Some of these are better than others, but all involve computers and/or hacking. There are others, some I haven’t seen. They’re listed by year. Those with a ★ are the ones I consider the best — or cheeziest. You decide!
| Title | Year(s) | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ★ TRON | 1982 | Movie | A programmer is digitized into a computer system and must fight (hack) his way out. |
| ★ WarGames | 1983 | Movie | A teenager accidentally hacks into a military supercomputer and nearly starts World War III. |
| ★ Sneakers | 1992 | Movie | A team of security experts is blackmailed into stealing a powerful code-breaking device. |
| ★ Hackers | 1995 | Movie | A group of young hackers uncover a corporate conspiracy while navigating cybercrime culture. |
| Johnny Mnemonic | 1995 | Movie | Johnny is a data courier with a cybernetic brain implant that allows him to carry sensitive information. |
| ★ The Net | 1985 | Movie | Angela Bennett is a reclusive computer programmer who stumbles upon a conspiracy involving security software. |
| The Matrix | 1999 | Movie | While not strictly about hacking, They hack in & out… |
| Live Free or Die Hard | 2007 | Movie | A cyber-terrorist attack threatens U.S. infrastructure; a hacker helps stop it. |
| TRON: Legacy | 2010 | Movie | A sequel to the original TRON (1982), TRON: Legacy follows Sam Flynn, who gets pulled into the digital world his father created. |
| Blackhat | 2015 | Movie | A convicted hacker is recruited to help track down a cybercriminal targeting global systems. |
| Tron Aries | 2025 | Movie | Ares is designed as a super-soldier capable of crossing between the digital world (The Grid) and the real world. |
| ★ Computer Chronicles | 1983-2002 | TV Show | Covered the development of computers each week. |
| ★ The Machine That Changed the World | 1993 | Documentary | Five-part documentary exploring the history and impact of computers. |
| ★ The IT Crowd | 2006–2013 | TV Show | A comedy about an eccentric IT department. First season really. |
| Person of Interest | 2011–2016 | TV Show | A super AI uses surveillance data to predict crimes; hacking is central to the plot. |
| ★ Halt and Catch Fire | 2014–2017 | TV Show | Explores the rise of personal computing and early internet culture, including hacking. |
| Cyberwar | 2016–pres | Documentary | A series exploring real-world cyberattacks and digital warfare. |