Let’s watch films and TV series about hackers and cybercriminals

Why this genre is so gripping

Stories about hackers rarely rely solely on shoot-outs or car chases — the tension here is largely psychological: the protagonist sits in front of a screen, yet the stakes can be just as high as in an action film. It is precisely this mix that draws the viewer in: an intellectual game of cat and mouse, the moral ambiguity of the characters (it is far from always clear who the «good guys» are) and, most importantly, the feeling that this could happen right now, to anyone. It’s no surprise that films and TV series set in the cyber world are one of the few genres where coding and a terminal with a black screen can keep you on the edge of your seat just as effectively as a shootout.

1.«The Net», 1995.

A classic thriller starring Sandra Bullock: the heroine, a computer systems analyst who, due to the nature of her work, spends almost her entire life online and has very few social connections in the real world, stumbles upon a secret programme designed to hack into government systems. Retribution was not long in coming — the perpetrators literally «erase» her identity from all databases: they alter her documents, criminal record and even her name, leaving her with no way of proving who she really is. It’s particularly interesting to watch as one of the first films to seriously address the issue of digital espionage and the vulnerability of ordinary people — long before it became a commonplace topic of conversation.

2.«Hackers», 1995.

A 90s classic about a group of teenage hackers in New York, featuring a young Angelina Jolie in one of her first notable roles. If you’re looking for a film about student hackers to watch purely for the atmosphere rather than technical accuracy, this is the one. When one of the characters stumbles upon evidence of a massive corporate scam, and a real-life server hack unfolds on screen, the whole group finds itself in the crosshairs of both criminals and the security services. The neon aesthetic, the cult soundtrack and the childishly naive portrayal of hacking have made the film iconic despite its technical obsolescence — today, some of the ‘hacking’ scenes look more comical than realistic.

3.«Who Am I», 2014.

The German film «Who Am I» is about Benjamin, a shy young man who is a brilliant programmer but feels invisible in real life. Together with a small group of fellow outsiders, he founds an anonymous hacker collective called CLAY, which seeks not money but recognition and fame — they carry out high-profile hacks purely for the sensation of power and attention that the characters lack in their everyday lives. The further their antics go, the thinner the line becomes between playing for recognition and committing a serious crime for which they will have to face real consequences. The film is particularly interesting for its psychological insight into why young, talented people turn to cybercrime — not out of greed, but out of a need to be noticed.

4.«Blackhat», 2015.

The film «Hacker» is directed by Michael Mann and stars Chris Hemsworth in the lead role. A cyber-terrorist is capable of ruining the lives of millions of people at the touch of a button, so the authorities are forced to strike a deal with a criminal of a different kind — a talented hacker who is serving time behind bars and is prepared to ‘hunt down his own kind’ in exchange for early release. It’s more spectacular and on a grander scale than your average film of this genre — it features international intelligence agencies and genuine action, rather than just keyboard-based work.

5.«Mr.Robot», 2015.

Probably the best-known series of its kind in recent years, and one of the first titles that springs to mind when looking for series about cybercriminals. The main character, Elliot, works as a cybersecurity specialist by day and as a lone hacker by night, drawn to the secret group «fsociety» with its ambitious plan: to destroy the financial system from within, wiping out the debts of millions of people in one fell swoop.

The series stands out not only for its plot but also for its narrative style — the story is told from the first-person perspective of an unreliable narrator with social anxiety, so the viewer is constantly left wondering what they see on screen is real and what is merely in the protagonist’s mind. The series is also praised for its technical accuracy: here, hacking is rarely depicted as implausibly fast or stylish as in Hollywood action films — the team working on the project consulted with real cybersecurity experts.

6.«CSI: Cyber», 2015.

If you’re particularly interested in short-form series, do check out this cyber-crime drama in the classic CSI style. Here, a team led by an FBI special agent investigates crimes committed using technology — from hacked smart cars and CCTV cameras to large-scale cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure. It follows the classic CSI format: each episode is a standalone case with a clear resolution at the end, so the series doesn’t require you to keep up with an overarching storyline spanning several seasons in a row, unlike, for example, «Mr Robot» — you can watch an episode or two in the evening without worrying about losing track of the plot.

7.«Hacker» 2016.

A drama about a young man called Alex, whose family emigrated from Ukraine to Canada. When the protagonist’s mother is sacked from her job at a bank and her former employer threatens to take away the family home, Alex — now an adult — joins the cybercriminal group DarkWeb in a bid for revenge; his actions gradually escalate into something far more significant than personal vengeance, affecting the entire banking system. The film’s appeal lies precisely in its dramatic elements — it is more a story about a man driven to crime by circumstances than a technical thriller about hacking for the sake of hacking.

8.«Silk Road», 2021.

A drama based on the true story of Ross Ulbricht, a young entrepreneur who created Silk Road — the first major dark web marketplace on the Tor network, through which millions of dollars in illicit transactions passed. Initially, the protagonist conceived the project as a utopian vision of a free, unregulated market, but it gradually evolved into something far more dangerous, attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies from around the world. What is interesting here is not so much the technical side — the Darknet and cryptocurrency are touched upon only briefly — but rather the story of ambition, idealism that turns into a mania for control, and the price that ultimately had to be paid for attempting to establish «one’s own rules» on the internet.

9.«Dark Web: Cicada 3301», 2021.

A film based on one of the internet’s most mysterious stories: a series of anonymous puzzles that appeared online in 2012 and have still not been fully unravelled — no one knows for certain who created them or why. The film tells the story of a young hacker who is drawn into something far more serious than a simple game for fun by these puzzles. It’s well worth watching if you enjoy stories with a sense of genuine, unsolved mystery — there’s no neat Hollywood-style resolution here where «everything is explained in the finale».

Make sure your own internet network is secure

There’s one pattern in these films that’s easy to overlook amidst the plot: almost all the cybercrimes depicted on screen are made possible by someone’s carelessness — a weak password, an open Wi-Fi network, or clicking on a suspicious link. In real life, the most common threat isn’t a Hollywood «super-hacker», but ordinary phishing and social engineering: a fake email, a bogus bank website, or a call «from customer support». Add to this the risk of cyberattacks and ransomware — and it becomes clear that digital security and anonymity have long ceased to be a topic solely for IT specialists. So, whilst you’re watching yet another episode about an epic corporate hack, it wouldn’t hurt to check once again just how secure your own home network is.

And to ensure your viewing experience isn’t ruined by freezing or buffering at the most exciting moment, it’s important that your internet connection can handle high-quality streaming without any interruptions. A stable connection from Maxnet is exactly what you need: watch your favourite series in HD, without delays, on any device — from a smartphone to a Smart TV.

Films about hackers are a rare genre that both entertain and make you think about your own digital security. From atmospheric classics of the 90s to the technically accurate «Mr Robot» — there’s a story to suit everyone’s taste. The main thing is to pick an evening, a device you’re comfortable with and a stable internet connection, and you’re guaranteed to be immersed in the world of cybercrime.