The Best Cyberpunk Films

La Jetee and Sans Soleil are two films by Chris Marker, but the one we're interested in more is La Jetee for the best Cyberpunk films list. La Jetee is a unique science fiction film and the most remarkable thing is it's mostly made with black and white still images. Set in Paris destroyed by a third world war, the survivors have been forced to retreat underground. There scientists experiment with time travel to escape from a horrible present to a better past or future. This film is the inspiration behind Twelve Monkeys by Terry Gilliam, and more recently the TV series 12 Monkeys. La Jetee has been classified as one of the most influential and radical science fiction films, and its theme is perfect for the Cyberpunk films - must-see film for any proper film buff.

We're continuing the best Cyberpunk films with Westworld, a sci-fi Western thriller film written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton. Westworld is a theme park for the rich, the park's lifelike androids are programmed to indulge vacationers' every whim. The problems arise when androids malfunction and begin killing visitors, even though they're programmed never to harm the customers. This was always an inspiration for Crichton who later went to write a novel and co-write the script for Jurassic Park, a tale of disaster at a futuristic theme park. Westworld's main character is the Gunslinger, played by Yul Brynner, who joined by Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, and Norman Bartold among others. Westworld was succeeded by a sequel, Futureworld and a new HBO television series Westworld.

You can't get much more cyberpunk than Akira. The story begins in 2019 with a secret military project which turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath. Akira is a sci-fi anime film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Neo-Tokyo is full of tech-noir fetishism, gangs of cyber-punk bikers and rioting crowds who surge under the neon-topped buildings. This anime may be quite bloody and violent, but the fantastic animation set the standard for the modern Japanese animation films. Rent it on DVD and Blu-ray, and get an abundance of extra content including Akira Production Report and a digitally remastered feature.

Released in 1995, 'techno-noir' film Strange Days has a somewhat futuristic and Y2K vibe set in the last two days of 1999. Lenny Nero deals in "clips", digital recordings of real-life experiences packaged for a vicious thrill. He doesn't deal in "blackjacks" - recordings of death - but when a close associate is murdered by a ruthless killer, Lenny gets drawn into a sleazy and psychotic world of wealth, power and paranoia. While not a box office success, some considered Strange Days an "extremely underappreciated film" and the best piece of cyberpunk to grace celluloid since Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. You can rent it now on DVD or Blu-ray and judge for yourself.

When a good police officer (Peter Weller) gets blown away by some ruthless criminals, the story of RoboCop begins. RoboCop is a cyberpunk action film directed by Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, his first American film. Innovative scientists piece this good cop, Alex Murphy, back together and make him a powerful cyborg, who is underneath it all still haunted by memories. But he seems unstoppable and bulletproof and that's what a crime-ridden city of Detroit needs in its dystopian depiction. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, and Kurtwood Smith. RoboCop sparked a multimedia franchise, spanning through film sequels, videogames, television, and several comic book crossovers. The most recent is a remake RoboCop starring Joel Kinnaman as the title character, with Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, and Samuel L. Jackson in supporting roles.

Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) prowls the steel-and-microchip jungle of 21st century Los Angeles. He's a "Blade Runner" stalking genetically made criminal replicants. His assignment: kill them. Their crime: wanting to be human. A visual stunner, remastered for improved home presentation, director Ridley Scott's vision of this sci-fi cinema classic intriguingly differs from what 1982 moviegoers saw. This version omits Deckard's voiceover narration, develops in greater detail the romance between Deckard and Rachael (Sean Young) and removes the "uplifting" finale. Most intriguing of all is a newly included unicorn vision that suggests Deckard may be a humanoid. The result is a heightened emotional impact a great film made greater.

The Terminator has become one of the biggest and well-known franchises, including films, television, merchandise and much more. This original film, The Terminator, is a sci-fi action film directed by James Cameron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in the titular role. He's a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, the woman whose unborn son will become mankind's only hope. The Terminator is an epitome of cyberpunk films where super-computers dominate the planet and planning to exterminate humanity. Every sci-fi/action enthusiast should see this film on DVD or Blu-ray because additionally you get an access to plenty special features such as documentaries Unstoppable Force: The legacy of the Terminator and The Terminator: Closer to The Real Thing.

Videodrome is a sci-fi cyberpunk film written and directed by David Cronenberg and one of his most original and provocative works. The film stars rock star Deborah Harry as a kinky hostess, and James Woods as a cable programmer looking for the ultimate in viewing thrills. Videodrome is a strange sadistic television show and Max Renn, CEO of a small UHF television station, struggles to unearth the origins of the program, but on the way, he embarks on a hallucinatory journey into its shadow world. If you're a true sci-fi fan and not afraid of little gore, you should check out this film on DVD and Blu-ray. Videodrome has come to be regarded as one of the most influential and mind-bending science fiction films of the 1980s.

With story set in futuristic Tokyo, Tokyo Gore Police is one of the essential entries on the best Cyberpunk films list. It's a tale of a bloody war with genetically modified super-criminals known as the "engineers", and even though it received largely positive critic reviews, it may not be for everyone because it's been described as sick, twisted and full of gore. Ruka is a samurai sword wielding police officer who ruthlessly hunts and kills engineers, played by Eihi Shiina. Rent it on DVD to get a special two-disc edition with plenty of additional content including an interview with the director Yoshihiro Nishimura and Making of Tokyo Gore Police.

The Matrix is a sci-fi action film that put the Wachowskis truly on the map, as they both written and directed it. And amongst others, Keanu Reeves's career was never the same afterwards as Neo quickly became one of his most recognisable roles. The film itself depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside a simulated reality, the Matrix, created by thought-capable machines. It was followed by The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (both 2003).