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Hackers (1995)
Last night, I watched Hackers for the first time. It’s been one of those movies I’ve heard other millennials talk about nostalgically, but ultimately, I just didn’t get around to it… Until now!
What prompted me to check it out was that I was watching Jessie Gender’s video Dreaming of a Queer Internet and had to stop it when she began to talk about the movie I Saw The TV Glow as I still need to see it, but before that moment she had analysed Hackers, and I became more intrigued based on what she had to say about it.
I watched Hackers via Prime Video, though I had to use a VPN to access it, as it was only available in America. Watching Hackers on this platform was also time-sensitive as it would be gone in six days when I watched the movie. So, if you’re reading this, it’s probably gone now.
From a millennial perspective that has no nostalgia for this movie, I think it’s fantastic, though I’m not surprised to see some detractions.
I know the way hacking and the internet are portrayed in this movie is oversimplified and perhaps insulting to people who work in that field.
However, I think the main appeal of this movie is the characters. The characters are freaking awesome. The cast who play these characters gel amazingly. And they’re all a bunch of weirdos, too, in the best way. They’re computer geniuses, but none fall into that creepy basement dweller stereotype. In fact, they all have their own unique styles that could also be reflective of 90s’ wear.
But the other thing most important to this movie is what it’s about. It’s ultimately a good versus evil story. Perhaps it’s a standard one, but at least it’s a fun one — a less philosophical, more adventurous take on The Matrix that is specifically about and geared toward teenagers.
And even though the portrayal of hacking is dumb, its presentation on a production level looks stunning. I’m, of course, referring to the glass towers with inbuilt neon lighting.
While I said I’m not nostalgic for this film, that is probably not entirely true. After all, I was alive during the 90s, and this movie is the most 90s thing I’ve seen in a minute. And I mean that in a good way. I’m at least nostalgic for its aesthetics, which were a time and place.
So go watch Hackers (1995) it’s good!
But if you’ve already seen Hackers and want alternate recommendations, my best suggestion would be Antitrust (2001). Admittedly, I’ve only seen it twice back in high school, so I don’t know how…
