This is a short list of films in the cyberpunk genre, sorted by release date. Each title includes a set of relevant science fiction themes, a brief synopsis and what value the film may have for viewers.
Escape from New York | Date Released: 1981 | Director: John Carpenter | Trailer
Themes: Over population, Dystopia, Scarcity
Synopsis: In a not too distant dystopian timeline where crime is rampant within the US, New York City is chosen to be locked down and transformed into the country’s maximum-security prison. ‘Snake Plissken’, an ex-soldier and now federal convict is given a mission in return for his independence to rescue the president after Air Force One was hijacked and deliberately crashed into New York City. Although filmed on a strict budget, the film became a commercial success well received from critics and viewers, making it a cult classic for any cyberpunk fan.
Blade Runner | Date Released: 1982 | Director: Ridley Scott | Trailer
Themes: Multiculturalism, Climate Change, Globalization, Corporatism
Synopsis: An atmospheric neo-noir based loosely on the Philip K. Dick novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. Gritty, vibrant and with excellent costume design; there is significant aesthetic and thematic depth in this film despite its simplistic plot as bounty hunter Deckard pursues a group of androids in depopulated, future LA.
Robocop | Date Released: 1987 | Director: Paul Verhoeven | Trailer
Themes: Cybernetics, Privatization, Corporatism
Synopsis: Set in the near future of Detroit, the once industrial epicentre of the United States has been ripped apart by crime and poverty. A lack of state resources has culminated in the privatisation of the police force to Omni Consumer Products, a large conglomerate that also produces military hardware. While the special effects or choreography do not hold up to modern day Hollywood equivalents, the tongue-in-cheek humour and frighteningly accurate imagery of what can happen when corporate interests replace state governance more than make up for it. This film has a surprising amount of depth beneath its schlocky B-grade surface.
The Running Man | Date Released: 1987 | Director: Paul Michael Glaser | Trailer
Themes: Reality TV, Dystopia, Privatization, Corporatism, Totalitarianism
Synopsis: A campy, action-focused and one dimensional re-imagining of the Stephen King sci-fi novel. Laden with quips, poor costuming and a shallow plot, this film is more for Schwarzenegger fans than cyberpunk aficionados. Read the book, there is substantial world building, societal critique and a bleak ending that would never get made into a film today.
Cherry 2000 | Date Released: 1988 | Director: Steve De Jarnatt | Trailer
Themes: Dystopia, Post-apocalyptic, Androids
Synopsis: More a post-apocalyptic adventure movie than cyberpunk, Cherry 2000’s protagonists spend most of their time outside the city in a barren wasteland on a search for a functional copy of a businessman’s out of production love robot. There are a handful of futuristic city sets near the beginning of the movie, including a humorous scene involving two singles and their lawyers negotiating a contract for a date. Not one of the “must-see” titles in the genre.
Tetsuo the Iron Man | Date Released: 1989 | Director: Shinya Tsukamoto | Trailer
Themes: Cybernetics, Technofetishism
Synopsis: A short independent film from Japan, it is shot in black and white and has a strong techno-organic aesthetic. While light on plot and with numerous scenes that are quite abstract, both the imagery in this film and the way it deals with the fetishisation of technology are valuable for modern audiences.
Hardware | Date Released: 1990 | Director: Richard Stanley | Trailer
Themes: Post-apocalyptic, Automation, Authoritarianism
Synopsis: After recent experiences in South Africa and Afghanistan during its Soviet occupation, the director was inspired to create an action horror sci-fi where a fascist government is testing a killing machine to use against the populace. B-Grade and gory, despite its low budget and poor critical reception this film was an unexpected financial success. The film hits several genre tropes but is perhaps only worth watching for the hardcore cyberpunk fans and lovers of B grade action horror.
Robocop 2 | Date Released: 1990 | Director: Irvin Kershner | Trailer
Themes: Cybernetics, Privatization, Corporatism, Transhumanism
Synopsis: A DARE commercial in a cyberpunk setting: Robocop takes on a drug syndicate, and later on the corporation that owns him, to help protect the embattled city of Detroit. While still retaining some of the humour, graphic violence and body horror of the original, it is inferior in every regard. The major thematic draw in this film is the inner dynaics of mega-corporation OCP, where management pay lip service to political correctness while covertly destroying a city to be able to take it over completely from its legitimate government. All the themes and even the plot narrative of the original are re-hashed in this sequel with very little more to say. Having said that, it is watchable and worth viewing if you are a Robocop fan or cyberpunk aficionado.
