Algorithm

This movie would be slow and boring, for those who don't appreciate the cerebral. However the cerebral is a big part of the story. The movie tries to steer you towards liking their good guy. But what the supposed good guy does and what he is, is not good. I sympathized with his plight, and what happened to his friends by their connection to him. But there my sympathy ends. He knew what he did was wrong, and he did it anyway. I have no empathy for people who's very job is to knowingly and illegally harm others, however removed they might feel they are from it. This movie is Pandora's box all over again, but with a technological modern spin. I give it an 8 of 10. It proves once again, that the best movies are still about story, even if technology is a big part of the story. One of those good low budgeters we all like to see, and very rarely do.

I discovered this "gem" late one night on youtube and thought I'd give it a try. I'm a fan of hacker related movies, so I thought that there could be something here...

Well from the very first frame I realized this was just going to be a waste of time. I'm not even sure where to start. The acting, the direction, the boring characters and story... I mean I thought Insecurity (2007) had a number of issues, but at least it was enjoyable.

Any argument I've seen for why this movie is good is laughable. "It's not a movie, IT'S A WAY OF LIFE!" K bud..

I could pick it apart piece-by-piece, but trust me when I say this is a waste of time.

I'm a technogeek, computer nerd, and lover of techno thrillers. So I understood the themes and message of this film. But it was done so poorly that I don't know if I'm just disappointed or confused as to why the movie was even released.

About 30 minutes in, I started wondering if it was actually a cheesy parody of a "hacker" film. The dialog is poorly written and delivered with some of the worst acting I've ever seen. I felt like I was watching the product of a high school introductory film class.

The cinematography showed promise with some beautiful shots, but then degraded into very questionable angles and layouts. There's a scene where we get to stare at the back of the head of the main character for an oddly long period of time. I wondered why the director didn't have the cameraman just swing around to his front.

There were almost believable technical aspects of some scenes, but for a "hacker" movie with its overriding theme of "the NSA is watching everything", some of the technology in play should have been focused on more.

In light of the Snowden revelations, and some other stuff that was later revealed to have gone on in the past decade or two, the premise of this film could have resulted in a great product. It's really a shame that the movie was so badly written, poorly acted, and shot so oddly.

I have never reviewed a movie on IMDb.com ... but leaving a unique review of 2 stars for Algorithm was not acceptable so I had to reply ! I must be part of the 1% hackers who enjoyed the movie as at least remotely realistic, in which human interactions do define technological endeavours, in which the powerful do win against the weak, and in which those who are believed trustful should not be trusted. I believe this movie is one, maybe not universal, vision of hacker world aimed at discovering the underlying basics to technological breakthroughs. I ended up watching Algorithm after a nostalgic review of Hackers and Hackers2 (no relation between both movies), and found Algorithm a rather realistic reminder of what real life might actually be.

I somehow came across this gem after stumbling on a youtube posting of Primer, a film that if you have not seen, you really should. GO WATCH PRIMER.

Anyway, Algorithm is a flat, boring one dimensional view into the life of a "hacker". It is a cliché on every level, offering nothing to it's viewer. If I had more time on my hands I would try to hack into Al Gore Ithim, however it's not worth the time. I wish there was a way to get my time back from watching it, let alone my time from warning you from the sheer boredom you will endure. Consider this a PSA.