HACKERS (1995)

3 stars

88 Films. UHD and Blu ray. 22nd September

Seattle 1988: A hacker calling himself ‘Zero Cool’ has created a computer virus that has crashed lots of systems including Wall Street – caught by the authorities, he turns out to be a pre teen youngster called Dade, who, as part of his punishment isn’t allowed near a computer…

Seven years later. He is all grown up and now played by Jonny Lee Miller and is moving to New York with his Mum. It is soon clear he is still using his skills for nefarious deeds – he manages to get into the system of a TV station and makes it broadcast ‘The Outer Limits’, but then he is hacked back by someone calling themselves Acid Burn – and it doesn’t take a genius to work out they will later be revealed as being Angelina Jolie’s character Kate, who Dade soon meets at his new school.

Dade, who now calls himself Crash Override, inevitably becomes part of a group of computer geeks – Phreak (Renoly Santiago), Cereal Killer (a hyper Matthew Lillard), Paul ‘Lord Nikon’ Cook (Laurence Mason, called Nikon because he has a photographic memory and one of the references that has dated somewhat) and young neophyte hacker Joey Pardella (Jesse Bradford) who still needs a handle plus Kate, with whom Dade has an uneasy, combative relationship at first.

Joey is desperate to impress the other members of the group and decides to try and hack the ‘Gibson’ supercomputer (named after cyberpunk author William Gibson) at Ellingson Mineral Corporation. Unfortunately for him, his intrusion is detected by Hal (Penn Jilette of magician duo Penn and Teller) who contacts The Plague (Fisher Stevens, in ultra annoying mode), a former hacker who now works in cyber security and turns up on his skateboard – you know, because he’s cool (he isn’t)!

Joey ends up arrested, but not before he has hidden a disc containing an important file – can his friends do anything to prove his innocence (what do you think) and what is The Plague really up to behind the scenes? We are soon deep into lots of computer speak and tapping on keyboards, with whizzy graphics representing files zooming around.

HACKERS has a certain air of nostalgia about it and it’s actually a fun thriller – though I suspect the depiction of the hacking community probably wasn’t relevant even when the film came out. Of course it looks dated, it probably did in 1995. That being said, some of the graphics actually still look good today – as they were created with models rather than CG – as the pumping techno score moves the action on. It might be a touch corny but Iain Softley directs with some style. Jolie and Lee Miller married shortly after appearing in the film (in case you were interested).

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Audio Commentary by Director Iain Softley and Film Critic Mark Kermode

The Keyboard Cowboys: A Look Back At Hackers – a bunch of new interviews – Director Iain Softley, cast members Fisher Stevens, Matthew Lillard and Penn Jillette, Costume Designer Roger Burton, Visual Effects Artist Peter Chiang and others

Original Trailer

Plus double sided poster, postcards and O Ring with fab art by Sean Longmore