It’s undeniable that we are surrounded by technology every day. At this point, it is hard to imagine what life was like before, or where it could go from here. For decades, movie makers have looked toward the future to imagine how technology and our lives will evolve. From vintage cult classics that predicted a future not too off from our reality, to contemporary warnings of dark worries that could come to be if we aren’t mindful. It is a genre of film that is difficult to get right. Lucky for us, there are a few titles that are just easy to recommend to viewers.

Here is our diverse list of must-see movies with a common theme; technology.

The Cult Classic – Blade Runner (1982)

In this visually stunning masterpiece, Harrison Ford plays a Blade Runner, a highly skilled hitman who can distinguish the subtleties between a human and a ‘Replicant’, whose job is to track down cloned humans who deviate from their original assignments. The futuristic society questions what is human and how far to take technical innovation.

The Love Story- Her (2013)

A romantic comedy about a lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) who sadly falls in love with a female A.I. voice (Scarlett Johansson). Beautifully filmed, this story explores the consequences of humanizing A.I. and the emotional heartbreak that is inevitable when you attempt to substitute something artificial for something real.

The Visually Stimulating – Tron: Legacy (2010)

The disappearance of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) leads his son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund) on a wild chase to rescue him from inside of a mainframe computer. In a technologic world of lights and possibilities, he must play their game and fight for his father’s freedom, and his own.
Feeling adventurous and don’t mind cheesy 80s graphics? Try the original Tron, still starring Jeff Bridges and arguably just as awesome.

The Biopic – The Social Network (2010)

Inspired by the true story of Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) and his creation of the social media empire, The Facebook. The film is based on Ben Mizrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires, which follows the less famous characters involved in the founding of the website and the intricate dramas of betrayal that comes with the massive success of the company.

The Animated – Ghost in the Shell (1995)

A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a cybercriminal who illegally hacks into the brains of cyborgs-human hybrids to get information and use it to commit crimes. In a crucial moment, her curiosity about her own identity and makeup sends the case in an unforeseen direction.

The Historical Fiction: Imitation Game (2014)

Based on the real life story of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), a Cambridge mathematics alumnus recruited by the British Intelligence Agency to crack Nazi codes including the infamous Enigma (once thought to be unbreakable by cryptanalysts). In a race against the clock, Turing and his team finally succeed in building an impressive machine to decode it. The mystery around Turing’s personal life is revealed as well, creating a dramatic underlining plot line to the exciting story.

The Warning: I, Robot (2004)

Decades into the future, where robots are common as public service assitants, Will Smith stars as a detective who investigates the alleged suicide of U.S. Robotics founder Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell). A dark past with robotics leads Detective Spooner (Smith) to the unpopular speculation that a human-like robot murdered him and a bigger conspiracy of enslaving the human race is discovered.

The Kid-Friendly: Wall-E (2008)

Almost a millennium in the future, Earth is completely evacuated and left behind as a planet full of garbage. An adorable little robot, filled with charming personality, is left behind to clean up the mess. He stumbles upon something rare, a single living seed and shares it with a visitor, EVE. A love story between the two robots evolve as they end up on an adventure aboard a space-based colony of humans. With little dialogue, this light hearted movie sends a clear message. The possibility of it all coming true if we continue on the path of toxic consumerism, pollution, and poor waste management.

The Game Changer: The Matrix (1999)

A groundbreaking film that made its viewers question their reality. The Matrix is a computer-generated dream world designed to keep humans occupied as they are used as a power source for a malevolent Artificial Intelligence. A beautiful stranger leads Neo (Keanu Reeves) into a hacker’s underworld that reveals reality and a resistance against the Matrix. Neo must free his mind’s inhibitions to fulfill a prophecy of liberating the human race.

The Industry Favorite: Hackers (1995)

Okay, so it’s not a masterpiece. But! Hackers is a movie so beloved, it has to be included. An incredibly fun watch that stole the hearts of technology and cyber security enthusiasts, a group of hilarious highschool hackers with witty dialogue and quirky style are the main characters in this psychedelic portrayal of cyberspace and the exciting life of an underground computer hacker.An evil plot by a diabolical computer genius to unleash a dangerous computer virus is revealed and the group must use their computer skills to find the evidence. All while being pursued by the Secret Service, who seeks to blame them for the upcoming attack.