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This is my Jellyfin Cyberpunk collection - need more

4mon 13d ago by piefed.social/u/perishthethought in cyberpunk@lemmy.zip from lemmy.zip

Hey, so this is the list of movies on my local media server which are tagged as "cyberpunk". I am looking for suggestions on more movies I should add to this list. Cheers,

ETA: Well, OK, this should keep me busy for a while. Thanks - y'all are amazing and awesome.

Altered Carbon S1

That series absolutely blew me away. Season 2 didn’t really compare so I just plan to watch season one once per year or so.

Considering I loved The Peripheral, this is for sure going on my list - thanks!

I'm still pissed that Amazon cancelled The Peripheral. I'm dying for Gibson to finish the book trilogy.

Hackers

This one from 1995, yeah?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers_(film)

That’s the one. It might be to literally cyber and punk but both are definitely in this film.

Is there any other?

Trying to avoid the already great recs, for varying levels of cyberpunk themes or aesthetics...

Movies

Gattaca 1997

Elysium 2013

Ex Machina 2015

TV

Almost Human

Cowboy Bebop (any)

Devs

Incorporated (highly recommend!)

Max Headroom

Cyberpunk Edgerunners

How do you not have Johnny Mnemonic?

and Mars Express

Fuck yeah. Just watched it last yra5. Was fricken great

Battle Angel Alita was a lot of fun. (Admittedly, I'm a sucker for good action sequences.)

Battle Angel Alita being the original anime, as opposed to Alita: Battle Angel which is the pseudo live action reimagining, which was also OK

Both are cyberpunk

The 1993 Gunnm OVA isn't that great tbh, rather watch the James Cameron adaptation. It covers mostly the same story, but it's paced better.

Here are a couple "cult" movies:

  • Hardware (1990) - not a "good" movie, but never boring and very worth watching. Great soundtrack, fun cameos, several interesting ideas.

  • Johnny Mnemonic (1995) - the best really bad cyberpunk movie. A very fun watch, if you're sufficiently protected from cringeing to death. Apparently there's a 2022 black and white cut that has a much better feel, but I've never seen it.

  • Videodrome (1983) - it's got lowlifes, it's got high tech (for that time and place), it's got urban dystopias, and it's got evil corporations. I'd argue it's "proto-cyberpunk". Irregardless, it's one of the best SF horror movies ever made. Yes, right up there with Alien, arguably better bc it has more to say about how technology mediates reality and bc it really gets in your head. Heh.

Johnny Mnemonic was the most like cp2020 movie I've seen.

Hardware looks good. Added to my list.

I've seen Johnny M (big Gibson fan) but not in black and white. I really didn't love it, from what I rememeber but seeing that might make it better?

Videodrome is great too. Haven't seen that in many years. Cheers,

Neuromancer is coming soon to Apple, it'll fit right in to that collection.

Not 100% sure it qualifies but i believe so, i enjoyed the dredd movie with carl urban and it has a very dystopian setting.

There is also an older one with stallone but i believe that one is more comedic.

E: also since you got blade runner in there i cant help myself and must suggest my favorite movie Alien, at least the first two. Supposedly they play in the same universe as blade runner

Dredd was good and deserved more attention, and a sequel, but Paul Leonard-Morgan's Dredd soundtrack was awesome.

Serious question - does the '93 Mario Brothers count?

If this is indeed a serious question, here's a post I made 2 years ago asking that very question. Fun discussion.

Thanks, I guess that settles it then!

Damm, that comment section is buzzing!

Oui

No cyberpunk collection is complete without Ghost in the shell (not the scar Jo one)

The OG film (1995), the sequel (GitS: Innocence - 2005) and the series Stand Alone Complex (2002-05) are all essentials in the genre.

And once you're done maybe go for GiTS SAC:2045 or GiTS:Arise. But they aren't that great. But films and OG SAC are a must.

Came here to recommend this as well. You beat me to it :p

Alright, I'm gonna watch the ScaJo one first then.

Because I have a feeling I'm not gonna like it after I watch the original, much like it's hard to appreciate a lot of movies once you've read the books they're based on, but if you see the movie first then it's fine (and the book is still great)

That's actually a valid approach. And ScarJo actually has a good acting just directors shit the bed in setting the tone.

It was a decent movie. I've not yet gotten around to watching the anime which I suspect will be better, but in isolation, I actually thought it was pretty good.

Yeah what you watch first changes your opinion a lot of times. It's like a caveman saw copper first thought it was shiny and kept it but it got rusty and Green but he still loved it when he found it new. Then he finds gold at some point and realises gold was superior shiny value all along. So better to learn about copper first so you can appreciate it and it's not diminished by obvious comparison.

