Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a sub-genre of science fiction which typically deals with issues related to new technology in the not-so-distant future. It often utilizes a film noir style of storytelling, similar to old black and white detective movies with shadowy settings and tragically flawed protagonists. Other common themes in cyberpunk include post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian environments, new technology such as cybernetics and digital media, new phases of human or AI (artificial intelligence) evolution, and strong femme fatales. Cyberpunk began as a literary genre with such classics as William Gibson's Neuromancer, Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, and Shirow Masamune's Ghost in the Shell. Some have even argued that Mary Shelly's Frankenstein was the first cyberpunk story ever.
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- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsRobert De NiroKenneth BranaghHelena Bonham CarterWhen the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.Though more often considered a horror story, Frankenstein shares many cyberpunk themes, such as the use of science and new technology and the morality of their application. From the monster's point of view, it also deals with issues related to self-identity and humanity, much in the same way that films like Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner do with cyborgs and AI.
- DirectorMamoru OshiiStarsAtsuko TanakaIemasa KayumiAkio ÔtsukaA cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.Classic story, amazing artwork. Clearly a source of inspiration for the Matrix films. Set about 20 years in the future, this prophetic tale looks at the ramifications of technology merging with humanity. It raises such philosophical question as what defines a person as human? Are we simply the sum of our memories? Will machines one day think and feel for themselves? Is there such thing as a soul, or ghost?
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsHarrison FordRutger HauerSean YoungA blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.Based on the Philip K. Dick short story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Similar to Ghost in the Shell, this story considers the evolution of consciousness and self-identity in man-made cyborgs. It also makes excellent use of the classic film noir style, complete with femme fatale Sean Young and anti-hero Harrison Ford.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsJonathan PryceKim GreistRobert De NiroA bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.A surreal and fantastic film from the brilliant mind of Terry Gilliam.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsRobert DuvallDonald PleasenceDon Pedro ColleyIn the 25th century, a time when people have designations instead of names, a man, THX 1138, and a woman, LUH 3417, rebel against their rigidly controlled society.This brilliant film envisions a future ruled by science where every detail of one's life is controlled. It shares some similarities with books like 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMalcolm McDowellPatrick MageeMichael BatesAlex DeLarge and his droogs barbarize a decaying near-future.A graphic, brutal, and literally mind-bending film.
- DirectorKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMitsuo IwataNozomu SasakiMami KoyamaA secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.Tetsuo! Akira! One of the greatest anime films of all times, hands down. This film really encapsulates the "punk" aspect of cyberpunk. It takes place in a near-futuristic setting after a nuclear bomb has destroyed most of Tokyo. It also deals with the theme of evolution as related to human consciousness, and the risks therein.
- DirectorLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneCarrie-Anne MossWhen a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.A modern myth based on the traditional formula of a hero's journey of self-discovery. Clearly inspired at least somewhat by Ghost in the Shell, the Matrix includes such cyberpunk themes as a film noir atmosphere, post-apocalyptic setting, new technology, highly evolved AI, and a sexy but tough femme fatale leading lady.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittElliot PageA thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.Concerns such cyberpunk themes as memory, perception, and consciousness, and the manipulation thereof.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsSam WorthingtonZoe SaldanaSigourney WeaverA paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.I don't consider this one an entirely cyberpunk film, although it shares some themes. The director's cut version of this film includes a few scenes early on which show a very cyberpunk/film noir version of the Earth in the future. The main portion of the film also deals with the idea of having one's consciousness transferred to a different body.
- CreatorShirow MasamuneStarsShirô SaitôAtsuko TanakaOsamu SakaThe futuristic adventures of a female cyborg counter intelligence agent and her support team.Incredible series, really expands upon the themes of the original Ghost in the Shell while introducing entirely new ones, such as Internet memes and cyber-brain disorders.
- CreatorYasuyuki UedaStarsKaori ShimizuBridget HoffmanDan LorgeStrange things start happening when a withdrawn girl named Lain becomes obsessed with an interconnected virtual realm known as "The Wired".This girl has some major identity issues. This bizarre anime show follows the young girl Lain as she learns more and more about the online world, and in the process, is introduced to another version of herself.
