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Theme: Cyberpunk


Cyberpunk was a brand of literary science-fiction that emerged during the 1980s and onto film screens around the same time. Cyberpunk is best defined in terms of what came before – it rejects utopian futurism for a vision of a densely textured world that resembles this one but a few years on.

Key to Cyberpunk is the depiction of a future where computers have seamlessly integrated into society and of developments of the internet, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. Visually, Cyberpunk pictures a worn-down world where technology was no longer pristine but cluttered and breaking down and is scenery dominated by brand name advertising, New Wave fashions and teeming streetlife.

In contrast to Cyberpunk fiction, Cyberpunk films take more of an action emphasis and are often peopled by heroes with cyborg attachments who are struggling to find their humanity. Some of the most sophisticated treatments come from Japan and are found in anime.


The 6th Day (2000)

19 November 20005 May 2020

Rating: ★★★

Cloned Man/Action

Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Goldwyn, Robert Duvall, Michael Rooker, …
Category: Science Fiction

The ABCs of Death (2012)

26 February 201315 September 2020

Rating: ★★★

Horror Anthology

Director: Aaron Becker, Nacho Vigalondo, Adrian Garcia Bogliano, Ernesto Diaz Espinoza, …
Actors: Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Neil Maskell, Michael Smiley
Category: Horror

Akira (1988)

2 August 199920 April 2020

Rating: ★★★★★

Anime/Psychic Powers Amok

Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Category: Science Fiction

Android Cop (2014)

18 May 201412 August 2019

Rating: ★★½

Cop and Android Partner/The Asylum Mockbuster

Director: Mark Atkins
Actors: Michael Jai White, Randy Wayne, Larissa Vereza, Kadeem Hardison, …
Category: Science Fiction

Appleseed (2004)

14 December 20089 September 2019

Rating: ★★★★

Anime/Future Anti-Terrorist Squad

Director: Shinji Aramaki
Category: Science Fiction

Appleseed Ex Machina (2007)

27 July 200815 September 2019

Rating: ★★★

Anime/Future Anti-Terrorist Squad

Director: Shinji Aramaki
Category: Science Fiction

Babylon A.D. (2008)

9 October 200813 November 2019

Rating: ★★½

Cyberpunk Future

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Actors: Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry, Gerard Depardieu, …
Category: Science Fiction

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)

30 June 200330 October 2019

Rating: ★★½

Batman of the Future/Animation

Director: Curt Geda
Actors: Will Friedle, Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Angie Harmon, …
Category: Science Fiction

Blade Runner (1982)

8 January 200029 January 2020

Rating: ★★★★★

Cyberpunk Future/Hunt for Escaped Androids

Director: Ridley Scott
Actors: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, …
Category: Science Fiction

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

6 January 201828 July 2020

Rating: ★★★★½

Cyberpunk Future/Androids

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Actors: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Sylvia Hoeks, Jared Leto, …
Category: Science Fiction

Chrysalis (2007)

8 March 200819 April 2020

Rating: ★★

Cyberpunk Film

Director: Julien Leclercq
Actors: Albert Dupontel, Marie Guillard, Marthe Keller, Melanie Thierry, …
Category: Science Fiction

Circuitry Man (1990)

19 October 200320 April 2020

Rating: ★★½

Cyberpunk/Post-Holocaust Quest

Director: Steven Lovy
Actors: Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Jim Metzler, Vernon Wells, Dennis Christopher, …
Category: Science Fiction

Code 46 (2003)

24 June 200725 April 2020

Rating: ★★★★½

Dystopian Future

Director: Michael Winterbottom
Actors: Tim Robbins, Samantha Morton, Om Puri, Nina Wadia, …
Category: Science Fiction

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)

14 August 200317 May 2020

Rating: ★★

Anime/Future Bounty Hunters

Director: Shinichiro Watanabe
Category: Science Fiction

Cyber Tracker (1994)

