As the world develops its technological aspect, so do films, books, and pop culture surround the latest gadgets and the possible effects of technology — both positively and negatively.
In fact, films and books focusing mostly on the ‘dark side’ of machines are common even in the past when we were not yet introduced to Artificial Intelligence (AI). Plenty of movies and/or series on the topic, specifically hacking and hackers, are among the top concerns technology has faced beyond computers and mobile phones. Let’s take a look at nine of them.
1. Unfriended: Dark Web
(Dir. Stephen Susco, 2018)

The first film ‘Unfriended’ (2014), made a wave of thrill and chills and, in a way, served as a reminder, especially to young adults, to be careful when using the internet—particularly online messaging applications.
If you think that that was not scary enough, Unfriended: Dark Web was released four years after the first one (2018). Similarly, most of the film is done in a way viewers watch the computer screen of one of the characters. Still, this time, instead of just sticking with a group of teenagers chatting via video call, it extends to yet another taboo topic on the internet: the dark web.
For those who are not aware, the dark web is not just a strange part of the internet but a ‘forbidden’ area where violence and other explicit materials are shared and even marketed for high prices.
The gist of this sequel is that Matias, one of the teenagers, brought home a MacBook left in a cafe and uses it to video call with his friends through Skype. From there, a mysterious user joins the call, and, in the long run, the group realizes the MacBook is connected to the dark web. Interestingly, the film provides alternate endings involving Matias, the protagonist, and the other characters.
2. Choose or Die
(Dir. Toby Meakins, 2022)

‘Choose or Die’ is a 2022 British horror thriller that features a familiar face: Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street). It was formerly titled ‘CURS>R’ after the film’s plot involving Hal, a collector of old video games, who receives a copy of an interactive computer game with the aforementioned title.
Later on, a college student, Kayla, stumbles upon the same video game, and she soon realizes that it interferes with reality with violent and destructive consequences. In a way, it’s a little like Jumanji, where the game comes to life and brings about chaos, except this film’s game mechanics are controlled by someone known as the ‘Terror Director’ offering prize money in exchange for seeing the game accomplished and copies distributed to victimize others.
This plays on the idea that video games—even retro games—have the potential to be interfered with by hackers, creating video games as bait targeted at young people and those in need.
3. Snowden
(Dir. Oliver Stone, 2016)

This next film is based on the books The Snowden Files (2014) by Luke Harding and Time of the Octopus (2015) by Anatoly Kucherena. In this crime drama story, Snowden follows Edward Snowden as he leaves his role at the National Security Agency (NSA) after discovering a huge amount of data is being formulated to track all forms of digital communication from foreign governments and terrorist groups.
When Snowden decides to reveal this crucial information, people are divided on whether to hail him as a hero, see him as a traitor, or see him as a fugitive from the law.
Viewers and critics have praised the film adaptation for its complexity, which immerses the audience. It’s also an effective way of illustrating how powerful hacking can be, especially in spying on cybersecurity activity and divulging vital information that could impact countries’ futures.
4. The Great Hack
(Dir. Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, 2019)

This next pick is also a documentary looking more into the Cambridge Analytica Data scandal, where they used Facebook to harvest multiple Facebook users’ personal data and use it for a political campaign.
Cambridge Analytica is a UK-based political consulting firm that began collaborating with United States Senator Ted Cruz to increase his chances of winning the 2016 US Presidential nomination. The company did its “part” by utilizing Facebook—the most popular social media in the world—as a sort of “political-voter surveillance” by collecting user data points.
This meddling with Facebook users’ accounts without their consent disrupted both US and UK politics, and led to suspicions and investigations into social media’s involvement in important events and when politics is involved.
The documentary returns to this case, featuring people involved in the scandal. If you’re into inquiries on social media and how it carries the risk, such as being used for personal agendas, this one’s a must-see for you.
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5. iBoy
(Dir. Adam Randall, 2017)

While the film was released in 2017, there is a novel of the same title people might be familiar with published in 2010. If you become a huge Maisie Williams fan from her stint as Arya Stark in the hit series Game of Thrones, then you have most likely come across “iBoy.”
For starters, the gist of the film is that a young man named Tom Harvey (played by Bill Milner) wakes from a coma to find out that shards of a broken smartphone were embedded into his brain, which gives him the ability to control electronic devices.
Now a boy with superpowers, Tom adopted the alias “iBoy.” The rest of the film revolves around him using his abilities to set things right with Lucy—his longtime neighbor and friend with romantic interests—helping him.
This interesting sci-fi film showcases the decisions and opportunities one has when given cybernatural powers that provide authority to technology, which is tempting given that advanced technology is slowly taking over humanity.
6. Shut up and Dance
(From Black Mirror S3:E3, Dir. James Watkins, 2016)

