TOP 10 HACKING MOVIES OF ALL TIME

THE MATRIX (1999)

Keanu Reeves stars as computer hacker Neo, who discovers that the whole world's a computer programme designed to enslave humanity. Fortunately, he can learn Kung Fu just by loading up a bit of software. If it was that easy, we'd be black belts by now.

The Matrix spawned a generation of would-be cyber anarchists who decided to show their individuality by wearing black leather coats and hiding moody expressions behind mirror shades.

GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995)

This iconic anime based on the manga by Masamune Shirow follows a cyborg policewoman trying to track down the Puppet Master D, a hacker who's able to manipulate people's personalities. Ghost in the Shell not only looks staggering, but being one of the first films to combine cell animation with CGI, it also raises interesting questions about the nature of identity.

EXISTENZ (1999)

David Cronenberg's 1999 sci-fi flick takes a characteristically messy, organic approach to hacking. eXistenZ is set in a computer game where people connect to using biological computers. Cue the usual Croenebergian sprays of body fluid and squelchy bits plus some cool innovations, like a gun (made out of biological components) that shoots teeth.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)

Our favourite scenes in The Social Network – last year's Facebook film – are the ones with Zuckerberg, Saverin and co sat around hacking into university databases to make hot-or-not style sites.

There's also snappy dialogue, the entertaining Winklevoss twins and a nice backstory about Sean Parker. All that and an impeccable Oscar-winning score from Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor – although the version of In the Hall of the Mountain King in the rowing scene was director David Fincher's idea.

HACKERS (1995)

Brilliantly overblown (at one point, for instance, it is claimed that a fleet of oil tankers will capsize at the behest of a computer virus), Hackers is a fast-typing feast of illicit binary populated by people with names like Acid Burn and Cereal Killer. But will rival hackers Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie uncover the hidden code in their hearts? 

REVOLUTION OS (2001)

Let's face it, if we tell you this is a documentary about Linux, you're probably not straining at the leash to get your eyes on it. But if we told you that during the course of the interviews with the open source elite, you can see a classic David vs Goliath story unfold (let's call David "Firefox" and Goliath "Internet Explorer"), your ears might prick up a bit. Fascinating as it is, it's no The Social Network.

PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY (1999)

Think you're an Apple geek? You're not until you've watched this made-for-TV feature that fictionalises the era between Steve Jobs' return to the Apple fold and the building of a partnership bridge with Microsoft's Bill Gates. As a story of hackers done good, it's an entertaining ride, but if you need further endorsement Noah Wyle's portrayal of Jobs was so impressive Steve invited him to open Macworld 1999 as his double.

PARANOIA 1.0 (2004)

Also known as One Point O, Paranoia 1.0 revolves around an isolated computer programmer who receives mysterious brown packages, plummeting him in to a world of corporate conspiracy, mind control and interactions with his bizarre neighbours. Throw in his addictive and unexplainable craving for Nature Fresh brand milk and you have a flick that demands the full attention of your grey matter to grasp what’s going on.

DIE HARD 4.0: LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (2007)

Bruce Willis squeezes back into John McClane's obligatory white vest to catch a team of mastermind computer hackers and serve up some old-school justice. This infiltration of the US infrastructure threatens to shut down the entire country over Independence Day weekend, so with a little help from his bumbling hacker sidekick (Justin Long) McClane sets about bringing them down.

In true Die Hard style you can also expect over the top violence and an utterly outrageous terrorist plot. "Yippie-kay-ay." Yeah, they cut the swears for the PG-13 rating.

SWORDFISH (2001)

Hacking, shooting, driving fast, cool slow-mo explosions, Swordfish has it all. There’s even that scene where Wolverine, also known as Hugh Jackman, has to hack a mainframe (or some such cliché) but while being distracted by the tender attentions of a lady. Bet Mark Zuckerberg didn’t use that technique when hiring at Facebook.