3 September 20052 June 2020

Rating: ★★

Action/Killer Law Enforcement Cyborg

Director: Richard Pepin
Actors: Don 'The Dragon' Wilson, Stacie Foster, Joseph Ruskin, Jim Maniaci, …
Category: Science Fiction

Cyber Zone (1995)

17 August 20022 June 2020

Rating: ★★½

Android Bounty Hunter

Director: Fred Olen Ray
Actors: Marc Singer, Rochelle Swanson, Matthias Hues, Robin Clarke, …
Category: Science Fiction

Cybertech P.D. (1995)

12 April 20032 June 2020

Rating: ★★★

Cyberpunk

Director: Rick King
Actors: Lorenzo Lamas, Kari Wuhrer, Chris Sarandon, Peter Coyote, …
Category: Science Fiction

Cyborg2: Glass Shadow (1993)

6 April 19992 June 2020

Rating: ★★★

Cyberpunk

Director: Michael Schroeder
Actors: Angelina Jolie, Elias Koteas, Jack Palance, Billy Drago, …
Category: Science Fiction

Dead or Alive: Final (2002)

13 March 200629 June 2020

Rating: ★★

Cyberpunk Dystopia/Androids

Director: Takashi Miike
Actors: Sho Aikawa, Riki Takeuchi, Josie Ho, Terence Yin
Category: Science Fiction

Death Machine (1995)

27 February 20031 February 2020

Rating: ★★★½

Killer Robot

Director: Stephen Norrington
Actors: Ely Pouget, Brad Dourif, William Hootkins, John Sharian, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Fifth Element (1997)

19 April 200418 November 2020

Rating: ★

Space Opera/Showdown Against Ultimate Evil

Director: Luc Besson
Actors: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, …
Category: Science Fiction

Freejack (1992)

19 October 200217 December 2020

Rating: ★

Future Body-Snatching/Time Travel

Director: Geoff Murphy
Actors: Emilio Estevez, Mick Jagger, Rene Russo, Anthony Hopkins, …
Category: Science Fiction

Future Kick (1991)

19 January 200813 November 2019

Rating: ★

Cyberpunk Future Action

Director: Damian Klaus
Actors: Don 'The Dragon' Wilson, Meg Foster
Category: Science Fiction

Future-Kill (1984)

4 December 201430 August 2018

Rating: ★

Killer Cyborg

Director: Ronald W. Moore
Actors: Edwin Neal, Marilyn Burns, Gabriel Folse, Alice Villarreal, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Gene Generation (2007)

27 May 202028 May 2020

Rating: ★★½

Cyberpunk Future/Genetic Hacking

Director: Pearry Teo
Actors: Bai Ling, Alec Newman, Parry Shen, Robert David Hall, …
Category: Science Fiction

Genius Party Beyond (2008)

4 April 200927 July 2020

Rating: ★★★

Anime Anthology

Director: Masahiro Maeda, Kazuto Nakazawa, Shinya Ohara, Tatsuyuki Tanaka, …
Category: Fantasy

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

30 July 200227 November 2019

Rating: ★★★★

Cyberpunk Anime

Director: Mamoru Oshii
Category: Science Fiction

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

24 July 200527 November 2019

Rating: ★★★★

Cyberpunk Anime

Director: Mamoru Oshii
Category: Science Fiction

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

13 May 201726 June 2019

Rating: ★

Live-Action Anime Adaptation/Cyberpunk Future

Director: Rupert Sanders
Actors: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek, Beat Takashi Kitano, Michael Carmen Pitt, …
Category: Science Fiction

Ghost in the Shell: Arise (2013-2014)

22 December 20141 August 2019

Rating: ★★★★

Cyberpunk Anime

Director: Tow Ubukata, Kazuchika Kise
Category: Science Fiction

Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2015)

21 October 201630 August 2018

Rating: ★★

Cyberpunk Anime

Director: Kazuya Nomura, Kazuchika Kise
Category: Science Fiction

Ghosts With Shit Jobs (2012)

