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Netflix is not short of movies that depict the terrifying phenomenon of cyberattack. Be it an individual, a big organization, or even a whole country — a cyberattack can potentially bring down any entity it wants to unless stopped on time.
Movies on Netflix like The Takeover, and Leave the World Behind, among others, show the various ways in which electronic devices can turn into a nightmare due to a cyberattack. The villains in most of these stories are ill-intentioned hackers who seek to have their way using codes and programs.
The following is a list of 5 movies available on Netflix that portray the horror that is a cyberattack.
5 chilling cyberattack movies on Netflix
1) Leave the World Behind
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Written and directed by Sam Esmail (creator of Mr. Robot) and based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam, this 2023 movie on Netflix features a stellar cast that includes Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la Herrold, and Kevin Bacon, among others.
The synopsis of the film reads:
“A family's getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices — and two strangers appear at their door.”
This apocalyptic thriller delves into what could possibly happen if an entire country fell victim to a cyberattack. Amanda (Julia Roberts), G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali), and Clay Sandford (Ethan Hawke) discover that a huge conspiracy against America is afoot, and the ensuing cyberattack is a means of bringing any sort of normal life in the country to a halt.
Leave the World Behind does not shy away from showing cyberattacks on a large scale. In the film, it is not just the televisions or the phones that are rendered useless but entire satellites are made defunct as a result of the terrorist hack. The movie’s depiction of the attack is total and pessimistic.
2) The Net
This Sandra Bullock starrer is one of the several films from the 90s that dealt with the theme of cyberattacks. Released in 1995, the synopsis of the film on Netflix reads:
“A computer analyst becomes a target after she stumbles onto a conspiracy via a mysterious floppy disk, forcing her to go on the run to clear her name.”
Bullock plays Angela Bennett, a systems analyst. The movie shows how the protagonist’s life is deeply linked with the internet and computer, since most of her relationships, and day-to-day interactions, happen on the internet.
One day, Bennett finds that due to a computer hack, all details pertaining to her life have been erased. A lengthy battle for retrieval begins that vividly exposes the seriousness of the threat of cyberattacks. This movie on Netflix is full of twists and turns.
3) iBoy
The inclusion of this 2017 film, available on and distributed by Netflix, on this list is perhaps surprising. While the movie does not exactly show a cyberattack, it shows in detail what feats someone with access to and control over the technicalities of the digital world could potentially perform.
The synopsis of the film reads:
“When shards of a cell phone get lodged in a teenager's brain, he discovers he can control electronic devices and uses his newfound power for revenge.”
Tom Harvey (Bill Milner) is turned into something of a cyborg after a tragic incident that causes parts of a cell phone to get stuck in his brain. The movie shows how he can now use the working of a cell phone to his advantage, in order to take revenge.
iBoy depicts how someone whose cognitive faculties are enhanced by a deep understanding of the digital world can turn into a powerful entity. Most hackers who bring about cyberattacks are such people.
4) Blackhat
Stakes are high in this 2015 action thriller directed by Michael Mann and available for streaming on Netflix. Fates of several countries are put in jeopardy as a notorious hacker causes several high-level disturbances in China, and the USA, and plans to do the same in Malaysia.
The synopsis of the film on Netflix reads:
“In exchange for his freedom, an imprisoned hacker agrees to help government agents track down the terrorist behind an explosion at a nuclear power plant.”
Chris Hemsworth plays Nicholas Hathaway in the movie. He is a convicted hacker who is brought out of prison in order to track down another hacker who has caused chaos on the international level with his shrewdly mounted cyberattacks.
As much of the movie is about chasing down the mysterious and malicious hacker, the viewer is made to see the far-reaching consequences cyberattacks may have not only on their personal life but on the global scene as well.
5) The Takeover
This 2022 Dutch film is directed by Annemarie van de Mond, and stars Holly Mae Brood, Géza Weisz, and Frank Lammers, among others. The synopsis on Netflix reads:
"Framed for murder after uncovering a privacy scandal, an ethical hacker must evade the police while trying to track down the criminals blackmailing her."
This thriller explores the personal effects that cyberattacks have on its victims. The protagonist, Mel Bandison, is a tech expert. But she is also an ethical hacker. She is employed by the company Rotramax to do a check-up on the software for their self-driving bus and in the process happens to take down an international criminal organisation.
Things take a grim turn when she finds herself framed for the murder of a person. Clearly, the hackers she attacked did not back down. She then has to take the help of Thomas to free herself from this web of lies and deceit.
All of these movies about cyberattacks are available on Netflix.