Mindwarp | Date Released: 1991 | Director: Steve Barnett | Trailer
Themes: Virtual Reality, Scarcity, Post-Apocalyptic, Technology Addiction
Synopsis: Set in 2037, a depleted ozone has scorched the surface of the Earth and the majority of mankind live underground, permanently connected to an AI-controlled VR simulation. When a young woman wants out, she has to confront the hard reality of surface life and its hostile mutant denizens. Starring Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead fame, this is thoroughly B Grade but surprisingly entertaining if a bit gruesome. The parallels between the future society and its technology addiction and today may also be of interest to sci-fi fans.
Nemesis | 1992 | Albert Pyun | Trailer
Themes: Cybernetics, Transhumanism
Synopsis: A B-Grade action sci-fi that offers little more than muscle-bound cyborgs blowing each other apart with heavy firepower. The protagonist is a government-sponsored hit man with a mission to save the world from a covert android takeover. For diehards only, there is not much to offer here beyond a few fun, if not mindless, action scenes.
Robocop 3 | Date Released: 1993 | Director: Fred Drekker | Trailer
Themes: Cybernetics, Privatization, Corporatism, Transhumanism, Multiculturalism
Synopsis: An extremely poor installment in the Robocop franchise. The film actually starts strong, providing a now familiar scene of a child doing their homework on a laptop computer, something that was both humorous and futuristic in 1993. Robocop taking on a violent gang of “splatter punks” is a highlight of the film, providing a creepy dystopian atmosphere in an “off-limits” part of Detroit. Unfortunately, the film takes a sharp downturn and all the humour of the first two films is absent as Robocop becomes a “terrorist” fighting OCP as they attempt to forcibly re-home unwanted citizens to erect their new Delta City. A Japanese corporation has taken over OCP and despite a very intimidating looking Japanese samurai android being introduced, the character is under-utilised and easily bested by a single shot from Robocop’s pistol. With a screenplay from the talented Frank Miller, the embarrassing dialogue, non-existent character development and terrible pacing is a surprising disappointment from such an accomplished writer. This film is for only the most dedicated Robocop fan.
Johnny Mnemonic | Date Released: 1995 | Director: Robert Longo | Trailer
Themes: Cybernetics, Artificial Intelligence, Corporatism
Synopsis: Based on the short story by William Gibson the titular character played by Keanu Reeves serves as a data courier pursued by the yakuza at the behest of a pharmaceutical conglomerate. Gibson also wrote the screenplay for the film; and while more camp than it is gritty or even insightful, it hits all the aesthetic genre tropes and has a slew of interesting sets and characters. Worth watching just for the cybernetically enhanced dolphin.
Judge Dredd | Date Released: 1995 | Director: Danny Cannon | Trailer
Themes: Cloning, Totalitarianism, Robotics, Post-Apocalyptic
Synopsis: Criticised for its camp-ness and alleged miscasting of Sylvester Stallone as Dredd, this film’s tone is quite close to the source material comic in tone and tongue-in-cheek humour about the dystopic future that awaits humanity in late stage capitalism. Big on action, there is substantive world building, large scale sci-fi sets, and a great cast of mutants, clones and robots to serve as antagonists. This is an entertaining action cyberpunk film with a formulaic and predictable plot and some memorable comedic scenes.
Strange Days | Date Released: 1995 | Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Trailer
Themes: Virtual Reality
Synopsis: Written and produced by James Cameron, this neo-noir explores the allure of technologically-assisted escapism and its use as a murder weapon. Set in LA, the film attempts to illustrate a near-future dystopia set at the end of the millennium.
Existenz | 1999 | David Cronenberg | Trailer
Themes: Simulation, Hyper Reality, Virtual Reality
Synopsis: One of Cronenberg’s weaker movies, the “was it all just a game?” type simulation narratives have been done earlier and better by other films. Two employees of a virtual reality gaming company must fight to survive a corporate terrorist plot. The film features Cronenberg’s trademark “body horror” scenes and provides an intriguing prediction of the evolution of video game entertainment.
