Director: Iain Softley
Screenplay: Rafael Moreu
Starring: Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford, Matthew Lillard, Laurence Mason, Renoly Santiago, Fisher Stevens, Wendell Pierce
Country: USA
Running Time: 105 min
Year: 1995
BBFC Certificate: 12
“Hack The Planet!”
When Hackers (1995, Dir. Iain Softley) was first released, it wasn’t seen as a classic in the making. Reviewers at the time didn’t know what to make of the relatively new ‘internet hacker’ subculture, or whether audiences should even care about it. Now, 30 years on, Hackers has been given a new lease of life by 88 Films with a high-quality 4K deluxe set.
Hackers centres on the exploits of Jonny Lee Miller’s Dade “Crash Override” Murphy, a teenage hacker who, alongside Angelina Jolie’s Kate “Acid Burn” Libby and Matthew Lillard’s “Cereal Killer,” becomes embroiled in a plot to hack and extort money from a large oil company. Along the way, they must face off against FBI agent Richard Gill (Wendell Pierce) and the company’s in-house hacker, Eugene “The Plague” Belford, played with full pantomime energy by Fisher Stevens.
Director Iain Softley’s debut film, Backbeat, explored the rise of the rock and roll generation, following The Beatles during their early days in Hamburg. Via the extra features on this new disc, we learn that Softley sees Hackers as a companion piece—except instead of capturing a well-established subculture, he wanted to explore one that was brand new and rapidly evolving. The key challenge, however, was the visual appeal: a rock gig offers built-in spectacle, whereas watching someone sit at a computer does not.
Softley’s solution is to make this world cinematic, filled with community and relationships. We get vast neon-lit server rooms, high-octane rollerblade chases, police raids, hidden floppy discs, and a burgeoning “will-they-won’t-they” romance between Crash Override and Acid Burn. Add in the fantastically cool costumes by Roger Burton and a soundtrack featuring The Prodigy, and the result is a film so vibrant and alive it’s hard to take your eyes off the screen.
That said, the film is not without detractors. If you’re looking for an in-depth or realistic exploration of hacking culture in the 1990s, this isn’t the film for you. Its fantasy elements often feel closer to a swords-and-sandals epic from the 1980s—just with a techno edge—which may cause some to wince. Subtlety is not a word I’d use to describe this film. But for me, I love the excess with which it assaults the senses, and how invested I became in the characters, no matter the goofy comedy or slightly dated effects.
‘Hackers’, like ‘Scream’ and ‘Clueless’, is a film that perfectly captures the energy of a new generation of teens. If the 1960s marked the ‘birth’ of the teenager, the 1990s represented its domination.
Film: 
Hackers is out now on UHD and Blu-ray, courtesy of 88 Films. The new 4K restoration and Dolby Atmos upgrade from 88 Films make this release well worth the price of admission.
Special Features
– Brand new 4K remaster from the original negatives presented in Ultra High Definition (2160P) in 2.35:1 aspect ratio
– Presented in Dolby vision high dynamic range (HDR10 compatible)
– High definition (1080P) Blu-ray (TM) in 2.35:1 aspect ratio also included
– English Dolby Atmos Audio
– English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
– English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
– Optional English Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
– Audio Commentary by Director Iain Softley and Film Critic Mark Kermode
– The Keyboard Cowboys: A Look Back At Hackers – Brand-New Interviews With Director Iain Softley, Cast Members Fisher Stevens, Matthew Lillard And Penn Jillette, Costume Designer Roger Burton, Visual Effects Artist Peter Chiang, And More!
– Original Trailer
– The deluxe edition also includes a double sided poster and a set of postcards.
The audio Commentary by Director Iain Softley and Film Critic Mark Kermode is a lively and very informative conversation between friends. Kermode is a longtime champion of the film and gets the best out of Softley.
The Keyboard Cowboys: A Look Back At Hackers is a fantastic and thorough appreciation of the film with insight from the filmmakers, cast and also we get interviews with the hackers who provided the inspiration for our wacky cast of characters. This was originally produced for the films 20th Anniversary.
Disc/Package: 