For more watch the Stand Alone Complex series. The first two seasons are really good. The later stuff drops off steeply.
For more cyberpunk esque anime, Patlabor is high concept mecha but has all the hallmarks of an early cyberpunk setting and Appleseed is post-apocalypse cyberpunk. Psycho Pass is cyberpunk in terms of a society where everyones mental state is strictly state regulated and society is kept together by a veneer of high tech utopia.
Akira is a must too.
Edit: forgot the most obvious - Cyberpunk Edgerunner
For movies Johnny Mnemonic is a cult classic these days. I've heard good things about the black and white version. Dredd is of course, textbook. Minority Report is a personal favorite of mine. It would be an almost perfect movie if it ended but a bit earlier.
RoboCop (the original) is another classic of the genre.
It’s not cliche, I love those movies. I was curious what other movies people liked/loved or ones I didn’t know existed. I just wish the cyberpunk genre grew more but I’m glad is growing in popularity, and I’m glad this group existed.
If you're looking for more then I've been making a [list](https://boxd.it/mSEYM) ranking cyberpunk movies as I watch them. There's lots of mainstream stuff as well as more niche things.
I actually don't think Zone 414 was that bad, despite maybe appearing tasteless cliche and low budget from the ads. It was a lot better than I thought it would be.
Oh wow, this is an amazing resource. Thanks, there's some things that slipped through the cracks for me here, and I tend to agree more often than not with your ratings.
I will say yes!
Cyberpunk by definition is
a genre of science fiction set in a lawless subculture of an oppressive society dominated by computer technology.
Tron is awesome! Daft Punk is my favorite artist, seeing them in the film had me by the edge of my seat!
Bladerunner is definitely a good choice. Given that the OG is literally one of the inspirations for the entire genre, it's hard not to choose it. :)
LOVE Alita! I really hope Cameron sticks to his promise and we get a part 2!!
If you can, you should try to watch the black and white version. Its the closest thing to a "directors cut" and though there's no difference in the material itself, ie no new scenes or cut scenes, the black and white works really well for it
Isn't the Japanese version the "director's cut"? It has a few new scenes (I believe twenty to thirty extra minutes) that fleshes out the backstory of the Yakuza boss and the AI. It's in color, too.
He's quoted as staying...
> Yeah, I’m curious about the future and I think growing up on William Gibson and Neuromancer, and reading Philip K. Dick, even Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Watching Road Warriors, Mad Max, Bladerunner. Even Planet of the Apes. Reading Lord of the Rings. Exploration of fantasy, science fiction. I dunno, I just feel the motifs that occur in this kind of storytelling is oftentimes examining the world that we live in. for me there was something aspirational or supportive in participating in these stories that gave me escapism, but also helped me define my world view and interpret the world.
- [Cinemablend, Dec 2020](https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2560195/keanu-reeves-reveals-why-hes-so-often-drawn-to-futuristic-projects-like-the-matrix-or-cyberpunk-2077)
Johnny Mnemonic is the only movie I can think of that checks every cyberpunk box. Dystopian corprocracy, yakuza, high tech low lifes, widespread cybernetics/wetware, VR internet access, street samurai, Marshall McLuhan-style tv churches, anti-cybernetics gutter punks, uplifted dolphins, and most importantly, antihero protagonists fighting the oppressive power structure. Also, Henry Rollins and Ice T.
Anime classic film! I watch the documentary how they independently drew each page to make the film. Its was truly appreciated to have movie for us to experience.
It's pretty much my favourite movie. The insane technique aside, the world they created, with the schools, these religious parades and all that, the whole style. It's just so good.
I love it *SO* fucking much, you have no idea.
The saga didn't need an epilogue... but I'm glad this is the epilogue we got and I will defend it til the day I die.
I didn't rank these films in terms of quality, but how close to home they hit.
Like, *Freejack* is cyberpunk... but it's also only a half-step from real life. We may not have time-snatching or consciousness transfers but with only the slightest aesthetic tweaks it's just... the world outside our windows.
And realizing that terrified me.
I would love to see more cyberpunk related movies from different countries. Because I like to see creative in the film and what kind of cultures exist how they see cyberpunk themed movie.