We’re talking about hacker films and series. That’s why it’s inevitable not to include a Black Mirror episode on the list, especially when the entire series’ theme is on the endless possibilities of technology—most of the time, its negative outcomes.
Here’s a quick recap of this harrowing episode: Kenny, a teenage boy, has a dark secret (and to not spoil it for those who have not watched it yet, I won’t lay out what that secret is here.) One day, an anonymous hacker blackmails him into committing criminal acts that worsen in every command. Alongside Kenny, another victim—a middle-aged man played by Jerome Flynn (yes, that guy from “Game of Thrones”), is also being blackmailed and made to do horrible tasks by the anonymous hacker.
Failure to adhere to the hacker’s commands will result in the public divulging of the men’s dark secrets.
Like every Black Mirror episode (and those who are faithful to the series), the twists, turns, and endings are traumatizing but ensure viewers that the message is delivered. While they may be common in real life, they emphasize the powers technology can have paired when with terrible people like hackers.
7. Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
(Dir. Mark Lewis, 2019)

Before watching this short series containing only three episodes, a trigger warning is in place for animal lovers, particularly those who are fond or, most especially, those who have cats or kittens at home as companions.
This is a true crime docuseries, and the premise goes that amateur internet sleuths (or social media detectives, if you may) come together online for one goal: to manhunt a young man named Luka Magnotta who became notorious on the internet for uploading videos of him graphically taking the life of two kittens.
I won’t put all the details here, but these internet detectives—led by Deanna Thompson, a data analyst for a Las Vegas Casino, and American author John Green—discuss the case and their team of social media users and how everyone took part in the search and apprehension of Magnotta. On a side note, Magnotta was also found to have murdered a Chinese international student named Jun Lin sometime in 2012.
This is particularly interesting not because of the morbidity surrounding the murder of innocent animals but the way the internet and social media are utilized by amateur netizens who played the role of detectives and ended up actually jailing the right guy—the majority of these people were able to accomplish before involving the authorities.
8. Unlocked (or “I Just Dropped My Smartphone”)
(Dir. Kim Tae-joon, 2023)

This recent Korean film is a psychological thriller that starts with the protagonist, Lee Na-Mi, who loses her smartphone aboard a bus and is picked up by a stranger we later know as Jun-Yeong.
Once Lee has recovered her phone from a repair shop, Jun-Yeong begins tracking down every action and conversation she has (as instructed by Jun-Yeong, who used a voice-changing application so his voice wouldn’t be recognized). Jun-Yeong invades Lee’s private life as the plot thickens, destroying her career and family relationships.
The story also reveals more about Jun-Yeong, leading to plot twists towards the film’s end. This is based on a Japanese novel by Akira Teshigawara, which has the same title. Its first adaptation on screen was in 2018, titled “Stolen Identity.”
9. Missing
(Dir. Will Merrick, Nick Johnson, 2023)

For our last movie suggestion on this list, we have “Missing,” which is also a recent addition on Netflix.
The film tells how teenager June takes the investigation alone as her mother disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend. June awaits her mother’s return at the Los Angeles airport but finds that she never showed up, so she decides to use the latest technology to try and track where her mother is, even if they are in two separate countries.
However, unlike the circumstance in the docuseries “Don’t F**k With Cats” previously mentioned in this list, where the internet detectives were successful in their goal, June finds out that the more she personally investigates, the more puzzles appear, which makes it more difficult for her to find her mother.
Although this is fictional, viewers will be drawn to June’s efforts as she attempts to solve and recover her mom using all means possible that technology can offer. As a teen, June knows how to navigate her way in technology, making progress in her journey, but viewers will also realize how technology could lead to more questions than answers.
Come binge-watch these hacker-highlight films and shows
There are a lot of films and series focusing on hackers and their hacking abilities. Most, if not all, are more on the horror or dark spectrum, emphasizing how dangerous hackers can be when we unintentionally let them in.
However, there are also shows on this list that allow audiences to see ‘hacking’ in a different light, such as online investigators who have to crack passcodes or track dangerous people through technology to stop them from committing further damages.
If you enjoyed any of these films, let us know your thoughts. We will greatly appreciate if you have any suggestions for films or series falling under the similar category.