Hackers have been a source of inspiration to numerous artists around the globe. These virtual outlaws are either a Robin Hood type, helping people by fighting big corporations, or simple online thieves who profit by hacking into other peoples’ computers.

When our computing devices break down, we usually know what to do. Calling IT services such as TechBrain is always a good idea. However, what happens when somebody hacks into our computer and steals our data? Well, we’re sorry to tell you this, but you better block all of your credit cards and protect everything you can before it’s too late.

Luckily, these scenarios don’t happen often nowadays thanks to various security systems. Nevertheless, hackers have remained one of the most intriguing people, inspiring moviemakers to create movies about them,. Here are some of the most popular creations related to hacking services.



Hackers (1995)

Hackers

The first and most obvious choice is a 1995 classic called Hackers. It’s about a hacking genius called Dade Murphy who managed to create a powerful virus as a kid and was banned from using a PC until he turned 18. The protagonist moves to New York, where he finds like-minded people, including Kate Libby, with whom he falls in love.

The movie has this cyberpunk feel to it, and it features Angelina Jolie who was still not that famous back in the day. Other stars include Jonny Lee Miller and Jesse Bradford. Hackers was directed by Iain Softley and written by Rafael Moreu.


The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

A financial journalist named Mikael Blomkvist is employed by an uncle of a girl who once disappeared and was never found. Mikael is joined by a hacker girl called Lisbeth Salander who has a weird dragon tattoo (hence the name of the movie). The two investigators join forces only to discover a 40-year-old mystery that includes murders, disappearances, and more.

This is one of the most popular Swedish movies. In fact, it was so popular that it received a US remake starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara. The remake wasn’t actually bad! Truth be told, it is as good as the original.

The original title was directed by Niels Arden Oplev and is based on a novel by a renowned Swedish thriller/mystery writer Stieg Larsson.


WarGames (1983)

WarGames

Imagine living in 1983 when there were still fears of the Cold War turning into a Third World War. This movie is inspired by that situation and is about a wunderkind that somehow manages to hack into a computer that controls the US nuclear arsenal. The computer wants to launch the rockets and to prevent it from doing that, the protagonist must play some games against the US-military supercomputer.

The movie is directed by John Badham and features Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheed, and John Wood. Both the critics and the public loved it, and it received three Oscar nominations.


The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix

The Matrix is perhaps one of the most popular sci-fi movies ever. It is not about hackers per se, but Neo himself is a hacker, as well as the majority of characters in the movie. In case you haven’t seen The Matrix, here is a summary.

The plot follows an office worker who is a hacker by night. When he is contacted by a mysterious person, he finds out that the life he has been living is just a simulation created by a supercomputer in a future that’s almost entirely robot-controlled. Mr. Anderson wakes up from a computer-induced coma into a futuristic yet depressing reality. He assists freedom fighters in their quest to beat the machines.

The movie was written and directed by the Wachowski Brothers (they’re now officially the Wachowski Sisters) and stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss. It received two sequels, both of which failed to achieve the originality and popularity of the first movie.


Conclusion

Hackers are constantly improving but so are computers. It’s an ongoing battle of man vs machine which is yet to take place, as predicted in some of the movies mentioned above. In other words, those movies are prophecies of a sort, giving us a warning of what could happen in the future.

Therefore, don’t look at the hackers as bad guys. Most of them are fighting for a greater cause, such as saving humanity in this data- and machine-driven world filled with corrupt politicians who use technology to control the masses.