Best Movies about Tech and Coding to Watch During Quarantine

So you’ve finished Tiger King and you’re still not out of quarantine. What next? I’d like to recommend these six movies for your video-watching queue:

1. War Games

That’s right, we’re going to start with a classic. Released in 1983, this sci-fi thriller follows David Lightman (a young Matthew Broderick) as he hacks into a Military Supercomputer and answers the seemingly innocuous question, “Shall we play a game?”

I love this movie because of the simple nostalgia of it all. A dial-up modem, computer systems with back-door passwords, corporations that leave root user access in production systems . . . wait, that last one isn’t so nostalgic after all.

2. Tron Legacy

Before you leave, hear me out. With the proliferation of Virtual Reality devices, even Augmented Reality to some extent, the idea that we could enter a digital world is becoming more and more real. Additionally, the ramifications for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are clearly on display with Tron and Clu.

I love this movie because it lets me wonder, “What if?” What if we could enter a fully digital space? What is a computer algorithm became so advanced and self-aware that it attempted to act outside its programmer’s original intentions?

3. The Internship

Released in 2013, this film is firmly rooted in the post-2007 financial crash world. Given the current circumstances, many, if not most of the concepts still apply today. We follow Billy and Nick, individuals looking for jobs and finding they lack the skills to be competitive in today’s world. Until they land unexpected internships at Google.

I like this movie because it appeals to me on a personal level: re-tooling and always being willing to learn is a life skill that is absolutely necessary in today’s world. Additionally, the emphasis on personal skills and E.Q. as an integral part to software development also fits in my view of the the software industry.

4. The Social Network

You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies. The Social Network takes a semi-biographical look at the rise of Facebook. Written by Aaron Sorkin, the verbal repartee is top notch and Jesse Eisenberg plays a legitimately convincing Mark Zuckerberg.

I like this movie because despite the current demagoguery that pervades Facebook and the departure of its users for other sites, there is still value in trying to understand the first, real social network. Things like MySpace and Xanga existed, sure. But you never saw your mom or grandma hopping on there to share pictures of their dogs. It’s also a cautionary tale that what we are, we are. And no amount of money, power, or fame is going to change that.

5. Pirates of Silicon Valley

This made-for-tv movie takes a look at a young Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as they work to build the empires that would become Microsoft and Apple. There no new information here, especially if you’ve read Steve Job’s biography by Walter Isaacson, but it’s a fun representation of those series of events.

I like it because it tries to personify the startup founders’ personalities in fairly accurate manner (based on verified reports). And it lets me imagine what could be possible. Is there room in this world for another big startup? Possibly.

6. You’ve Got Mail

Alright, so this is kind of a throwaway since it’s a Romantic Comedy and doesn’t really have anything to do with software engineering, per se. But this 1998 classic features Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as two people, meant to be together, if only their online lives could intersect with their real worlds.

I like this movie for several reasons. First is that it takes me back (again) to a time of dial-up internet connections and less-than-instantaneous communication. Second, it makes me wonder if we’re really better off in a post-Google world. NY152? Really? How did she not just google that screen name and immediately find his Twitter feed, his Instagram posts, and know she was chatting up her arch-nemesis? Well, kids, that’s how it used to be.

Bonus: Silicon Valley (TV Series)

Not a movie, but with six seasons, it’s got plenty to occupy your time. This series is one of the most accurate, satirical representations of the tech industry that I’ve found and accurately portrays the pitfalls of chasing the startup dream.

I like this show because it makes me laugh. And it makes me cry. And because at the end of the day, the only way not to cry is to laugh at the absurdity of things like Tethics, and venture capitalists.