cyberpunk films

Cyberpunk = post-industrial dystopias + marginalized characters

these are some of my favourite cyberpunk films:

Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983)

James Woods stumbles upon a broadcast signal showing extreme violence and torture. He soon succumbs to hallucinations. One of Cronenbergs best films, showcasing his usual themes of sadomasochistic sex, bodily transformations, and infection.

Ghost in the Shell (Mamoru Oshii, 1995)

An adaptation of the manga of the same name, the year is 2029 where a hacker known as the Puppet Master has the ability to hack human minds and implants fake memories. A female cyborg officer leads an investigation to stop it, while encountering an existential crisis. Stunning animation and a facinating story.

Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)

Based on Philip K Dick's novel Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep?, it follows a police officer who in a dystopian Las Angeles must track down rogue organic machines known as Replicants who are trying to find their maker in order to lengthen their life span. A flop on release it is now an influential classic, but still divides due to its slow pace and thin narrative. But some overlook its complex themes.

Metropolis (Rintaro, 2001)

Not to be confused with the 1927 German expressionist film of the same name; this film follows a young boy and his uncle who find a laboratory where they come across a robot called Tima who appears human but has no memory of who she is and so they go in search of answers. A lighter film than the others, but a very good one which shares similar themes.

Want to see:

The City of the Lost Children (Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1995)

This one looks intriguing just from the poster; follows Ron Perlman on a journey to a misty rig in the ocean to rescue the children whose dreams are being stolen by a mysterious villain.