5 I.T. Films

 I had no idea until recently that there is such thing as National IT Professionals Day, a day meant to celebrate IT professionals who keep the world running. It's hard to keep up with these random days but it comes from a good place so I'm cool with it. I work in IT as a desktop support manager, so I figured why not use this holiday to highlight some films that focus on the I.T. industry.

5. Sneakers

I will give this film a great deal of credit for being ahead of the curve, focusing on IT and computer hacking well before it became the juggernaut on the world it is now. Released in 1992 this thriller has an all-star cast Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford, Dan Akyrod, Ben Kingsley, and River Phoenix.

The film follows a team of hackers and pentesters hired to retrieve a mysterious black box, and clear one of the members name. Well the team gets more than they bargained for with the black box. It's a mix between a thriller and crime caper with some computer geek stuff mixed in.

4. Antitrust

This 2001 film stars Ryan Phillippe, Rachel Leigh Cook, and Tim Robbins. Phillippe leads the film as a young programmer who lands a dream job at a major software company. Slowly but surely he learns the job, and the life around him is a very dark place.

It's a very thin satire wrapped in a drama of the big companies like Microsoft, Oracle, Apple, and Google. As well as their tech geek ceo's. How they crush the little man as new products are invented and the cost that comes with it. You'll notice the similarities soon as the movie starts.

The movie is currently available on Tubi.

3. SwordFish

SwordFish as a movie is kind of all over the place, and more known for Halle Berry's topless scene than anything else. This 2001 film stars Hugh Jackman as a hacker, blackmailed by John Travolta's corrupt federal agent. Who plans to hack government systems, steal funds and use ut to support his criminal and terrorist efforts. Meanwhile there's a game of cat and mouse going on with other law enforcement agencies on his tail.

 The plot is a little too overly complicated, and the Matrix influenced action scenes are a bit much for a film supposedly set in reality. Truthfully it's an mindless yet ambitious action film that as I mentioned is a little all over the place.

2. The Net

1995's The Net starring Sandra Bullock, is probably one of the first popular 90's movies that focused on the internet. Sandra Bullock is a recluse systems analyst who gets tangled up in some stuff she wants nothing to do with. When a floppy disk from a connect with details of some government big corporation quarrel. Is sent her way, she soon finds her life upside down and her on the run.

It's by no means a masterpiece. It is however a good moment in time film, of just how strong the internet was back then during its infancy. And how computer systems were ingrained and could change our world within a finger snap.

The Net is currently on Tubi.

1. Pirates of Silicon Valley

Don't be misled by the title of the film, there is no action with pirates involved. Instead this 1999 TV-movie that originally aired on TNT, should be a prerequisite viewing for any IT related major these days. It stars Anthony Michael Hall and Noah Wylie, respectively playing Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

Showing both men's journies as they developed and built Microsoft and Apple. Showing their grit and determination, as well their trials and tribulations. Being a TV movie its no more than 90 minutes, and it doesn't go too deep into both men's quirks. If you like learning about start ups before they were called it, and how to push forward on a "grand" idea. Watch it!