However, for me when i saw the movie (I saw movie first anime later) , I thought it was one time watch. And I discarded watching GiTS because I thought anime would be similar. I only watched anime because some YouTuber went on and on about how that movie affected everything from wachowski brothers in matrix to battle angel Alita. And that's when I decided to give it go. And as I watched it, I regretted not seeing it sooner.

My point being it's all pointless, you enjoy what you think is nice. You watch what you want to watch. My recommendation is to watch anime, but I am sure there are people in the world that will find anime to be hot garbage.

Movie list pulled from the comments, hard to tell If I missed anything or if there is a question to them being cyberpunk adjacent enough

  • 964 Pinocchio (1991)
  • A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
  • A Scanner Darkly (2006)
  • Aeon Flux (2005)
  • Akira (1988)
  • Alien (1979)
  • Aliens (1986)
  • Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
  • Animatrix, The (2003)
  • Antiviral (2012)
  • Appleseed (2004)
  • Appleseed: Ex Machina (2007)
  • Appleseed XIII (2011)
  • Appleseed Alpha (2014)
  • Astro Boy (2009)
  • Avalon (2001)
  • Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm OVA) (1993)
  • Belle (2021)
  • Big Hero 6 (2014)
  • Blade Runner (1982)
  • Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
  • Brazil (1985)
  • Burst City (1982)
  • Chappie (2015)
  • Cherry 2000 (1987)
  • Crimes of the Future (2022)
  • Cutie Honey (2004)
  • Cyborg (1989)
  • Dark City (1998)
  • Demolition Man (1993)
  • District 9 (2009)
  • Dredd (2012)
  • Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
  • Electric Dragon 80.000 V (2001)
  • Elysium (2013)
  • Equilibrium (2002)
  • Escape from L.A. (1996)
  • Escape from New York (1981)
  • eXistenZ (1999)
  • Ex Machina (2015)
  • The Fifth Element (1997)
  • Free Guy (2021)
  • Freejack (1992)
  • Full Metal Yakuza (1997)
  • Futureworld (1976)
  • Gamer (2009)
  • Gattaca (1997)
  • Ghost in the Shell (1995)
  • Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)
  • Ghost in the Shell (2008)
  • Ghost in the Shell (2017)
  • Ghost in the Shell Arise - Border 1 Ghost Pain (2013)
  • Ghost in the Shell Arise - Border 2 Ghost Whispers (2013)
  • Ghost in the Shell Arise - Border 3 Ghost Tears (2014)
  • Ghost in the Shell Arise - Border 4 Ghost Stands Alone (2014)
  • Ghost in the Shell Arise - Border 5 Pyrophoric Cult (2015)
  • Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society (2006)
  • Guns Akimbo (2020)
  • Hackers (1995)
  • Hardware (1990)
  • Harrison Bergeron (1995)
  • In Time (2011)
  • Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
  • Judge Dredd (1995)
  • Mars Express (2023)
  • megazone23 (1985)
  • M3GAN (2022)
  • M3GAN 2.0 (2025)
  • Metropolis (1927)
  • Metropolis (2001, anime)
  • Minority Report (2002)
  • Morgan (2016)
  • Mute (2018)
  • Nemesis (1992)
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997)
  • Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007)
  • Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)
  • Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012)
  • Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
  • Nova Seed (2016)
  • Outland (1981)
  • Pacific Rim (2013)
  • Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
  • Possessor (2020)
  • Ready Player One (2018)
  • Real Steel (2011)
  • Repo Men (2010)
  • Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
  • Robocop (1987)
  • Robocop 2 (1990)
  • Robocop 3 (1993)
  • Rollerball (1975)
  • Rubber’s Lover (1996)
  • Save the Green Planet! (2003)
  • Sneakers (1992)
  • Soldier (1998)
  • Space Sweepers (2021)
  • Space Truckers (1996)
  • Split Second (1992)
  • Strange Days (1995)
  • Surrogates (2009)
  • The Creator (2023)
  • The Electric State (2025)
  • The Lawnmower Man (1992)
  • The Matrix (1999)
  • The Net (1995)
  • The Sixth Day (2000)
  • The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
  • THX 1138 (1971)
  • Timecop (1994)
  • Tokio Gore Police (2008)
  • Total Recall (1990)
  • Total Recall (2012)
  • TRON (1982)
  • TRON: Legacy (2010)
  • TRON: Ares (2025)
  • Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
  • Upgrade (2018)
  • Videodrome (1983)
  • Virtuosity (1995)
  • WALL·E (2008)
  • Westworld (1973)

The majority of these that I've seen I disagree with. M3GAN is cyberpunk? Nah get outta here

Are we getting to a point that people think cyberpunk as the same as sci-fi? Because that is what this lists looks like. A lot of just sci-fi that is not even close to be cyberpunk.

Few things on the list hit 100% of the core tenants; it really depends on how strict you're looking to be.

Corporate tech hubris: a company rushes an AI product to market, ignores ethics, and treats safety as a PR problem.

