A Collection of Films and Shows for Programmers to Watch at Home

At these difficult times, it is okay to be bored and lonely. I have compiled a list of films and TV shows I think will be interesting for software developers. I have to say that these are not sorted/rated in any way other than the order I came up with them. Enjoy!

1. Hackers (1995)

Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller in Hackers (1995)

Famous for being completely inaccurate, it is still worthy to watch. You will be amused by the ways the producers portray the hackers of late 20-th century and be pleased with the aesthetics of 1990s computing.

2. The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

This film deals with virtual reality (which is finally catching up). It raises many ethical and moral questions that are becoming more and more important.

3. Silicon Valley (2014)

Silicon Valley (2014)

This is a TV show that follows the story of Richard Hendricks and his startup, Pied Piper. This show highlights all the hilarious stereotypes of the startup scene and will amuse you with its characters. It also features a lot of cameos by famous Silicon Valley residents.

4. The Social Network (2010)

Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network (2010)

This is a semi-documentary about Mark Zuckerberg and his path to success. Watch it to learn how the platform that sells your private data came to life.

5. Tron (1982) / Tron Legacy (2010)

TRON (1982)

Yet another film about virtual reality, but with its own spin. It follows the main character as he accidentally gets trapped inside a computer system, ruled by titanic programs. Also worth noting that the film holds a Guinness record for the first-ever use of computer animation in a film.

6. Citizenfour (2014)

Citizenfour (2014)

This documentary on Edward Snowden and his revelations about government surveillance is a must-watch for any privacy-conscious person.

7. DEFCON (2013)

DEFCON: The Documentary (2013)

This is another documentary, about the DEFCON conference. DEFCON is a global conference for hackers and alike. It was never filmed, but for this documentary, the organizers made an exception.

8. Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)

Anthony Michael Hall and Noah Wyle in Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)

This semi-documentary tells the joint story of Apple and Microsoft. A must-watch for everyone curious about the history of mass computing.

9. Dark Net (2016)

Dark Net (2016)

This is a documentary TV show on the hidden parts of the internet. Be careful as this introduces to parts of the internet you might not want to be introduced to.

10. Mr. Robot (2015)

Mr. Robot (2015)

This TV show is about a young hacker that attempts to take down the corrupt corporation (read: government) he works for.

I hope these will help you get through these tough times. Let me know in the comments what are you watching!

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