31 December 201230 August 2018

Rating: ★★★½

Slice-of-Life Portraits From a Post-Cyberpunk Future

Director: Chris McCawley, Jim Morrison, Jim Munroe, Tate Young
Actors: Rachel MacMillan, Sean Lerner, Joshua Hundert, Kelly Spilchak, …
Category: Science Fiction

Gunhed (1989)

16 July 201323 April 2020

Rating: ★★★

Robot Wars

Director: Masato Harada
Actors: Masahiro Takashima, Brenda Bakke, Yujin Harada, Kaori Mizushima, …
Category: Science Fiction

Haphead (2015)

17 March 201727 May 2020

Rating: ★★★

Life in a Post-Cyberpunk World

Director: Tate Young
Actors: Elysia White, David Straus, Joanne Jansen, Kwame Kyei-Boateng, …
Category: Science Fiction

Hardware (1990)

16 December 200321 January 2020

Rating: ★★★★

Cyberpunk/Killer Robot

Director: Richard Stanley
Actors: Stacey Travis, Dylan McDermott, William Hootkins, John Lynch
Category: Science Fiction

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)

16 February 20016 November 2020

Rating: ★★

Cyberpunk/Biker Movie

Director: Simon Wincer
Actors: Mickey Rourke, Don Johnson, Daniel Baldwin, Chelsea Field, …
Category: Science Fiction

Heavy Metal (1981)

3 May 200013 February 2021

Rating: ★★½

Adult Animation Anthology

Director: Gerald Potterton
Actors: John Candy, Jackie Burroughs, Eugene Levy, John Vernon, …
Category: Fantasy, Science Fiction

I.K.U. (2000)

19 January 201530 August 2018

Rating: ★★

Cyberpunk Pornography/Sex Androids

Director: Shu Lea Cheang
Actors: Ayuma Tokito, Zachery Nataf, Mash, Akira
Category: Science Fiction

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

15 July 200229 September 2019

Rating: ★★★

Cyberpunk/William Gibson Adaptation

Director: Robert Longo
Actors: Keanu Reeves, Dina Meyer, Henry Rollins, Ice-T, …
Category: Science Fiction

Metropolis (2001)

31 January 20028 January 2019

Rating: ★★★★

Anime/Retro Future/Android Girl

Director: Rintaro
Category: Science Fiction

Mute (2018)

3 March 201826 January 2020

Rating: ★★

Future-Set Neo-Noir

Director: Duncan Jones
Actors: Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, Robert Sheehan, …
Category: Science Fiction

Nemesis (1993)

1 February 200127 February 2019

Rating: ★★★½

Cyberpunk/Cyborg Takeover

Director: Albert Pyun
Actors: Olivier Gruner, Tim Thomerson, Merle Kennedy, Deborah Shelton, …
Category: Science Fiction

Nemesis 4: Death Angel (1996)

10 December 201527 April 2019

Rating: ★★½

Cyborg Action

Director: Albert Pyun
Actors: Sue Price, Andrew Divoff, Norbert Weisser, Nicolas Guest, …
Category: Science Fiction

New Rose Hotel (1998)

9 April 199922 April 2020

Rating: ★★½

Cyberpunk/William Gibson Adpattion

Director: Abel Ferrara
Actors: Willem Dafoe, Christopher Walken, Asia Argento, Annabella Sciorra
Category: Science Fiction

Nirvana (1997)

31 December 199730 August 2018

Rating: ★★★★

Cyberpunk

Director: Gabriele Salvatores
Actors: Christopher Lambert, Stefania Rocca, Emmanuelle Seigner, Sergio Rubini, …
Category: Science Fiction

Redline (1997)

2 April 199924 March 2020

Rating: ★★½

Near Future Russia Thriller

Director: Tibor Takacs
Actors: Rutger Hauer, Mark Dacascos, Randall William Cook, Patrick Dreikauss
Category: Science Fiction

Renaissance (2006)