AI autonomy and loss of control: M3GAN crossing from tool to actor is a classic question about agency.

Tech replacing human relationships: the doll as a surrogate caregiver fits neatly into the anxiety about mediated humanity.

It probably only hits half the criteria, but in a numbers game, there's a lot there that's celebrated as Cyberpunk that fails as many checks.

In all, I was looking to capture the contents strewn about, not make a judgment call on what stays. I fugure if people don't want parts, they can easily just not use that part of the list.

I feel that people think about the high tech and forget about the low life.

That's fair, but it's also worth noting that some of the absolute classics like the original Ghost in the Shell also forgo that one.

Over the last couple decades cyberpunk kinda infiltrated mainstream science fiction - it's hard to find scifi without at least a few cyberpunk elements these days. To the point that making something that checks all the boxes or avoids them all both seem to be a very deliberate choice now. It can make drawing a line around the genre kinda difficult.

I totally agree with elements of a art genre being used and becoming popular and all. I guess that is in part how new genres form. And that no work is "true" 100% in a genre otherwise it would be just more of the same and all that. I just feel that there is a line, a feel to say that this work core genre/vibes is cyberpunk instead of having cyberpunk elements. And for sure there are works that defy having a core genre at all and is really a blend of genres or its own thing.

I just want to push back slightly, in my opinion, about Ghost in the shell forgoing the low life. I think it is not the main aspect and main theme but I think it shows it in the aesthetic of the city and some characters like the garbage truck driver. I feel if it had no low-life aspects the profession of garbage management would look different.

You absolute legend! Amazing! Thank you

I'd like to chime in here and add that just about everything I could possibly think of is on that list.

Okay, maybe Megazone23 if you're into classic anime with great animation and b-tier plots. There's probably a lot more in that genre.

I'd also like to give Avalon a shout since I think it's underrated, and kind of a unique film.

added megazone23

Megazone23 is the reason I'm not allowed to choose movies/shows for TV and takeout night with friends anymore. What a weird, stupid, amazing mess. 100% worth it.

a weird, stupid, amazing mess. 100% worth it.

No notes.

Absolutely, a spot-on assessment. If you haven't put that review on IMDB, you should.

I'm doing the same thing you are, truing up my own stuff. Figured sharing the list might be helpful.

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

added

My favorites I don’t see!

Strange Days A Scanner Darkly Tetsuo: The Iron Man

Campy ones, if you’re into that: Space Truckers Cherry 2000 964 Pinocchio Nemesis

1992 - sneakers

1975 - rollerball

1982 - TRON

2002 - equilibrium

1989 - cyborg

1994 - timecop

2015 - chappie

1995 - 12 monkeys

1992 - the lawnmower man

2002 - minority report

Hmmm, so I have Tron, 12 Monkeys and Chappie but Jellyfin didn't tag them as Cyberpunk. (They all are though)

I've seen Rollerball (Jon-a-thon!) and the Lawnmower Man. I will have to check out the rest.

heres the thing with 12 monkeys. every time I hear the title the 2 princesses song goes through my head.

If you have Escape From New York, you should also have Escape From LA.

Upgrade (2018)

Oooh, interesting. Added to my list, thanks!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upgrade_(film)

Does Equilibrium count as Cyberpunk?

Terminator

Metropolis

Came here to mention Metropolis. Both the original black-and-white 1927 film and the 2001 anime remake film.

Yah, seen that too. Agree, it set the bar high.

https://piefed.social/c/fullmoviesonyoutube/p/1642470/metropolis-1927-1080p-silent-w-music

Minority Report and the Sixth Day

I'd definitely recommend adding Space Sweepers for something fun and upbeat (for cyberpunk).

For a scifi horror with more cyberpunk elements than you might expect, I'd suggest Morgan (2016).

Soldier (1998) might be too much of a stretch but it's got a lot of the elements (minus an evil corporation) and it's a solid film.

Edit: I forgot Outland! It's great, plot is basic but works, actors are fun (it's got Sean Connery) and the aesthetics/sets are prime Alien/Aliens territory. I think of it as being set in the Aliens universe.

Snow Crash once someone makes it

Snowcrash (brought to you by Meta)

Yes.

And Neuromancer (goddammit).

Honey, we have Neuromancer at home. ::holds up copy of Johnny Mnemonic::

I want it too, but there's no need. Johnny Mnemonic was the original short-story template for Neuromancer, and fits into a feature-length film just fine. Campyness be damned - I love that movie. Meanwhile, Neuromancer would need a miniseries to do it justice. And we're "people living in orbit" and "AGI" away from being inside that book.

Plus it's permanently stuck in development hell, so we'll probably never get one.