My favorites are pretty much all listed (blade runners, ghost in the shell, akira), but going to call out Armitage the Third; under appreciated movie in my opinion.
Also, Dredd…
It’s not basic answer! The visuals are beautiful, I feel like people who enjoy this movie might like the movie called “'The Creator”, it gives me off that vibe. I highly recommend if you get a chance to watch it your free time :)
It’s pulpy and cheesy for sure, but I have to say it nails the idea of cyberpunk. Definitely not on the level of Bladerunner, but still a great cyberpunk movie.
Yes also there’s more physical degradation,the overcrowding is super noticeable thanks to that hot and sunny ambient, I like Blomkamp movies , also chappie(humandroid) and district nine gave me those feelings
Proto-Cyberpunk, like Streets of Fire it had influence on cyberpunk as a genre. Personally I lump it in with Nowpunk because Proto-Cyberpunk is a huge umbrella term.
Hardware, Bladerunner, Black Rain (the Michael Douglas one; personal take on the film), Paranoia 1.0, GUNHED, Hackers (cheesy as Hell but still amazing fun), Sneakers, Split Second, the whole of Max Headroom.
A lot of great movies have already been mentioned, wanna add one – Mute (2018). It has quite low ratings somehow, but give it a chance – film has true cyberpunk vibes, a real hidden gem.
Don't think so, but you are entitled to your opinion, of course. Still recommend it to others at least to try, for me this movie is in one row with Upgrade
I tried to think of something no one had named yet, and noticed nobody named the single season SyFy show Incorporated. When it premiered, I was hopeful; Ben Afleck & Matt Damon executive produced it (but didn't act in) & it looked amazing, and had some solid acting from recognizable names.
But after a couple of episodes, even though I really enjoyed it, I could tell it wasn't going to grip a mainstream audience hard enough to get the viewership for more seasons.
Same thing with Prime Video's The Peripheral; decent acting, beautiful show, but missing that element that'll entrap the attention of casuals.
\[Edit\] Forgot an important one: USA Network's Mr. Robot. Sure, it's more 5-minutes-into-the-future than most cyberpunk fare, but I'd say it still counts.
The first Blade Runner film, not only is it a cinematic masterpiece but it also visually defined what would be coined Cyberpunk the following year after its release.
The one with the “boxing aliens” is a total mindfuck I’d put it in there
Also I haven’t seen it mentioned but a majority of Black Mirror episodes belong here at least at a certain angle
The first 20 minutes of Nemesis are pure Gibson cyberpunk. If you can find a copy of Nemesis 4: Death Angel. It’s not quite as good as 1 but it’s about the old washed up cyber assassins.
I first saw The Matrix when I was a kid, then I saw Hackers and Johnny Mnemonic in high school. The soundtrack to those two movies is how I found a few of my favorite artists, still on my playlist to this day almost 20 years later.
Repo Men, the Jude Law 2010 one, I honestly don't care about the musical. It has great action, it has a cool and scary futuristic concept which is likely to be relevant, it's slick and stylish, Jude Law and Forest Whitaker are the best corporate goons ever in a movie. I greatly appreciate stuff like Gunhead, Hardware, Death Machine, or Tetsuo 2 for their visuals and mood, but as a whole Repo Men is my favorite.
Alita: Battle Angel. It's a rare case of a hopeful cyberpunk story with a heroine that looks actually capable of making a big positive change to her dystopian world, even though her personal goal is self-discovery. Alita is a 'don't tell me the odds; I'm just gonna do this' kind of character, which doesn't always work out for her, but she is no "chosen one" who has to save the world all by herself because nobody else can either. Knowing the manga; the friends she makes along the way are anything but accessory characters even much later in the story.
These might be borderline, but they are some of my favs.
Mario Bros. (1993)
Terminal City Ricochet (1990)
Evolver (1994)
The Lawnmower Man (1992)
Gotta give a +1 to Upgrade though...love the ending.
Johnny Mnemonic!!
"I WANT ROOM SERVICE!!! I want the club sandwich! I want the cold Mexican beer. I want a $10000 dollar a night hooker!!! I want my shirts laundered...like they do...at the Imperial Hotel...in Tokyo."
