5 Best Cyberpunk Movies Ever Made, Ranked

There are so many subgenres of science fiction to dive into, but one that is at greater risk than ever of becoming a reality is cyberpunk. Powered by authors like Philip K. Dick and Roger Zelazny, this corner of science fiction posited worlds where consumerism was king, artificial intelligence was well established, and human enhancement was a way of the hardwired world. This venture into a different kind of imperfect future is what's sparked some of the most beloved stories in popular culture. 

We've put together five essential films that perfectly capture the cyberpunk genre. From heroes being helped and hindered by technological advancement to renowned sci-fi films that have us questioning our own humanity, these absolute classics have stood the test of time and, given the way we're going, could end up being seen more like documentaries than fictional tales. Take a peek at what we've picked for those that fit the bill, and the daring directors that thought they could handle this technologically-infused terrain and come out with absolute bangers on the other side. 

A BGR favorite around these parts, "Strange Days" is an immensely underrated cyberpunk movie from director Kathryn Bigelow and written by James Cameron. If that's not enough to sign you up for it, it also stars Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett, soaking up the screen with pure charisma in a futuristic hellhole of a world that's obsessed with a brand new drug. Fiennes plays black-market wheeler-dealer Lenny Nero, who specializes in selling SQUID, a device that lets users revisit memories with such realism that it's almost as if they're reliving the experience all over again. Nero faces a major comedown, though, when he comes across a SQUID that contains the memory of a murder that those involved understandably want to keep under wraps. This sparks a brilliantly tense cat-and-mouse chase, with Nero pulling his friend Mace Mason (Bassett) along for the ride.

Now over 30 years old, "Strange Days" is perhaps more relevant than ever, with the film playing with point of view and first-hand experiences that are accessible to anyone for the right price. The copious number of POV shots hints at the world we live in now, where livestreams are shown by those releasing them, and the rest of us are addicted to what's on show. This is a film that was really ahead of its time, which is perhaps why it only began to receive the recognition it absolutely deserved in the years that followed.

Now widely regarded as an unofficial "Venom" movie done right, Leigh Whannell's "Upgrade" is an exceptionally violent, brilliantly shot cyberpunk film that draws on some of the greats. In the not-too-distant future, Logan Marshall-Green plays Grey Trace, a technophobe whose life is shattered when his wife is murdered and he's left paralyzed. Fortunately, thanks to a highly advanced microchip called STEM, he gets back on his feet and, more importantly, STEM takes control of Trace, turning him into a lethal killing machine. Unfortunately, as more bodies pile up and justice seems to be served, the STEM chip gains more control of Trace's body, sparking an internal battle between man and machine.

Landing somewhere between "John Wick" and "Robocop," "Upgrade" makes for an impressively brutal sci-fi action movie that's smart in its execution of some incredible set pieces. Thanks to cinematographer Stefan Duscio, the camera swings around a scene in line with every punch, kick, and bone-bending move that it can. Additionally, there are hardwired henchmen with their own toolkit that smoothly nudge the film into cyberpunk territory in a budget-friendly project where every cent is up there on screen. This is a world that feels simple and solid, led by a great performance from Marshall-Green. If you've still not seen it, get on "Upgrade" and ask yourself how we've had three "Venom" movies and not a single sequel to this absolute gem.

By 1988, when Katsuhiro Otomo adapted his manga "Akira" into an anime, fans had already set foot in the world of Neo Tokyo. The rest of the world simply wasn't ready for what was in store. From the moment his adaptation of his own work fires up, it's easy to get hypnotized by the towering city and the light show unfolding during the high-speed bike chase that would make the film immortal, and by a skid that would be replicated in popular culture for decades.

"Akira" remains one of the great cyberpunk movies because of its density. Neo-Tokyo, for all its high-speed and momentum that's felt through the Capsules' high-speed chase with the Clowns, still feels as overpopulated as you'd expect a city of this magnitude to become. The hustle and bustle of a world that's been overpowered by technology and corporate greed is felt, and that's all before Tetsuo Shima gets snatched up and becomes the most terrifying force on the planet.

The finale remains one of the most harrowing third acts in animation, as Kaneda fights his friend to the death, or until he becomes a giant organic mass that can't be stopped. It's arguably this moment, and so many others in Otomo's gripping story, that feel impossible to tell in any other medium, which explains why the lengthy battle to bring it to live action has failed. Honestly, though, with a film that still looks this incredible, why would you need to?

There was before bullet time and after bullet time. That's the game-changing impact that the Wachowskis made on the world when they told us we weren't living in a real one, thanks to "The Matrix." Long before he became the Baba Yaga, Keanu Reeves became the bullet-dodging savior of the human race when it's revealed to him that machines have become the dominant force on the planet, reverting civilization to nothing but living batteries. The only means to save us is kung-fu, leather outfits, and guns, but we can't remember how many he asks for.

Even with all the firepower it might be packing, the brilliance of "The Matrix" lies in the lore and the terrifying, technologically charged landscape built in the first film. While The Matrix is a green-tinted facade of fast-moving fight scenes and a catwalk for high-end sunglasses, the real world is an absolute hellhole and remains one of the darkest universes ever brought to life. One that's covered by dark skies and tentacled robots that are after anyone with a pulse. Then there's the method by which we're transported from one domain to the other. Neo (Reeves) and a handful of the resistance fighters don't step onto the battlefield but are instead uploaded into it, and it all feels tactile in a way only great science fiction films can. Say what you will about the sequels, but "The Matrix" remains one of the best cyberpunk stories of our time that still makes us go, "Whoa."

Some things are lost like tears in rain, but let's be glad that after 44 years, "Blade Runner" hasn't been one of them. Ridley Scott's adaptation of Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" was a misfit upon release, with critics and audiences unsure how to make sense of a film that had a lot to say about humanity. Thankfully, over time, sci-fi fans learned to love and admire this masterpiece for what it was, even leading to a sequel decades later that has gained just as much notoriety.

Admittedly, some might argue that "Blade Runner 2049" improves upon the original and the world it bridges, but that's a debate for another time. Instead, Scott's initial sci-fi story must be acknowledged for what it delivered the first time around. Through its neon-drenched, congested streets and everything from light-up umbrellas to oversized, highly advanced billboards, Scott gave us a glimpse of a world we're careening toward now more than ever, populated by beings that are more human than human.

This grime-riddled city isn't entirely Scott and Dick's creation, either. The director looked to the incredible artwork of comic book creator Moebius to create the Los Angeles of tomorrow in the year (ahem) 2019, and, in doing so, proved that other films could do the same. No matter which other cyberpunk stories get brought to life, though, it's hard not to see that down their dilapidated dark alleys and flying cars, "Blade Runner" cuts through them all and leaves lasting marks that never fade.