Don't see Johnny Mnemonic

Judge Dread (there are several)

Demolition Man

The Keith Urban "Dredd" is so good

I don't think I'd call Dark City really cyberpunk. I don't know what you'd call it. Retro-1940s but in a sci-fi environment?

checks Wikipedia

Wikipedia calls it "neo-noir".

It's part of a wave of tech noir movies that came out of the late 90s, along with e.g. Gattaca, The Matrix, Strange Days, eXistenZ, 12 Monkeys... I'll also count The Thirteenth Floor, even though it's an adaptation of a 1964 novel that had already been adapted in the 70s (and very well, for that matter).

(One addendum: The Matrix feels slightly out of place but that's because it brought more action and innovative special effects to the mix and ended up all but ending the genre as audiences demanded more of that now.)

Those movies were good watchin'.

Strange Days (1995). The main premise is cyberpunk as fuck, the story gets real dark and it stars Ralph Fiennes playing what is essentially a brain dance dealer. Great film.

Ghost in the shell both the original movie and the first two seasons of the of og anime are both classic cyberpunk media

Well OP you could literally watch the Cyberpunk series that Netflix put out.

It's really good. Great soundtrack

Equilibrium

Aeon Flux, you gotta get the animated series though!

I’ll endorse Hackers also, very heavy with style

The 1991 animated series?

Exactly!

I scrolled pretty far and didn't see Duncan Jones's Mute. Very strong cyberpunk aesthetics, and a great story.

Equilibrium

1995 The Net

Solid list OP. I didn't watch the peripheral, gonna check it out.

I know everyone recommended a bunch of movies, if you want my take, looking at the compilation list someone posted, from that list if I had to recommend just one cyberpunk movie it would be The original Ghost in the shell (1995)

And now I am questioning what cyberpunk is? I think I had a firm grasp on what it is but now I am not sure because I don't know if The matrix really checks that many boxes, there are no corporations and like poverty. There are people living in dare situations but it is more like in a post apocalypse way.

Anyway, cheers o/

Here's some quick possible additions off the top of my head: Minority Report, Strange Days, Ghost in the Shell.

Ghost in the shell

If good is not a requirement go get Freejack.

"Mars express", "Ghost in the shell", and "Alita"; Brazil is a classic; The most recent Dredd movie is a lot of fun. I like Existence tho it veers more into "biopunk" if you make those distinctions. "Tetsuo the iron man" Is probably my favorite cyberpunk movie; It also has one of the best industrial soundtracks ever made. "Elysium" and "District 9" were very high regarded at the time. Brandon Cronenberg's movies are also pretty rad as well. More subdued but they easily get under your skin. I really love "antiviral" and "possessor" ; again like daddy Cronenberg they tend to veer into biopunk territory.

I'd add "Tokio gore police."; "Full metal yakuza" and "Electric Dragon 80.000 V" from some good ol' Japanese craziness.

Great list, thanks. I get freaked out by Existenz, so good.

I love Blomkamp's films, not sure why they're not tagged as cyberpunk in Jellyfin but I can fix that.

I will check out the rest.

Possessor is one of my all time faves. Brimming with fun sci-fi ideas, amazing performances, terrifying, brilliant

Johnny Mnemonic

Ghost in the Shell

Elysium

A bit of a stretch for cyberpunk, but Alphaville (1965) is awesome (and has lemmy in it's alternative tilte).

Also THX 1138 (1971)

Metropolis (2001)

The aestethics of the future was more interesting than the story plus the show was cancelled after one season that ended on a cliff hanger.

^^^ This. But I still like it a lot.

F those network people for saying they would make season 2 and then bailing on it.

Yeah I was disappointed. It felt like it hadnt truly started yet.

Kinda sucked that they didn't continue it. But then again, the book is better and complete.

It was ok. Not nearly as good as the book though.

So so good

I think Cyber City Oedo 808 hasn't been mentioned yet

Upgrade 2008

Good choice including The Matrix.

Too bad they never made any sequels.

Yes, a shame.

Here are my cyberpunk categories on my Plex server, for both movies and TV shows. Please let me know if you think I should edit any of these; I was a little loose in my definition of "cyberpunk" for some of these.

Movies:

TV Shows:

EDIT: My library is in alphabetical order, except where a series of related films or TV shows pop up; then they're sorted in viewing order by a common name. That's why some of these aren't in alphabetical order. Like Futureworld on the movie list, which is a sequel to Westworld, so it's at the end of the list.

Blade runner: Black Lotus?

Hardware

Nice I have over 160 so far on my server. But yours is impressive list.

So many titles here to add to my library...

Going for 6000 titles now

Yo, a new episode of Costco Fahrenheit just came out on YouTube! Honestly the best cyberpunk I've seen in a while.

pretty good community list so far

adding

the creator save the green planet a scanner darkly split second

Well timed post. I was about to start a collection myself and have a great list ready now. The Bubblegum Crisis etc stuff is really good, awesome cyberpunk vibe