The Matrix | Date Released: 1999 | Lana & Lilly Wachowski | Trailer
Themes: Simulation, Hyper Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics
Synopsis: An officer worker / recreational hacker is slowly losing his grip on reality. Offered the chance to learn the truth behind his paranoia, the protagonist is plunged into a future reality where machines rule mankind and society as he knew it was merely a simulation. Beneath the superficial action scenes with their much-parodied “wire-fu” and slow motion bullet dodging, lie layers of subtext and critiques on the evolution of technology. This film was highly influential on a cultural level and offers a robust perspective on cyberpunk fashion and the genre aesthetic.
Equilibrium | Date Released: 2002 | Director: Kurt Wimmer | Trailer
Themes: Totalitarianism, Thought Police
Synopsis: Set in a future where the population is controlled by psychoactive drugs to suppress their emotions, John Preston is an enforcement officer for this strict regime who rule out any feelings or artistic expression. After his wife is apprehended, Preston begins to experience newfound emotions after missing his regular dose of the suppressive drug. Realising all his wrongdoings, John aids the resistance movement using his advanced martial arts techniques. Sharing similar themes to Minority report, this film is packed with action while maintaining a thought-provoking cyberpunk narrative.
One Point O (Paranoia 1.0) | Date Released: 2004 | Director: Jeff Renfroe & Marteinn Thorsson | Trailer
Themes: Nanotechnology, Surveillance, Corporatism
Synopsis: For a film with a very low budget, One Point O does very well in terms of its cinematography, atmosphere, casting, musical score, and costuming. Set in the near future, a software engineer working from home becomes increasing suspicious of a conspiracy taking place in his rundown apartment building. The cast of characters is eclectic and the acting is good for what is admittedly a not very strong plot or script. Aesthetics from movies such as the Matrix (1999), Blade Runner (1982) and Videodrome (1983) are all evident in this film. For those who appreciate atmosphere in their movies and are not bothered by a slow, if not weak narrative, will find something of value here.
A Scanner Darkly | Date Released: 2006 | Director: Richard Linklater | Trailer
Themes: Privacy, Corporatism, Surveillance
Synopsis: Another Philip K Dick adaptation, centred around an undercover drug enforcement officer and his crew of unemployed lowlifes. Well-acted by co-stars Robert Downey Junior and Wynona Ryder, it also features a unique animation style that has held up very well over time and has an aesthetic that suits the themes and contexts of the story. Being slower paced and more grounded in reality than many other films in this list, A Scanner Darkly is perhaps all the more relevant covering both post-modern escapism and the reality of living in a surveillance state. The end result manages to be both humorous and thought provoking: two defining elements of PKD’s work that are often lacking in many of its film and television adaptations.
Repo Men | Date Released: 2010 | Director: Miguel Sapochnik | Trailer
Themes: Dystopia, Corporatism, Cybernetics, Privatisation, Simulated Reality
Synopsis: With elements of Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (1990) and The Matrix (1999), this cyberpunk amalgamation suffers from weak directing, the kind you’d expect in a Altered Carbon episode rather than a big budget Hollywood movie. The plot is very formulaic and emphasises action over narrative. The protagonist is very hard to relate to as it is shown early on how much delight he takes in his work as a “repo man”: murdering and butchering people who are late on their payments for artificial organ implants. While a poor film, it does provide several expansive futuristic sets, a decent application of subtle cyberpunk costuming, and an attempt at morally analysing the relationship between new technology and corporatism.
Blade Runner 2049 | Date Released: 2017 | Director: Denis Villeneuve | Trailer
Themes: Man-Machine Romance, Corporatism
Synopsis: Set 30 years in the future from the events of Blade Runner (1982) this highly anticipated sequel arguably lacks both the vibrancy and the world-building of its predecessor. Poor costumes, a lack of any new technology and very little development of the franchise’s IP weaken this title as a cyberpunk narrative. Structurally two films tacked together into one: the first plot arc is comprised of an entertaining romantic drama between the protagonist and his mass market consumer AI assistant, essentially a less thoughtful version of Her (2013). The second arc of the film is a derivative clone of the original down to remixing its soundtrack and digitally re-animating characters. Worth watching once for the romantic sub-plot and a handful of the futuristic sets.
