a tricky one! you just have to see the movie to understand why this movie is one of the best hacking movies of all time.

6. Blackhat (2015)

Chris Hemsworth really did well on this one. Most people know, Chris as the god of thunder Thor, but this was done way back before he became a god. The plot of the movie follows Nick Hathaway who was played by (Chris Hemsworth) as a bad*ss hacker who was jailed because of his cybercrime and was released by the government to aid in an investigation that the code he created was involved.

Well, unlike many other movies on this list, you have to actually be patient and use your mind to go along with the movie as it involves a mind-bending twist with computer scenes and action sequences. Chris was charged with helping his American and Chinese counterparts hunt down a cyber-terrorist crime organization all around the world.

7. Swordfish (2001)

Swordfish is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride, which is full of action and suspense. The plot involves a rogue black ops group that plans a bank heist. The movie featured stars like Halle Berry (Ginger Knowles), John Travolta (Gabriel Shear), Hugh Jackman (Stanley Jobson), Camryn Grimes (Holly Jobson), Don Cheadle (Agent J.T. Roberts), and Drea de Matteo (Melissa).

Gabriel Shear who was played by Travolta is a spy, rich, powerful, and ruthless crime lord, offered computer hacker Stanley (Hugh Jackman), who was initially imprisoned and released on parole, a chance to rebuild his future by helping him hack an exorbitant amount from illegal government funds. Although the movie is packed with a lot of action scenes and car bombing, there are, however, s few things film critics have to say about this great movie.

8. Anonymous: Hacker (2016)

Anonymous is more of a crime base movie with little computer hacking. Although the movie entered with a family that migrated from Ukraine to Canada with their son. Because of the family’s predicament and poor financial status their son, Alex turns to illegal online trading to make quick money and identity thief which later landed him in trouble. Hacker is a crime thriller that is packed with a lot of real-life events. Additionally, the movie focuses mostly on crime base organization of the dark web rather than the hacking perspective but in all, it is a great movie that deserves to be on this list.

9. Takedown (2000)

Takedown takes ninth place in the best hacking movies of all time. The movie is a great one and is included on this list because it is based on the story of the capture of computer hacker Kevin Mitnick who is one of the best and most famous hackers of all time. Kevin Mitnick who was on the FBI’s most wanted list initially hacked into the PC of Tsutomu Shimomura who was also a former top hacker and a top computer security specialist. The movie followed the real-life event where Shimomura decided to help the authority take down Kevin after he taunted him, unknowing to him that he is in for a shock and has more than he can handle.

10. 23 (1998)

Karl Koch and his friend David embark on a risky adventure by hacking into government and military databases. As they delve deeper into their illicit activities, they soon discover that their actions have serious repercussions. The story revolves around the consequences they face as a result of their unauthorized access and the challenges they encounter along the way.

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