10 November 200623 December 2019

Rating: ★★★½

Animation/Futuristic Film Noir

Director: Christian Volckman
Actors: Daniel Craig, Catherine McCormack, Ian Holm, Jonathan Pryce
Category: Science Fiction

RoboCop (1987)

16 January 200521 March 2019

Rating: ★★★½

Cyborg Cop

Director: Paul Verhoeven
Actors: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, …
Category: Science Fiction

RoboCop 2 (1990)

6 January 201121 March 2019

Rating: ★★★

Cyborg Cop

Director: Irvin Kershner
Actors: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Belinda Bauer, Gabriel Damon, …
Category: Science Fiction

RoboCop (2014)

14 February 20148 October 2020

Rating: ★★★

Cyborg Cop

Director: José Padilha
Actors: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, …
Category: Science Fiction

RoboCop 3 (1993)

1 July 200023 January 2019

Rating: ★

Cyborg Cop

Director: Fred Dekker
Actors: Robert Burke, Nancy Allen, John Castle, Remy Ryan, …
Category: Science Fiction

Robot Wars (2016)

5 December 201724 April 2020

Rating: ★★

Found Footage Cyberpunk Film

Director: William Stewart
Category: Science Fiction

Savage (1995)

17 February 20039 January 2020

Rating: ½

Alien-Altered Neanderthal Superman

Director: Avi Nesher
Actors: Olivier Gruner
Category: Science Fiction

Strange Days (1995)

2 February 200326 May 2019

Rating: ★★★½

Near Future Social Disorder/The Millennium/Virtual Memories

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Actors: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, …
Category: Science Fiction

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992)

5 November 200126 January 2020

Rating: ★★

Man-Machine Fusion

Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
Actors: Tomoroh Taguchi, Shinya Tsukamoto, Sujin Kim
Category: Science Fiction

Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009)

25 July 201126 January 2020

Rating: ★★

Man-Machine Fusion

Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
Actors: Eric Bossick, Shinya Tsukamoto
Category: Science Fiction

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

5 November 200026 January 2020

Rating: ★★★★★

Man-Machine Fusion

Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
Actors: Tomoroh Taguchi, Shinya Tsukamoto
Category: Science Fiction

Total Recall (2012)

2 August 20127 June 2020

Rating: ★★½

Virtual Memories/Reality Bender/Action

Director: Len Wiseman
Actors: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, …
Category: Science Fiction

Vexille (2007)

24 September 200831 December 2019

Rating: ★★★

Anime/Future Android Japan

Director: Fumihiko Sori
Category: Science Fiction

Virtual Combat (1995)

5 May 200121 January 2020

Rating: 0­

Virtual Characters Come to Life/Action

Director: Andrew Stevens
Actors: Don 'The Dragon' Wilson, Athena Massey, Michael Dorn, Turhan Bey, …
Category: Science Fiction

Xchange (2000)

6 November 200120 August 2019

Rating: ★★★

Body-Swapping Future

Director: Allan Moyle
Actors: Stephen Baldwin, Kyle MacLachlan, Pascale Bussieres, Kim Coates, …
Category: Science Fiction

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Theme Essays

  • Disaster Movies
  • Steampunk Films
  • Documentaries
  • Films About Halloween
  • Films About Prophecy
  • Nazis
  • Magicians and Sorcerers
  • Secret Societies
  • Real-Life People in Fiction
  • Techno-Thrillers
  • Twins in Fantastic Cinema
  • Asylums
  • Possession Films
  • Sexual Fetishism in Fantastic Cinema
  • Films About Imaginary and Magical Lands
  • Religion in Fantastic Cinema
  • Romantic Comedies
  • Film Noir
  • Spy Films
  • Jekyll and Hyde Films
  • Films That Make Dubious Claims to Being Based on True Stories
  • Coming of Age Stories in Fantastic Cinema
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  • Alternate History Films
  • Disturbed Psychology as Portrayed on Film
  • Law Enforcement in Fantastic Cinema
  • Weird Westerns

© Copyright Richard Scheib 1999-2021

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