Introduction
It can be painful to watch a movie that gets something wrong you are very familiar with. That’s probably the reason why people doing certain jobs usually don’t watch movies related to their line of work. Same is true for technology movies. All tech movies are not created equal and the ones that get technology right are few and far between. We have compiled a list of some of the best technology movies that geeks can relate to while still being enjoyable for the general audience.
The Social Network (2010)
Adopted from the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, the movie explores through the perspective of young men who claim to be present at the time when Facebook was invented. The movie portrays how Facebook came into being and the lawsuits that surrounded it. Dueling narratives, clashing thoughts and multiple point of views are drawn from multiple sources to capture the phenomenon that reshaped how we interact with each other online.
The Social Network remained among the best movies of 2010 and received the best film award by the National Board of Review and also received 8 nominations at the 83 rd academy awards.
- Director: David Fincher
- Release date: 24 September 2010
- Running time: 120 minutes
- Box office: $224.9 mn
Minority Report (2002)
The movie was released at a time when we had to choose between great ideas and action. Minority Report took a different approach and worked on both our emotions and minds. It’s revolves around stopping crime before it happens by picking up thoughts using computers that can tap brain waves. The movie is loosely based on Philip K. Dick’s The Minority Report (1956) and depicts the year 2054. It combines elements of a thriller, science fiction, technology, tech noir and whodunit.
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Release date: 19 June 2002
- Running time: 145 minutes
- Box office: $358.4 mn
Inception (2010)
Inception is a dazzling maze that took its director ten years to complete the screenplay. It’s one of the very few movies that are immune to spoilers. Inception is about the process of finding a way through dreams and reality. A dream within a reality or a reality within a dream? The movie blurs the line between the two and sometimes its hard to clearly distinguish between them.
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Release date: 8 July 2010
- Running time: 148 minutes
- Box office: $829.9 mn
The Matrix (1999)
This cyberadventure movie tries to redefine reality and takes a huge leap of imagination. It also gifted the pop culture the red and blue pills and remains one of the most exciting futuristic dramas. Many movies have tried really hard to achieve the tone and look of The Matrix, but none has come close to the original even after a decade. A unique mix of technical wizardry, action and contextual excellence make it a benchmark against which sci-fi movies are compared.
- Director: The Wachowskis
- Release date: 31 March 1999
- Running time: 136 minutes
- Box office: $465.3 mn
Ex Machina (2014)
The ‘real’ sci-fi movie is not just another commercial sci-fi flavored movie. It’s full of surprises, most of which are logical and character driven. A young and naive programmer is selected to become part of a ground breaking experience in AI. He soon discovers that it’s not just about coding as there is also an element of personality involved. The psychological thriller is dialogue driven and slowly induces a state of paranoia, making it a true modern sci-fi masterpiece.
- Director: Alex Garland
- Release date: 16 December 2014
- Running time: 108 minutes
- Box office: $36.9 mn
Upgrade (2018)
Upgrade is a sci-fi B-movie that has a competently handled and fluid plot. The man vs. tech narrative is fun to watch and although it’s not among the most popular or high-budget movies, it’s still an enjoyable tech-related movie to watch. The movie received generally positive reviews and performed better than anticipated in monetary terms.
- Director: Leigh Whannell
- Release date: 10 March 2018
- Running time: 100 minutes
- Box office: $17 mn
Office Space (1999)
The dark comedy revolves around three unmotivated and frustrated programmers who absolutely hate their jobs and decide to give their passive-aggressive and greedy boss a lesson. It’s a movie most of us can relate to (with an exaggerated version of a usual office). However, the depiction underneath the exaggeration is real and accurate.
Being a comic about how work can crush the spirit, it depicts office cubicles as cells and supervisors as wardens. It magnifies all personality traits and revolves around workers who are treated as some interchangeable commodity and paid as little as possible.
- Director: Mike Judge
- Release date: 19 February 1999
- Running time: 89 minutes
- Box office: $12.2 mn
I, Robot (2004)
In the near future (2035) smart robots occupy public service positions around the world and operate under 3-rules to ensure safety of humans. The movie has its foundations in philosophy and revolves around a time when robots serve as human slaves. The visual trickery, ingenious camerawork and special effects make the movie truly alive. Despite being a Hollywood action blockbuster, I, Robot has a brain without diving too deep into philosophy and making things complex for the viewer.
- Director: Alex Proyas
- Release date: 07 July 2004
- Running time: 115 minutes
- Box office: $347.2 mn
The Martian (2015)
An astronaut stranded on Mars must find a way to signal that he is alive to his team back on Earth. The movie is about a man who has to summon all his courage and ingenuity to get out of an impossible situation. Although there are no big surprises in the movie, the tone and details feel fresh and keep viewers hooked.
On top of a difficult situation, he also has to deal with loneliness as heated discussions continue on Earth. It’s more like a second act of the movie coming next; 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Release date: 11 September 2015
- Running time: 141 minutes
- Box office: $630.2 mn
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The movie strives to inspire our awe instead of trying to be a thriller. It contains beauty just for the sake of it, which is why we should not watch it like we watch ‘regular’ movies. You need to relax to experience the beautiful and strange images that last for quite some time. No one did anything like it at the time of its release and it still remains a benchmark for sci-fi movies.
People have different opinions and interpretations of the movie and we still don’t know with certainty what really went through the minds of its creators. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) for some is like watching paint dry, while for some it’s the greatest sci-fi movie ever made and a piece of art.
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Release date: 3 April 1968
- Running time: 142 minutes
- Box office: $146 mn
Conclusion
Tech is always moving forward and does not want us to stand still. Same is the case with tech related movies, but not all tech movies get the tech part right. Sci-fi movies try to paint the future and inspire millions to turn visions into reality. These movies provide a glimpse of the future and have inspired founders of many revolutionary corporations to dream big.