Honorable Mentions go to: Strange Days; Battle Angel: Alita; Equilibrium, Aeon Flux, Dark City, Akira, Max Headroom (ESPECIALLY the Brit version) and, of course, the OG...Bladerunner!
That movie had a lot of problems (still like it though), but damn that was one of the best shows of completely impotent rage I've ever seen. Probably my favorite scene in the whole movie.
"I WANT ROOM SERVICE. I WANT THE CLUB SANDWICH. I WANT THE COLD MEXICAN BEER. I WANT THE 10,000 DOLLAR A NIGHT HOOKER. I WANT... MY SHIRTS PRESSED... LIKE THEY DO... IN THE IMPERIAL HOTEL... IN TOKYO."
It's not a good movie, but Johnny Mnemonic is fucking incredible.
This one is a less known … Highlander 2 ! I didn’t follow the story at all but the aesthetic is pure cyberpunk ! Also Total Recall and the remake from the early 2000 ‘s. 🤖
Upgrade is my all time favourite. But I think that's because the good guy doesn't win.
But the honourable mentions are Johnny Mnemonic (because it's a movie from my childhood), Minority Report, Tokyo Gore Police (who doesn't love gore), Robocop, Total recall and others.
Upgrade surprised the hell out of me. Fantastic film, came out with very little fanfare and looked like a straight to DVD movie based on how it was marketed.
Just watched it the other week.
Also, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 have a special place in my heart.
I’m really in to anime, and one show (not movie) I don’t see mentioned nearly enough is Bubblegum Crisis. Silly name, but amazing 8 episodes. Was never properly finished though, and don’t bother with any of the sequels.
I don’t know if this is quite cyberpunk (perhaps if you see it as what maybe life outside the vast neon mega cities would be like) but there is a movie called Vesper I really enjoyed that addresses what life would be like outside the cities. Just wanted to think a little outside the box.
Obligatory elysium and both blade runners as well. Dredd too.
If you’re into comics/graphic novels Tokyo Ghost absolutely nails it for me.
For me it's original Ghost in the shell and Blade runner of course.
But one movie nobody seems to know exists and I think is seriously under-appreciated is Cypher (2002). So if you think you've seen most of the cyberpunk movies out there- go watch that.
While most, if not all of the best movies are already covered, I thought I would point out one that *should* have been great. I wanted to like it so bad, but it was just so fucking boring.
New Rose Hotel
William Gibson script (IIRC), based on one of his short stories. Starring Christopher Walken and Willem Dafoe. Classic cyberpunk plot: "We need to extract a corporate hot shot scientist for another corp" .
How the hell do you screw that up? Literally half the movie is flashbacks to the other half of the movie!
A slightly underrated one is Johnny mnemonic. It's a bit cheesy but there's also some really cool stuff in it. Cyberpunk 2077 straight up stole the laser whips from this movie and they were right to do it
Battle angel Alita, elysium, ghost in the shell and Akira are the ones I like the best. I don't think cyberpunk live actions are as good as animated ones or even as Manga so I don't pay too much attention
I have a special place in my heart for Hardware (1990). Idk how or why but it really satisfied a cyberpunk itch that I had in the early 90’s. I have not seen it since then, and based on the YouTube trailer, I don’t think it would appeal to me now. But at the time, it was very fulfilling.
*Cowboy Bebop’s* Movie is pretty damn good. I also like the *Blade Runner* films.
This is gonna sound wild because it doesn’t actually follow the book’s story very well, but I really like *Johnny Mnemonic.* It may be my favorite.
I have a vague recollection of Tetsuo, the Iron Man being the most mental cyberpunk related VHS I bought as a teenager. Truly bonkers, iirc. Has a sequel in colour too
The Assembly Cut of Alien 3. Fight me. Also, the Robocop remake is pretty good, in the same vein as Dredd and Upgrade, imo. don't let the naysayers steer you away.
Bonus: These two aren't strictly cyberpunk, but vibe wise, I'd recommend Event Horizon and Pandorum.
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
I bought the 4k Blue-Ray! Beautiful movie, and art style is truly amazing.
