Threats are part of the thrill In the high-stakes world of cyber spies, trojans, and ransomware. So grab your hoodie, here is the SPYSCAPE countdown of the 15 ultimate hacker and cyber crime movies and series to stream right now. 

15. Almost Human (series, 2013-2014)‍

Crime rates are skyrocketing in 2048 so police officers are paired with lifelike robot partners. John Kennex (Karl Urban) doesn’t have the patience for android policing, however. He’s more worried about a hack on the power grid. The series had excellent reviews (83% positive with Rotten Tomatoes’ audience) but Fox pulled it after one season. (Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu)

14. The Billion-Dollar Code (series 2021 - ongoing) ‍

The introduction of the world wide web brought together Berlin hackers and digital artists in the 1990s, but fast-forward to 2014 and two of those cutting-edge pioneers are in court with a US tech giant over the Google Earth algorithm. It’s a tale of techno, raves, and a quirky take on the patent dispute between Terravision and Google. (Netflix)

13. Hackers (movie, 1995)

‍Hackers may be ridiculous - both for its portrayal of hacking and its storyline - but it has style. Angelina Jolie and ex-husband Jonny Lee Miller star in the film, so enjoy the ride even if it seems silly. And no, you will never be able to unsee Jolie’s haircut. (Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube, GooglePlay, Vudu, Microsoft)

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12. The Great Hack (movie, 2019)

‍If documentaries are more your style, check out The Great Hack about the Facebook data breach with Cambridge Analytica. You’ll never look at social media quite the same way again. Citizenfour (2014) explores the Edward Snowden/NSA scandal, and there are plenty of other documentary options for those curious about Wikileaks and hacker Julian Assange. (Netflix, Prime Video)

11. Sneakers (movie, 1992)

A hacker-turned-security-professional (Robert Redford) must deal with his past when it comes back to haunt him. Considering the movie was made in 1992, Sneakers does an admirable job of exploring modern-day issues including mass surveillance and the NSA. (Prime Video, Apple TV, GooglePlay, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft, HBO Max)

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10. Mission: Impossible (movie series, 1996 - ongoing)

‍Don’t mess with hacker Luther Sticknell (actor Ving ​​Rhames), the only character in the Mission: Impossible series to appear in all six films - aside from Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), of course. Start with the 1996 Mission: Impossible and stream your way through all six thrillers. Cruise fans will also want to check out Minority Report (2002). (Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, Apple TV)

9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (movies, 2009- 2018) ‍

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara - and its sequel The Girl in the Spider's Web with Claire Foy - are sleek, stark, stylish, and gothic. Some say the original version with the incredible Noomi Rapace is even better. Keep an eye out for the series based on Lisbeth Salander. (Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, Microsoft, GooglePlay, YouTube)

8. Halt & Catch Fire (series 2014-2017) 

Set in the 1980s tech revolution, Halt & Catch Fire focuses on the computer industry where Cameron (Mackenzie Davis), Donna (Kerry Bishe), and Bose (Toby Huss) are trying to bring their company to the next level. The AMC show also features hackers who solve problems from that perspective. (Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, GooglePlay, Vudu)

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7. WarGames (movie, 1983) ‍

If you like retro hacker films, WarGames should be near the top of your list. Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) and Ally Sheedy star in this Cold War thriller about a teenage hacker who gains access to a US military supercomputer. (Apple TV, Prime Video, GooglePlay, Microsoft, Vudu, YouTube, AMC+)

6. Person of Interest (Series 2011-2016)‍

A reclusive billionaire computer programmer Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) creates ‘the Machine’, a program capable of collating intel to predict terrorist acts. But Root (Amy Acker), a hacker and contract killer, is obsessed with the Machine. (Prime Video, HBO Max, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu)

5. Who Am I: No System is Safe (movie, 2014)

German techno-thriller Who Am I is about a hacker who tries to clear his name when he’s pulled into a murder plot. The movie’s gritty, raw quality has drawn comparisons to Fight Club and Mr. Robot. The film is available in German with English subtitles, or dubbed into English. (Apple TV, GooglePlay, Youtube, Microsoft, Prime Video, Netflix in some countries)

4. The Matrix franchise (movies, 1999-2021) 

From the original The Matrix (1999), where we see the recruitment of hacker Neo, to the latest in the franchise The Matrix Resurrections (2021) it seems we can’t get enough of Keanu Reeves. (HBO Max, Google Play, YouTube, Prime Video, Netflix)

3. Marvel vs DC (movies)‍

Who are the best hackers in the DC and Marvel universes? There’s plenty of contenders from Oracle in the Batman film The Killing Joke to Gus Gorman (Superman III), Felicity Smoak (Green Arrow), and Vic Stone (Justice League). But we’re leaning toward Iron Man’s Anthony ‘Tony’ Stark. His ‘Red Snapper’ disaster suit tipped the scales in favor of the legendary Robert Downey Jr. (Prime Video) 

2. Inception (movie, 2010)

Christopher Nolan’s dream-hacking movie Inception centers around Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a thief who enters people's dreams and steals their subconscious secrets. Nolan (Tenet, Dark Knight Trilogy, Interstellar) took some of his inspiration from the cult classic Hackers. (YouTube, GooglePlay, Netflix, Prime Video)

1. Mr. Robot (series, 2015 - 2019)‍

Cinematic, risk-taking, and creative, Mr. Robot is a stand-out series with top-quality performances from a cast that includes Rami Malek as Elliot, a cyber-security company programmer by day and vigilante hacker by night. Carly Chaikin and Christian Slater also star in this interactable gem loaded with Easter eggs in an alternative reality. (GooglePlay, Apple TV, Vudu, Prime Video, Netflix in some countries)

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