Written by Brandon Foster. Published: September 12 2025
(Photo:
Pandora)
With the
modern emergence of AI, self-driving cars, and implant technologies
like Neuralink on the horizon, it’s no wonder why there’s been a
renaissance of Cyberpunk media, but with copious amounts of content
produced each day, there’s bound to be gems that slip through
the cracks. Here are 5 outstanding Cyberpunk films that likely flew
under your radar!
1. Sleep Dealer (2008)
From director Alex Rivera, Sleep Dealer is a
radical Spanish film that delves into the dire ramifications of
resource exploitation, both human and natural. Remote work has gone
disastrously awry, with international workers forced to export
their labor around the world at bargain prices through Networked
Factories, jacking in and controlling a robotic workforce from
afar. Memories are sold as commodities on an open market, and
attack drones broadcast deadly strikes on live television to a
fixated audience. When a young man’s family is devastated by a
drone attack, he’ll do anything to make ends meet. (Available
on VOD/Digital)
2. Strange Days (1995)
Strange
Days is a dark noir from the ’90s that doesn’t pull any
punches. In a hedonistic hellscape where people live for
ever-increasing dopamine spikes, all manners of evil can be
experienced firsthand via headsets that jack you right into
recorded memories, sensory experience and all. When a psychopathic
murderer starts using the technology to record his horrific crimes,
ex-cop Lenny (Ralph Fiennes) will have to act fast
if he wants to save the woman he loves. (Not available to
stream)
3. Cypher (2002)
Corporate
espionage reaches a whole new level in the 2002
techno-thriller Cypher. When Morgan Sullivan
(Jeremy Northam) decides to spice up his life by
taking on a new identity as a corporate spy, he has no idea just
how deep the rabbit hole goes. It’s a film filled with twists,
turns, and an unhealthy dose of mind control that will keep you
guessing all the way up to the dramatic conclusion. (Available
on VOD/Digital)
4. Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
Based on the
original short story by William
Gibson, Johnny Mnemonic stars Keanu Reeves as Johnny, a data courier who
downloads sensitive info directly into his brain. When he’s
overloaded with information that could revolutionize the world,
he’s up against the clock, the Yakuza, and a medley of colorful
characters all desperate to get their hands on the goods. It’s
campy Keanu at his best, and a fun film that doesn’t take itself
too seriously. (Available on VOD/Digital)
5. Anon (2018)
Crime has
been nearly eradicated at the steep cost of anonymity in the crime
drama Anon. When your every detail is known by the
state, and your entire life is recorded from infancy, it has become
impossible to get away with anything. Almost impossible.
When a serial killer manages to hack the human mind, they begin a
series of troubling murders, scrubbing themselves from all memory.
As detective Sal Frieland (Clive Owen) starts
closing in, his own mind and memories are open to the will of the
murderer, and he’ll have to race against time to put an end to the
killings before it’s too late. (Stream on Netflix)