Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- propulsive
- irreverent
- neon-lit
- 90s nostalgia night
- cult movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film visually stylish and energetically entertaining, but considered its hacker culture, characters, villain, and story clichéd or implausible.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film uses stylized virtual-reality graphics and energetic visualizations to represent hacking and computer operations.
Dade and his hacker friends evade the Secret Service and confront an institutional conspiracy using their technical skills.
The hacker subculture, clothing, music, slang, and computer imagery are presented with exuberant 1990s stylization.
Dade, Kate, Cereal Killer, Joey, Phantom Phreak, and Lord Nikon collaborate to expose the virus plot.
Films like Hackers, and why
The Net
Shares a techno-thriller premise, youthful rebellion, computer crime, and heightened 1990s style.
Pump Up the Volume
Shares teen counterculture, anti-authoritarian energy, rebellious young protagonists, and a propulsive soundtrack-driven tone.
The Matrix
Shares cyberpunk aesthetics, virtual-reality imagery, hacking themes, and conspiratorial thriller mechanics.
The Italian Job
Shares a stylish young ensemble, crime-thriller momentum, anarchic attitude, and heightened exploitation-film energy.
Movie Details
- Director
- Iain Softley
- Release Date
- 1995-09-14
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (1555)
Cast
- Jonny Lee Miller
- Angelina Jolie
- Matthew Lillard
- Jesse Bradford
- Renoly Santiago
- Laurence Mason
- Fisher Stevens
- Lorraine Bracco
- Wendell Pierce
- Michael Gaston
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hackers about?
- A rebellious teenage hacker and his vividly stylized New York crew race to expose a computer-virus conspiracy before the authorities and its ruthless creator silence them.
- What is Hackers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hackers as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hackers violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Hackers as mild.
- What did critics think of Hackers?
- Critics broadly found the film visually stylish and energetically entertaining, but considered its hacker culture, characters, villain, and story clichéd or implausible.
- Which films are like Hackers?
- Films with a similar feel include The Net, Pump Up the Volume, The Matrix, and The Italian Job.
- How long is Hackers?
- Hackers runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hackers?
- In United States, Hackers streams on Hulu, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