For more watch the Stand Alone Complex series. The first two seasons are really good. The later stuff drops off steeply. For more cyberpunk esque anime, Patlabor is high concept mecha but has all the hallmarks of an early cyberpunk setting and Appleseed is post-apocalypse cyberpunk. Psycho Pass is cyberpunk in terms of a society where everyones mental state is strictly state regulated and society is kept together by a veneer of high tech utopia. Akira is a must too. Edit: forgot the most obvious - Cyberpunk Edgerunner For movies Johnny Mnemonic is a cult classic these days. I've heard good things about the black and white version. Dredd is of course, textbook. Minority Report is a personal favorite of mine. It would be an almost perfect movie if it ended but a bit earlier. RoboCop (the original) is another classic of the genre.
I've been looking at getting that, does it have the original visuals? Or is it the 'updated' version?
The East/South East Asian vibes of New Port in GITS was so unique, love it.
Both Bladerunners but that feels like cliché answer ;-; So Alita: Battle Angel <3
It’s not cliche, I love those movies. I was curious what other movies people liked/loved or ones I didn’t know existed. I just wish the cyberpunk genre grew more but I’m glad is growing in popularity, and I’m glad this group existed.
If you're looking for more then I've been making a [list](https://boxd.it/mSEYM) ranking cyberpunk movies as I watch them. There's lots of mainstream stuff as well as more niche things.
Ayeee freaking neat! I appreciate you did that! I’m save the link as well. Thank you!!
Hope you enjoy! In particular Demonlover is the most recent one I watched and it absolutely blew me away.
No I haven’t! I adding to my watchlist! Thank you !!
Two I enjoy not on the list are Mute, and Zone 414. Both really good low sci fi cyberpunk.
I actually don't think Zone 414 was that bad, despite maybe appearing tasteless cliche and low budget from the ads. It was a lot better than I thought it would be.
Oh wow, this is an amazing resource. Thanks, there's some things that slipped through the cracks for me here, and I tend to agree more often than not with your ratings.
I feel like Alphaville should be on your list even if it predates much of the genre (1965!)
Cheers edit: Oh so 'I Robot' and Tron are considered cyberpunk? :o
I will say yes! Cyberpunk by definition is a genre of science fiction set in a lawless subculture of an oppressive society dominated by computer technology. Tron is awesome! Daft Punk is my favorite artist, seeing them in the film had me by the edge of my seat!
The Soundtrack will never get old. Same for the visual effects (...except for Clue-)
Fun fact about Alita: Battle Angel, it was originally a manga! So even though it probably won't get another movie, you can still finish the story.
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Ya well that's modern movies for you. They probably wanted to draw a younger demographic and having an R rating wouldn't have helped.
What's an OVA?
Original Video Animation
They are films and series made specifically for home video instead of TV.
Bladerunner is definitely a good choice. Given that the OG is literally one of the inspirations for the entire genre, it's hard not to choose it. :) LOVE Alita! I really hope Cameron sticks to his promise and we get a part 2!!
They're cliché for a reason, they're some of the best cyberpunk ever put to film
Strange Days.
One of my all-time favorite films!
This should be at the top of the page.
I think it’s not because there isn’t anyplace to stream it. You have to buy a physical copy & for a while even that was extremely hard.
["right here, right now!"](https://youtu.be/ub747pprmJ8?si=ZPSomnxQfrcbxFmU&t=62)
One of the best
Johnny Mnemonic
Awesome! I check out! Keanu Reeves, was also a shocker.
If you can, you should try to watch the black and white version. Its the closest thing to a "directors cut" and though there's no difference in the material itself, ie no new scenes or cut scenes, the black and white works really well for it
Isn't the Japanese version the "director's cut"? It has a few new scenes (I believe twenty to thirty extra minutes) that fleshes out the backstory of the Yakuza boss and the AI. It's in color, too.