Ghost in the Shell | Date Released: 2017 | Director: Rupert Sanders | Trailer
Themes: Artificial Intelligence, Cybernetics, Transhumanism
Synopsis: The much-maligned live action version of the iconic anime franchise, which ham-fistedly attempted to jam elements from the first film with the television series. The result is a very poor film, even for the cyberpunk genre. Ironically, the costumes in this iteration are among the most thoughtful and well-executed of any of the movies in this list and for that reason alone hardcore cyberpunk fans may find value in watching it.
Mute | Date Released: 2018 | Director: Duncan Jones | Trailer
Themes: Globalisation, Corporatism, Cybernetics
Synopsis: A Netflix original film, with perhaps not enough budget to carry off its ambitious goals. The premise of an Amish mute trying to find his missing girlfriend in futuristic Berlin is poorly implemented with extremely low quality special effects, a nonsensical script and frustrating pacing. Despite its many failings, the film does offer a relatively novel setting for the cyberpunk genre and introduces costumes and new technologies that are more original than Bladerunner 2049. Worth watching for diehard cyberpunk fans only.
Alita: Battle Angel | Date Released: 2019 | Director: Robert Rodriguez | Trailer
Themes: Cybernetics, Artificial Intelligence, Post-Apocalyptic
Synopsis: James Cameron’s long-term pet project finally come to fruition. While a commercial failure the movie managed to faithfully translate the Japanese source material to something more palatable to Western audiences and the action choreography and computer animation are both top notch. A discarded android is given a new lease on life by a robot surgeon / bounty hunter, exploring her mysterious past amidst a violent, urban dystopia.
Reminiscence | Date Released: 2021 | Director: Lisa Joy | Trailer
Themes: Scarcity, Post-Apocalyptic, Privatisation, Thought Police
Synopsis: The primary novum of this film is a mind-probing device developed during a past great war, which is now used in the private sector to allow clients to relive memories. The narrative revolves around the quest of a man searching for a lover who had disappeared. The visuals are heavily inspired by Blade Runner (1982), however the film’s low budget, weak script and unconvincing plotdo not translate to a good film. There is very little on offer here for the genre or as entertainment. For fans of Hugh Jackman or the Blade Runner aesthetic only.
Zone 414 | Date Released: 2021| Director: Andrew Baird | Trailer
Themes: Cybernetics, Artificial Intelligence, Post-Apocalyptic, Man-Machine Romance
Synopsis: This is a low-budget Australian cyberpunk neo-noir detective thriller that is very heavily inspired by the Blade Runner films. A private detective is paid to find and recover the daughter of a billionaire android inventor/mogul in the one “zone” of a dystopian city where such androids are allowed to legally interact with human beings. The costumes, sets and electronic score are all above average and some of the android animatronic special effects props are very well done. This movie is decidedly low budget however with a derivative script and a predictable, and sometimes nonsensical plot. In that context, it is impressive that this Australian production was able to pretty much nail the Blade Runner aesthetic and in my opinion, the film’s costumes actually are far better than the abysmal costuming in Blade Runner 2049. This film is only has value for those who are big fans of Guy Pearce, Australian film, or Blade Runner.
Expired | Date Released: 2022| Director: Ivan Sen | Trailer
Themes: Artificial Intelligence, Man-Machine Romance, Scarcity
Synopsis: Another low budget Australian cyberpunk thriller with Australian actor Ryan Kwanten (of Neighbours and True Blood-fame) serving as the protagonist. While Zone 414 was heavily inspired by Blade Runner 2049, Expired is more derivative than a Hideo Kojima game. Thanks to the current affordability of mirrorless digital cameras, which excel at video, the cinematography of this film is its strongest element, and the cast all look perfectly aesthetic in their respective roles in the film. Shot largely in Hong Kong with a few scenes done in the Gold Coast and Brisbane’s Chinatowns, amateur special effects such as neon lights or CGI aircraft are applied to these Asian backdrops to provide a science fiction setting. The script, action and plot are all low quality or barely existent. While Kwanten actually makes for a good Blade Runner-type protagonist, there isn’t much here for him to work with. Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith from the Matrix) is another major cast member, but again there’s not much for him to work with here. Zone 414 at the very least had its own narrative, Expired I cannot recommend to anyone other than Queensland cyberpunk fans who want to see a few shots from their home town used in a science fiction film.
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