Explore Cyberpunk Movies: 9 Influential Cyberpunk Movies

Cyberpunk movies are a subgenre of science-fiction cinema and typically take place in a dystopian future. In cyberpunk movies, certain aspects of the social order break down, leading to chaos. These films typically feature advanced, futuristic technology, such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Cyberpunk movies make extensive use of special effects to create an authentic-feeling futuristic world.

The genre’s roots stretch back to the New Wave science fiction of the 1960s and ’70s. Unlike earlier stories in the sci-fi genre, the stories of this period tended to be much darker in tone. These films focused on social and individual dysfunction, authoritarian power structures, and reality-altering drugs and technology. Cyberpunk movies soon followed, borrowing many of the literary genre’s tropes and ideas.

Whether set on the surface of Mars or in a dystopian future, cyberpunk movies share common characteristics, including:

1. 1. Setting: Cyberpunk films are typically set in the near future (which allows them to reflect on current events without being direct commentaries) or in the far future. The best cyberpunk movies find ways to establish relevance, no matter the period.
2. 2. Authority: The stories involve lonely characters fighting impersonal forms of authority, such as mega-corporations or totalitarian governments.
3. 3. Alliances: Characters in cyberpunk films often come together to form loose alliances. They bond over common purpose and human connection—a scarcity in their futuristic worlds.
4. 4. Technology: Cyberpunk films feature advanced technology that can be helpful or harmful, depending on the circumstances. Sometimes the tech will be helpful and harmful, so the characters have to decide how best to use it to further their objectives and desires.

Cyberpunk movies generally remain outside the mainstream, but blockbuster hits like 1999’s The Matrix occasionally have breakout success. Notable cyberpunk movies include:

1. 1. Blade Runner (1982): Ridley Scott’s adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is set in a dystopian Los Angeles. Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, whose job as a “Blade Runner” entails the pursuit and killing of high-tech androids called “replicants.” The film is also something of a homage to the film noir genre, and like those films, its world is dark, complex, and morally ambiguous.
2. 2. Akira (1988): Cyberpunk quickly became popular in Japan, a country that has been a consistent source of some of the genre’s most successful and influential examples. Manga, or Japanese comic books, have been the source of some of the biggest cyberpunk hits, and Akira, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, is generally recognized as an early example. The anime film begins two decades after a mysterious explosion has destroyed Tokyo. Futuristic bike gangs, criminal organizations, and corrupt government agents all feature in the complex plot.
3. 3. Ghost in the Shell (1995): Ghost in The Shell, directed by Mamoru Oshii, is also based on a popular manga series. It takes place in a futuristic version of Japan, and plot elements include high-tech body augmentation, namely the human/machine hybrids known as cyborgs.
4. 4. RoboCop (1987): This 1987 action film, directed by Paul Verhoeven, is an early American classic of the cyberpunk genre. Set in a dystopian Detroit, it features a cyborg resurrected after a fatal encounter with a violent gang. This newly dubbed “robocop” is controlled by another staple of the cyberpunk genre—an evil mega-corporation whose oppression of society must eventually be defeated.
5. 5. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989): This Japanese classic underlines the “punk” in cyberpunk. Verging on horror, it’s a dark and twisted tale of obsession and madness, featuring a man who begins to transform into a machine. Black and white cinematography add to the grit and gloom of writer-director Shinya Tsukamoto’s take on a future dystopia. This cult classic remains an influential touchstone of cyberpunk filmmaking.
6. 6. Total Recall (1990): Directed by Paul Verhoeven, this film features Arnold Schwarzenegger as a Mars colonist who might have had his mind implanted with false memories. The movie has innovative special and visual effects and offers a dark, occasionally humorous take on the cyberpunk genre. Based on a Philip K. Dick story, it is a characteristic mixture of philosophical speculation and pulpy thrills.
7. 7. The Matrix (1999): Directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix was a box office smash that spawned a franchise, including multiple sequel features. The protagonist, played by Keanu Reeves, is a computer hacker named Neo who discovers his entire reality is a construct. He may have a special role in the revolutionary quest to liberate humanity from its machine overlords. The Matrix features cybernetic interfaces, evil machines, cutting-edge CGI, and is also known for its philosophical storyline.
8. 8. Judge Dredd (1995): Something of an action/cyberpunk crossover, Danny Cannon’s film contains extravagant mayhem and one-liners. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as a one-man judge, jury, and executioner and deals with the nature of authority in a future world ravaged by war and chaos.
9. 9. Johnny Mnemonic (1995): Starring Keanu Reeves, this cyberpunk thriller is based upon a short story of the same name by William Gibson. In this futuristic vision of a corrupt and degraded world, Reeves’ character acts as a courier of sensitive information directly implanted in his brain.

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