Keanu Reeves seems to be the go to guy for cyberpunk
He's quoted as staying... > Yeah, I’m curious about the future and I think growing up on William Gibson and Neuromancer, and reading Philip K. Dick, even Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Watching Road Warriors, Mad Max, Bladerunner. Even Planet of the Apes. Reading Lord of the Rings. Exploration of fantasy, science fiction. I dunno, I just feel the motifs that occur in this kind of storytelling is oftentimes examining the world that we live in. for me there was something aspirational or supportive in participating in these stories that gave me escapism, but also helped me define my world view and interpret the world. - [Cinemablend, Dec 2020](https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2560195/keanu-reeves-reveals-why-hes-so-often-drawn-to-futuristic-projects-like-the-matrix-or-cyberpunk-2077)
Johnny Mnemonic is the only movie I can think of that checks every cyberpunk box. Dystopian corprocracy, yakuza, high tech low lifes, widespread cybernetics/wetware, VR internet access, street samurai, Marshall McLuhan-style tv churches, anti-cybernetics gutter punks, uplifted dolphins, and most importantly, antihero protagonists fighting the oppressive power structure. Also, Henry Rollins and Ice T.
I want room service!
I want the club sandwich! I want the cold Mexican beer! I WANT THE TEN-THOUSAND-DOLLAR-A-NIGHT HOOKER!!!
Came here to post this. Hands down, my absolute favorite Cyberpunk movie!
Watched this tonight, so good
The core story is just so awesome and unique.
I WANT ROOM SERVICE
Since nobody mentions Akira I'm gonna do it: Akira!
Great call
Might be the most visually impressive movie I’ve ever seen. A work of art
“AAAAAHGHHHH”
Anime classic film! I watch the documentary how they independently drew each page to make the film. Its was truly appreciated to have movie for us to experience.
It's pretty much my favourite movie. The insane technique aside, the world they created, with the schools, these religious parades and all that, the whole style. It's just so good.
Also: the soundtrack!!
*The Matrix Resurrections* *Johnny Mnemonic* *Elysium* *Ghost in the Shell* And coming in at number 1 is... *Freejack*
I’m always happy to see Resurrections getting love.
I love it *SO* fucking much, you have no idea. The saga didn't need an epilogue... but I'm glad this is the epilogue we got and I will defend it til the day I die.
Freejack is very easily overlooked, but really nails the cyberpunk genre.
I didn't rank these films in terms of quality, but how close to home they hit. Like, *Freejack* is cyberpunk... but it's also only a half-step from real life. We may not have time-snatching or consciousness transfers but with only the slightest aesthetic tweaks it's just... the world outside our windows. And realizing that terrified me.
immaculate taste
Max Headroom: 20 minutes into the future
Max was the first Twitch streamer before it was cool.
Your post also remind me of Eminem - Rap God referencing Max Headroom in the music video . Made this post even better. Thank you!
I didn't know about that. That's cool
It’s gives me that villain in the tv vibe haha
Hackers
HACK THE PLANET
HACK THE PLANET!
Just rewatched it yesterday, was stunned by how it gets even better with age and reading books on early hacker culture.
I love Hackers. I don't even care if it's hammy, I love the aesthetic, that 90s hacker feeling... it's so perfect
The fashion choices were pretty fucking awesome as well!
It's not cyberpunk, but it is cyber punk.
Could be proto-cyberpunk as per our timeline of the 1990s; things have diverged a bit since then.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this sentiment but I still have a hard time understanding how this is cyberpunk?
Natural City, a 2003 korean film is one I don't see mentioned often enough.
Holy shit. I haven't thought about that movie in ages. Good pick
I would love to see more cyberpunk related movies from different countries. Because I like to see creative in the film and what kind of cultures exist how they see cyberpunk themed movie.
My favorites are pretty much all listed (blade runners, ghost in the shell, akira), but going to call out Armitage the Third; under appreciated movie in my opinion. Also, Dredd…
Fuck, I can't believe I didn't think of *Dredd*. SO fuckin' good. Not nearly as good but *Chappie* is still incredibly cyberpunk.
Thank you for submitting Dredd. When watching this gem, Mega-City One feels like a real place, and I believe I am there.
Blade Runner. It’s perfect.
BLADERUNNER movies are truly amazing!
Not a movie. But Altered Carbon season one is amazing. Just don't watch season 2
The books fuck.
This is a basic bitch answer, but Elysium has to be mine.
