Cyberpunk has existed ever since William Gibson and Ridley Scott created the genre with their respective works: the novel Neuromancer (1984), and the film Blade Runner (1982). After this, there was no limit to how far writers, animators, and filmmakers would take this style and weave it in sync with their own artistic vision.
The philosophy of cyberpunk can be encapsulated, in Gibson's words, as "combination of low-life and high tech," as most of its underdogs are forced to deal with capitalism gone seriously wrong. According to Rotten Tomatoes, what are the best films of this unique yet beloved subgenre?
10 Gattaca (1997) — 82%
The term Gattaca comes from the four letters of DNA code, namely guanine (G), adenine (A), thymine (T), and cytosine (C), an ambiguous reference to the complexities of genetic technology in the near future.
The world in this film is stratified into classes based on randomly-selected hereditary factors, which forces a large number of people into pre-designated jobs — and consequently prevents them from finding any other source of fulfillment. Gattaca's fascinating take on the ethics of DNA modification has been praised by critics and scientists alike.
9 Akira (1988) — 88%
Akira is a pillar of the cyberpunk genre, taking place in Neo-Tokyo following a mysterious explosion that destroys the old capital city.
The narrative deals with elements of human experimentation in order to develop "super-soldiers" for the military. Although based on a manga, it diverges quite a bit from the original story, specifically with respect to the second and third acts. Akira has since developed an enormous fan following, not to mention its influence on the genre of anime and its presence in the western world.
8 The Matrix (1999) — 88%
As one of the most extraordinary movies of the '90s, The Matrix broke cinematic ground with such force that it left an enormous crater behind.
From the awe-inspiring battle choreography to the newly-developed "bullet time" technology to the gorgeously intricate philosophical and moral themes, this movie became an overnight success and a household name before it had even left the theaters. The Matrix is a rather popular watch, and those few who haven't actually seen it are seriously missing out.
7 Blade Runner 2049 (2014) — 88%
Blade Runner 2049, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is an exquisite sequel. It reprises Harrison Ford's role as bounty hunter Rick Deckard, who's now hiding out in the Las Vegas wasteland.
The film also stars Ryan Gosling as K, who happens to be a replicant. Unfortunately, Blade Runner 2049 did not perform well at the box office, but at least it received the Oscars for Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography, the latter of which was the first Academy Award for legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins.
6 12 Monkeys (1995) — 89%
Terry Gilliam's mind-bending attempt at cyberpunk resulted in the phenomenal 12 Monkeys, a movie that commemorates the artistry of cinema as much as the complexities of dystopian politics.
It revolves around viral pandemics, conspiracy theories and time travel; the late Roger Ebert referred to it as a "celebration of madness and doom" for its bleak outlook towards humanity. 12 Monkeys is a confusing but powerful blend of surrealism and technological authoritarianism.
5 RoboCop (1987) — 89%
For an action movie, RoboCop has many different layers lurking beneath its surface, including fascism, corporate greed, the power of journalism, human self-centeredness, and consumerist tendencies. It was considered a thriller because of its incredibly suspenseful narrative, and has in fact been called a "thriller with a difference."
RoboCop turned into one of the biggest blockbusters of 1987, and soon gave rise to a franchise containing films, TV shows, animated programs, graphic novels, and video games.
4 Minority Report (2002) — 90%
Steven Spielberg's Minority Report is loosely based on sci-fi author Philip K. Dick's short story "The Minority Report." Set in the middle of the 21st century, it embraces several cinematic tropes, like the hardboiled detective and the car chase.
The central thesis of the film is a question that has plagued humanity since the dawn of civilization: do we possess free will or are our consequences predetermined long before we even take any actions to prevent them?
3 Blade Runner (1982) — 90%
Directed by Ridley Scott, the original Blade Runner is a complicated movie, dealing with the difficulty of comparing the ethical values of deeds performed by humans with those by replicants.
The movie was so influential that it almost stopped William Gibson from completing Neuromancer because the world imagined in it felt exactly like the one in the author's head. Strangely, many reviewers did not appreciate the languid pace of Blade Runner at the time, although several harsh opinions were changed in retrospect.
2 Ex Machina (2015) — 92%
Ex Machina touches on a very current fear of humanity — what will happen to us if AI breaks free of our control? Nathan, the creator of the "robot" Ava, does horrible things to her in the name of science, simultaneously making the film an excellent metaphor for the shameless crimes of the patriarchy.
In fact, the New York Times argued that Ex Machina's genius lay in this dual perspective, further stating that it was all "about men and the machines they make." The ending, however, was extremely polarizing in terms of audience reaction.
1 Ghost In The Shell (1995) — 96%
Ghost in the Shell might just be the most important cyberpunk movie of all time, with its carefully formulated landscapes, subtle characterizations, and three eternal concerns: Does the soul exist? Is it different from the notion of consciousness? Can it continue to persist after death?
The plotlines followed by Ghost in the Shell are simple enough, but the metaphysical weight of its philosophy can be quite exhausting to comprehend. Still, a 96% rating at Rotten Tomatoes is nothing to scoff at.
October 14, 2020 at 09:00AM
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10 Best Cyberpunk Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked (According To Rotten Tomatoes) - Screen Rant
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