Top 10 Cyberpunk Movies on VHS

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

In the future of 2021, a cybernetic courier overloads his memory limit in a high-paying job with a dangerous company. Keanu Reeves stars as the data trafficker Johnny. A supporting cast of memorable actors that range from Dolph Lundgren to an actual dolphin aid Johnny in his high-tech quest.

This movie adaptation is based on the short story by the ‘father of cyberpunk’, William Gibson. The story was originally published in the May 1981 issue of Omni magazine and later in the collection Burning Chrome (1986).

Blade Runner (1982)

In 2019, a former police officer is hired to hunt down a fugitive group of clones called ‘replicants’ living undercover in Los Angeles. Replicants are designed to look like people, but as a safeguard they have an extremely short lifespan. “And they don’t want to be found,” states the back of the movie tie-in novel. The fugitive replicants know that one man holds the secret to the their mortality. That man is Dr. Eldon Tyrell, their creator.

Blade Runner has a stunning atmosphere from the opening scene of the skyline of future L.A. and features some incredible works of practical effects throughout. The stylized, hard-boiled detective story and gritty neon streets made the film an instant classic and a never-ending inspiration for cyberpunk fiction in general.

Hackers (1995)

Dade Murphy was a hacker even as a kid growing up in Seattle. Now he just turned 18 and is legally allowed to use a computer again. Even though this movie took place during the present-day 90s, Hackers features all of the trappings of a cyberpunk adventure- big corporations, underworld hacker groups, and the use of the Internet as a place to gather together. Hackers still resonates today as its themes are ever-present in pop-culture.

Strange Days (1995)

In this vision of future Los Angeles, former cop Lenny Nero is a dealer of illegal recordings. These recordings give someone’s memories and sensations to a user via a VR setup. This technology provides a sensory experience that gives anyone the memory of whatever was recorded. Being only available on the black market, this can lead to horribly objectionable content, but what if it also provided evidence of a conspiracy?

Strange Days only takes place 4 years in the future from its release, 1999. The film saw L.A. at the turn of the millennium as a police state filled with racial tension and violent murder. Y2K and the millennium bug were looming on the horizon ready to plunge the world as we knew it into chaos. James Cameron’s screenplay really tapped into a lot of fears that people had concerning technology at the time.

Webmaster [Skyggen] (1998)

This is essentially the Danish Blade Runner. Skyggen (or The Shadow) AKA Webmaster is not only characterized by great actors and compelling dialogue, but it’s also a fine presentation of what cyberpunk themes have the potential to be. The story is based on an “attacker” named JB who is hired by a corporation after getting caught breaking in to its network. The job title he assumes is that of “webmaster,” a role that suits his particular skillset. Webmaster explores the dark nets and virtual reality social networking spaces in a way that was incredibly aware and even prescient for the time.

Cyber City Oedo 808 (1990)

To combat computerized crime more effectively, the Cyber Police unit of the future Japanese city of Oedo has restarted the feudal practice of hōmen (放免), employing hardened criminals as officers themselves. In Cyber City Oedo 808, the criminals come with a history of hi-tech offences and even murder. As a precaution, the Cyber Police employ collars that allow them to instantly kill anyone who disobeys. The upside? For each successful mission done, the state will agree to reduce their sentences.

Akira [アキラ] (1988)

In this extremely important anime classic, a secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic. Even though the storyline of Akira is admittedly fantastic and complete science fiction, the film does manage to get a few predictions correct. The film mentions civil unrest and mass rioting occurring in 2019, and the 2020 Olympics aren’t held in the film either, which mirrored real life.

Death Machine (1994)

A large weapons manufacturer named Chaank Armaments creates a killer robot, but it happens to kill a few executives. Upon being fired, the robot’s inventor activates his newest creation and targets everyone at the company to exact revenge. This film is a wonderful tribute to a vast array of 80s action and horror movies. As a fun fact, check out these characters names: Scott Ridley, Weyland, Yutani, Sam Raimi (literally), and fricking John Carpenter. Seriously, look it up.

Cyborg 2 (1993)

In the actually futuristic setting of 2074 (as of this writing), the PinWheel corporation creates an almost-human cyborg designed specifically to seduce her way into a rival manufacturer’s headquarters. This film, along with Hackers, would make a great Angelina Jolie double feature.

Ghost in the Shell [攻殻機動隊] (1995)

A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious hacker called the Puppet Master in this classic anime by Masamune Shirow. While having plenty of breathtaking action scenes and cool designs, the film’s exploration of consciousness asks many questions and leaves you thinking long after it’s over.