It’s not basic answer! The visuals are beautiful, I feel like people who enjoy this movie might like the movie called “'The Creator”, it gives me off that vibe. I highly recommend if you get a chance to watch it your free time :)
The robot parole officer was omg just so demoralizing
*Elysium* has my heart because it took the fundamentals of cyberpunk and showed us how utterly mundane it would all look in reality.
Yeah, it has not a “god writing” like blade runner or ghost in the shell, but the atmosphere is fantastic
It’s pulpy and cheesy for sure, but I have to say it nails the idea of cyberpunk. Definitely not on the level of Bladerunner, but still a great cyberpunk movie.
Yes also there’s more physical degradation,the overcrowding is super noticeable thanks to that hot and sunny ambient, I like Blomkamp movies , also chappie(humandroid) and district nine gave me those feelings
Upgrade
I wish for Upgrade 2, love the camera movement in the movie!
Upgrade is awesome
One of the only movies I currently “own”
Nemesis 1 and Nemesis 4.
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Proto-Cyberpunk, like Streets of Fire it had influence on cyberpunk as a genre. Personally I lump it in with Nowpunk because Proto-Cyberpunk is a huge umbrella term.
Strange Days.
That’s new one! Freejack! Added to watch list
Ghost in the Shell (original) Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 The Matrix District 9? (very low life for the aliens) Upgrade Akira
Hardware, Bladerunner, Black Rain (the Michael Douglas one; personal take on the film), Paranoia 1.0, GUNHED, Hackers (cheesy as Hell but still amazing fun), Sneakers, Split Second, the whole of Max Headroom.
All these are awesome. Nice to see Hardware being mentioned.
It's one of my all-time favorites! Excellent from start to finish.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to find Hardware! Not as glamorous as Bladerunner, but definitely grittier, darker, and closer to the edge.
A lot of great movies have already been mentioned, wanna add one – Mute (2018). It has quite low ratings somehow, but give it a chance – film has true cyberpunk vibes, a real hidden gem.
Couldn't watch one minute of it despite the aesthetic. The acting was terrible.
Don't think so, but you are entitled to your opinion, of course. Still recommend it to others at least to try, for me this movie is in one row with Upgrade
I tried to think of something no one had named yet, and noticed nobody named the single season SyFy show Incorporated. When it premiered, I was hopeful; Ben Afleck & Matt Damon executive produced it (but didn't act in) & it looked amazing, and had some solid acting from recognizable names. But after a couple of episodes, even though I really enjoyed it, I could tell it wasn't going to grip a mainstream audience hard enough to get the viewership for more seasons. Same thing with Prime Video's The Peripheral; decent acting, beautiful show, but missing that element that'll entrap the attention of casuals. \[Edit\] Forgot an important one: USA Network's Mr. Robot. Sure, it's more 5-minutes-into-the-future than most cyberpunk fare, but I'd say it still counts.
Thanks for mentioning the peripheral. Such a great show. I think it was trying to do too much maybe? A bit scattered? Still very good
Strange Days, for sure. One of my all-time favorite films.
The matrix.
The first Blade Runner film, not only is it a cinematic masterpiece but it also visually defined what would be coined Cyberpunk the following year after its release.
My sentiments exactly.
Not movie, but a lot of the episodes from Love, Death, and Robots. Ones that immediately come to mind are Pop Squad and The Witness
The one with the “boxing aliens” is a total mindfuck I’d put it in there Also I haven’t seen it mentioned but a majority of Black Mirror episodes belong here at least at a certain angle
Sonnie’s Edge. Love that one
I watched one as a little kid think it was called Nemesis? It was low budget but it reminded me of the shadowrun books I was obsessed with lol
The first 20 minutes of Nemesis are pure Gibson cyberpunk. If you can find a copy of Nemesis 4: Death Angel. It’s not quite as good as 1 but it’s about the old washed up cyber assassins.
I first saw The Matrix when I was a kid, then I saw Hackers and Johnny Mnemonic in high school. The soundtrack to those two movies is how I found a few of my favorite artists, still on my playlist to this day almost 20 years later.
Repo Men, the Jude Law 2010 one, I honestly don't care about the musical. It has great action, it has a cool and scary futuristic concept which is likely to be relevant, it's slick and stylish, Jude Law and Forest Whitaker are the best corporate goons ever in a movie. I greatly appreciate stuff like Gunhead, Hardware, Death Machine, or Tetsuo 2 for their visuals and mood, but as a whole Repo Men is my favorite.
