Hackers (1995)
The cult cyberpunk thriller that made hacking look impossibly cool — neon visuals, techno beats, and a crew of teenage rebels taking on corporate America.
Hackers - Movie Information
- Original Title: Hackers
- Release Year: 1995
- Directed by: Iain Softley
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller, Drama
- Age Rating (US): PG-13
- Runtime: 1h 45m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English, Italian, Japanese, Russian
- Release Date (Theatrical): September 14, 1995 (Brazil - L), September 14, 1995 (United States - PG-13), September 14, 1995 (Canada - 18A), May 3, 1996 (United Kingdom - 12), June 12, 1996 (Germany - 12), August 25, 1998 (France - 12), July 11, 1996 (Australia - M), May 24, 1996 (Spain - 16)
- Alternative Titles: Cybernet (US), 入侵網路 (CN)
- Production Companies: Suftley, United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Production Countries: United States of America
Hackers - Plot
Along with his new friends, a teenager who was arrested by the US Secret Service and banned from using a computer for writing a computer virus discovers a plot by a nefarious hacker, but they must use their computer skills to find the evidence while being pursued by the Secret Service and the evil computer genius behind the virus.
Hackers - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see the cyberpunk chaos unfold:
Their crime is curiosity.
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Hackers - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Iain Softley
Main Cast
- Jonny Lee Miller
- Angelina Jolie
- Matthew Lillard
- Jesse Bradford
- Renoly Santiago
- Laurence Mason
- Fisher Stevens
- Lorraine Bracco
- Wendell Pierce
- Michael Gaston
Writers
- Rafael Moreu
Producers
- Ralph Winter
- Michael Peyser
Hackers - FAQs
What is Hackers (1995) about?
Hackers follows Dade Murphy, a teenage prodigy banned from computers after crashing Wall Street as a child, who reconnects with a crew of NYC hackers and stumbles onto a massive corporate extortion scheme. The film blends cyberpunk style with a cat-and-mouse thriller as the crew races to expose the villain before the Secret Service catches them first.
Is the hacking in Hackers realistic at all?
Mostly no — the film takes wild creative liberties, visualizing code as neon-lit 3D cityscapes and treating hacking like a video game. That said, it does reference real concepts like phone phreaking, social engineering, and worms. Most computer scientists consider it pure fantasy, but it captured the countercultural spirit of early internet culture surprisingly well.
Where can you stream or watch Hackers?
Hackers is available to stream for free on Tubi TV, Hoopla, Plex Channel, and YouTube Free (with ads). You can also rent or buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home.
Was Hackers a box office success in 1995?
Not at all — Hackers was a notable flop on release, earning roughly $7.6 million against a $20 million production budget. Critics were mixed, and mainstream audiences weren't quite ready for its cyberpunk aesthetic. Over the years, however, it found a devoted cult following that has only grown as nostalgia for 1990s internet culture has surged.
Who are the main actors in Hackers?
The film stars Jonny Lee Miller as Dade Murphy (aka Crash Override) and a young Angelina Jolie as the sharp-tongued Kate Libby (aka Acid Burn). Matthew Lillard steals scenes as the eccentric Cereal Killer, while Fisher Stevens plays the slick corporate villain Eugene Belford, known as The Plague.
Did Hackers launch Angelina Jolie's career?
Hackers was one of Jolie's earliest prominent roles and helped establish her edgy, unconventional screen presence. She had already appeared in Cyborg 2 and Without Evidence, but Acid Burn gave her a genuinely cool, charismatic character to inhabit. Her breakout came the following year, and she later earned an Oscar for Girl, Interrupted in 1999.
Is Hackers worth watching today?
Absolutely — if you embrace it as a time capsule. The film is a gloriously over-the-top snapshot of mid-1990s cyberculture, complete with rollerblades, neon aesthetics, and a thumping techno soundtrack. It's not technically accurate, but it's genuinely fun, stylish, and packed with charismatic performances that make it endlessly rewatchable.
Where was Hackers filmed?
Hackers was shot primarily on location in New York City, which gives the film its gritty, kinetic urban energy. The production leaned heavily into the city's downtown and industrial spaces to reinforce the countercultural hacker aesthetic. Some interior sequences were filmed on constructed sets designed to evoke the era's vision of cyberspace.
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