- CreatorShûkô MuraseStarsKôji YusaAkiko YajimaLiam O'BrienIn a post-apocalyptic future humans live in peace with androids in a domed city. However, a strange series of murders has intruded into bored inspector Re-l Mayer's life.Fascinating and very well made anime series. It contains a plethora of interesting information about science, philosophy, art, etc. complimented by amazing animation. Features the Radiohead song Paranoid Android in the closing credits, need I say more?
- DirectorIain SoftleyStarsJonny Lee MillerAngelina JolieJesse BradfordTeenage hackers discover a criminal conspiracy with plans to use a computer virus that will capsize five oil tankers.Hack the planet! I had to include this film because not only is it very good, it embodies the cyberpunk style of hacker subculture (at least as it was in the mid-90s).
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsRalph FiennesAngela BassettJuliette LewisA former cop turned street-hustler accidentally uncovers a conspiracy in Los Angeles in 1999.Perfect example of a cyberpunk movie. The overall feel of this film is dark and gritty, very film noir. It concerns the near future in which people's memories can literally be bought and sold like a drug. The main character is an anti-hero who ultimately finds redemption thanks to a bad-ass femme fatale.
- DirectorRobert LongoStarsKeanu ReevesDolph LundgrenDina MeyerA data courier, literally carrying a data package inside his head, must deliver it before he dies from the burden or is killed by the Yakuza.Loosely based on William Gibson's classic book Neuromancer, this film is about a mnemonic courier who uses an illegal storage device implanted in his head to smuggle secret information for his clients. This tragically flawed hero is protected by a femme fatale bodyguard played by Dina Meyer. Contains many cyberpunk themes from film noir setting to issues of memory and self-identity. It even has a computer hacking dolphin and Japanese ninja-assassins.
- DirectorJonathan MostowStarsBruce WillisRadha MitchellVing RhamesSet in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others' surrogates.Like Ghost in the Shell, this film explores the social and political ramifications of a society in which people can transfer their living consciousness into ageless, perfect cyborg bodies, that is, if they can afford it...
- DirectorMiguel SapochnikStarsJude LawForest WhitakerAlice BragaSet in the near future when artificial organs can be bought on credit, it revolves around a man who struggles to make the payments on a heart he has purchased. He must therefore go on the run before said ticker is repossessed.Heart disease? Lung cancer? No problem! We've got brand new shiny cybernetic organs waiting to reinvigorate your life. Just don't miss a payment...
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsBruce WillisMilla JovovichGary OldmanIn the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay.Multipass? Awesome cyberpunk movie through and through.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJude LawJennifer Jason LeighIan HolmA game designer on the run from assassins must play her latest virtual reality creation with a marketing trainee to determine if the game has been damaged.Matrix-like story which involves a fully immersive, 3-d video game.
- DirectorAndrew NiccolStarsEthan HawkeUma ThurmanJude LawVincent, an "In-Valid", assumes the identity of a member of the genetic elite to pursue his goal of traveling into space with the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation. However, a week before his mission, a murder marks Vincent as a suspect.Great film which does a fantastic job of using the film noir style. Though it does not contain any cyborgs or AI, it does deal with issues of identity, social control, genetic stratification, and new technology in the not-to-distant future.
- DirectorGeorge NolfiStarsMatt DamonEmily BluntLisa ThoresonThe relationship between a politician and a contemporary dancer is affected by mysterious forces keeping them apart.Another Philip K. Dick adaptation dealing with the nature of memory and emulating film noir style.
- CreatorCharlie BrookerStarsWunmi MosakuMonica DolanDaniel LapaineFeaturing stand-alone dramas -- sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia -- "Black Mirror" is a contemporary reworking of "The Twilight Zone" with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world.3 excellent and thrilling short stories related to new technology, authoritarianism, social control and inequality, and other cyberpunk themes.
- DirectorKurt WimmerStarsChristian BaleSean BeanEmily WatsonIn an oppressive future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system and state.Set in a dystopian future in which religion and science have become one.
- DirectorNeill BlomkampStarsSharlto CopleyDavid JamesJason CopeIn a future Earth in which aliens are isolated in a remote ghetto, a government agent finds himself banished there.This raw and gritty film has the feel of a reality show as it explores issues of humanity, social order, and alien technology.