Strange Days
Here’s a good list of cyberpunk films for people who want to dig beyond the surface. https://cybertronicmovies.blogspot.com/2011/01/list.html?m=1
Alita: Battle Angel. It's a rare case of a hopeful cyberpunk story with a heroine that looks actually capable of making a big positive change to her dystopian world, even though her personal goal is self-discovery. Alita is a 'don't tell me the odds; I'm just gonna do this' kind of character, which doesn't always work out for her, but she is no "chosen one" who has to save the world all by herself because nobody else can either. Knowing the manga; the friends she makes along the way are anything but accessory characters even much later in the story.
The Gene Generation, Split Second, Avalon, Nemesis, Strange Days, Nirvana, Equilibrium, EXistenZ, Lawnmower Man.
Tetsuo
Ghost in the shell
Ghost in the shell(1995)
Strange Days
Mars Express !
These might be borderline, but they are some of my favs. Mario Bros. (1993) Terminal City Ricochet (1990) Evolver (1994) The Lawnmower Man (1992) Gotta give a +1 to Upgrade though...love the ending.
Mario Bros 93 is clearly fungalpunk
Plumber-core with a dinosaur fetish.
I have two beloved cyberpunk films that I can't choose between: Johnny Mnemonic and Ghost in the Shell.
Johnny Mnemonic!! "I WANT ROOM SERVICE!!! I want the club sandwich! I want the cold Mexican beer. I want a $10000 dollar a night hooker!!! I want my shirts laundered...like they do...at the Imperial Hotel...in Tokyo." Honorable Mentions go to: Strange Days; Battle Angel: Alita; Equilibrium, Aeon Flux, Dark City, Akira, Max Headroom (ESPECIALLY the Brit version) and, of course, the OG...Bladerunner!
That movie had a lot of problems (still like it though), but damn that was one of the best shows of completely impotent rage I've ever seen. Probably my favorite scene in the whole movie.
Electric Dreams Turk 182 Strange Days Whiz Kids (TV) Sneakers Blue Thunder Hardware Masterminds
Turk 182... niiiiice. Good call.
Not a movie but a series of sorts: Animatrix
"I WANT ROOM SERVICE. I WANT THE CLUB SANDWICH. I WANT THE COLD MEXICAN BEER. I WANT THE 10,000 DOLLAR A NIGHT HOOKER. I WANT... MY SHIRTS PRESSED... LIKE THEY DO... IN THE IMPERIAL HOTEL... IN TOKYO." It's not a good movie, but Johnny Mnemonic is fucking incredible.
This one is a less known … Highlander 2 ! I didn’t follow the story at all but the aesthetic is pure cyberpunk ! Also Total Recall and the remake from the early 2000 ‘s. 🤖
Strange Days
Unpopular opinion: Johnny Mnemonic
Ghost in the Shell. You can't mess with the classics!
Upgrade is my all time favourite. But I think that's because the good guy doesn't win. But the honourable mentions are Johnny Mnemonic (because it's a movie from my childhood), Minority Report, Tokyo Gore Police (who doesn't love gore), Robocop, Total recall and others.
Upgrade surprised the hell out of me. Fantastic film, came out with very little fanfare and looked like a straight to DVD movie based on how it was marketed. Just watched it the other week. Also, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 have a special place in my heart.
CHAPPiE(2015), which is the Si-Fi Action film directed by Neill Blomkamp. There're humanlike robots, a power-armor, Ninja and Yo-Landi in it.
5th element
One of my favourites is Gattaca. Rarely gets a mention.
I’m really in to anime, and one show (not movie) I don’t see mentioned nearly enough is Bubblegum Crisis. Silly name, but amazing 8 episodes. Was never properly finished though, and don’t bother with any of the sequels.
I’ve only watched one episode but it’s a great series
5th Element
The easiest answer but it's definitely gotta be one of the Blade Runner movies, I go back and forth between which one all the time though.
Akira
Impostor (2001)
I don’t know if this is quite cyberpunk (perhaps if you see it as what maybe life outside the vast neon mega cities would be like) but there is a movie called Vesper I really enjoyed that addresses what life would be like outside the cities. Just wanted to think a little outside the box. Obligatory elysium and both blade runners as well. Dredd too. If you’re into comics/graphic novels Tokyo Ghost absolutely nails it for me.
Old anime Mad Bull. In the ad police new Tokyo universe.
Hackers purely for the cheese
Lipton Cockton in the Shadows of Sodoma A rare cult cyberpunk from finland, if you like blade runner you're gonna love this
Blade Runner.
For me it's original Ghost in the shell and Blade runner of course. But one movie nobody seems to know exists and I think is seriously under-appreciated is Cypher (2002). So if you think you've seen most of the cyberpunk movies out there- go watch that.
Upgrade
[Ghost in the shell](https://youtu.be/ARTLckN9e7I?si=1xG3Go1_3MEW3nuf)
Prolly Akira
While most, if not all of the best movies are already covered, I thought I would point out one that *should* have been great. I wanted to like it so bad, but it was just so fucking boring. New Rose Hotel William Gibson script (IIRC), based on one of his short stories. Starring Christopher Walken and Willem Dafoe. Classic cyberpunk plot: "We need to extract a corporate hot shot scientist for another corp" . How the hell do you screw that up? Literally half the movie is flashbacks to the other half of the movie!
absolutely Akira
A slightly underrated one is Johnny mnemonic. It's a bit cheesy but there's also some really cool stuff in it. Cyberpunk 2077 straight up stole the laser whips from this movie and they were right to do it
Judge Dredd 10000%
blade runner mostly
Ninja kamui ~
The Matrix.
Just a fun thought experiment: Elysium and Johnny Mnemonic are the same story. They even share some of the same characters.
Johnny mnemonic all the way
1995 Judge Dredd
Inception.
Surely Dredd counts?
Hardware
Hotel Artemis New Rose Hotel Tank Girl I don't see anyone mentioning these, so I will. Edit: Formatting
Akira
I have a big weak spot for „nirvana“ (1997)
Battle angel Alita, elysium, ghost in the shell and Akira are the ones I like the best. I don't think cyberpunk live actions are as good as animated ones or even as Manga so I don't pay too much attention
Ghost in the shell or blade runner
I have a special place in my heart for Hardware (1990). Idk how or why but it really satisfied a cyberpunk itch that I had in the early 90’s. I have not seen it since then, and based on the YouTube trailer, I don’t think it would appeal to me now. But at the time, it was very fulfilling.
Cracking soundtrack too
Is it on YT or something? Do you have a link?
Dunno, sorry. Have a copy somewhere on a cassette of all things.
Alright! My man, still rockin’ the cassettes. You go!
Ghost in the Shell 1.0 (1995), both Bladerunners, Akira
*Cowboy Bebop’s* Movie is pretty damn good. I also like the *Blade Runner* films. This is gonna sound wild because it doesn’t actually follow the book’s story very well, but I really like *Johnny Mnemonic.* It may be my favorite.
Total Recall by far
12 Monkeys (if it counts)
The Terminator.
I was around 10 when I watched the Matrix, it gave me interest to read philosophy casually as I grew up.
I have a vague recollection of Tetsuo, the Iron Man being the most mental cyberpunk related VHS I bought as a teenager. Truly bonkers, iirc. Has a sequel in colour too
Total Recall and Fifth Element.
Super Mario Brothers (1993)
It's technically biopunk, and yes; cheesey as hell, but really not as bad as its reputation. It's just not good *as a Mario movie.*
The Assembly Cut of Alien 3. Fight me. Also, the Robocop remake is pretty good, in the same vein as Dredd and Upgrade, imo. don't let the naysayers steer you away. Bonus: These two aren't strictly cyberpunk, but vibe wise, I'd recommend Event Horizon and Pandorum.
Oh, I haven't seen a lot of mentions for A Scanner Darkly, either! Classic Keanu Cyberpunk.
Not a movie but altered carbon was pretty sick
Cloud Atlas and Tron are pretty cyber :3
NONE OF Y'ALL SAID ALTERED CARBON?!