Hackers (1995)

Last updated:
September 16, 2025

Hackers (1995), directed by Iain Softley, is one of those cult classics that took a niche subject—90s computer hacking—and turned it into a neon-lit, anarchic adventure. It’s stylish, over-the-top, and more fantasy than reality when it comes to hacking, but it captured the imagination of a generation that was just beginning to understand what the internet could become.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

The Rise of Dade Murphy

The movie kicks off with young Dade Murphy, aka Zero Cool, who as a kid was convicted of crashing 1,507 computer systems in a single day. He’s banned from using computers until he turns 18. Once he hits legal age, he dives straight back into the underground hacking world, building his new identity as Crash Override.

Meeting the Hackers

Dade moves to New York and quickly falls in with a group of hackers:

Kate Libby (Angelina Jolie), known as Acid Burn.
Phantom Phreak, a hustler type.
Cereal Killer (Matthew Lillard), eccentric and wild.
Lord Nikon, with photographic memory.

The crew banter, compete, and even play pranks on each other. Dade and Kate, in particular, form a rivalry that simmers with underlying attraction.

The Discovery of The Virus

Things take a dark turn when their friend Joey (the youngest and most eager hacker of the group) stumbles upon restricted files from a major corporation, Ellingson Mineral. He copies part of the data, setting off alarms. The villain of the story emerges: Eugene Belford, aka The Plague (Fisher Stevens), a slick and malicious corporate security officer who’s secretly creating a computer virus called the “Garbage File.” This virus is designed to capsize oil tankers, and The Plague plans to blame it on hackers to cover up his embezzlement.

Cat and Mouse With The FBI

The Plague manipulates the FBI into hunting the hackers, framing Joey and the crew for cyberterrorism. Suddenly, the ragtag group of playful coders are fighting for their freedom and for the truth. Their only chance is to expose The Plague before he executes his scheme.

Hacker War at Grand Central

In the climax, the hackers band together, launching an all-out cyber offensive against The Plague’s systems. They spread their signal across the globe, calling on hackers worldwide for backup. Using Kate’s access and Dade’s expertise, they infiltrate the system, reveal the Garbage File, and dump evidence of The Plague’s crimes. It’s a battle visualized with surreal 90s CGI, turning code into skyscrapers and glowing grids.

Movie Ending

The movie concludes with the hackers successfully exposing The Plague. He’s arrested by the FBI while trying to flee on a plane, his smugness finally wiped away. Meanwhile, the group celebrates their victory.

The rivalry between Dade and Kate turns into romance. In the final scene, Dade takes Kate on a rooftop date, hacking the city’s building lights to spell out: “Crash and Burn” (their hacker handles). It’s both a playful joke and a symbol of their new partnership.

The story closes on a high-energy note: the kids have outsmarted the corporate villain, saved their friend Joey, and solidified themselves as legends in hacker lore.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Hackers does not have a post-credits scene. Like most films of the mid-90s, it ends with the climactic rooftop message and rolls straight into the credits.

Type of Movie

Hackers is a cyberpunk-inspired crime thriller with a heavy dose of 90s teen drama and comedy. It blends stylized visuals with computer culture, but it’s more of a fantasy than a realistic depiction of hacking.

Cast

Jonny Lee Miller as Dade Murphy / Crash Override
Angelina Jolie as Kate Libby / Acid Burn
Matthew Lillard as Emmanuel Goldstein / Cereal Killer
Renoly Santiago as Ramon Sanchez / Phantom Phreak
Laurence Mason as Paul Cook / Lord Nikon
Fisher Stevens as Eugene Belford / The Plague
Penn Jillette as Hal, a systems worker
Wendell Pierce as Agent Richard Gill

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Simon Boswell, but what people really remember is the film’s soundtrack. It’s packed with 90s electronic, techno, and rave tracks, featuring artists like The Prodigy, Underworld, Orbital, and Leftfield. The soundtrack became a defining element of the film’s cult following.

Filming Locations

The movie was filmed primarily in New York City, including recognizable locations like Grand Central Terminal, which is central to the hackers’ climactic “hack attack.” The gritty and neon-soaked New York backdrop gave the film its urban, anarchic energy.

Awards and Nominations

Hackers didn’t win major awards at release, but it has since become a cult classic, celebrated at retrospectives and revival screenings. Its style and music are often praised more than its plot accuracy.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller met on set and later married (briefly).
The actors were trained by real hackers to understand the basics of computer culture, though the film exaggerated much of it.
Matthew Lillard improvised a number of his eccentric lines as Cereal Killer.
The Plague’s skateboard was Fisher Stevens’ own idea to make the villain more eccentric.

Inspirations and References

The movie was loosely inspired by real-world hacker culture of the late 80s and early 90s, particularly figures like Kevin Mitnick. However, it leaned far more into stylization than reality, borrowing visual flair from cyberpunk media like William Gibson’s novels and early rave culture aesthetics.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

Deleted scenes include:

A longer introduction to Joey, showing more of his desperation to prove himself.
Extra character moments between Dade and his mother.
An extended scene of The Plague manipulating FBI Agent Gill, which was trimmed for pacing.

No alternate ending is known to have been filmed.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Hackers was not directly based on a book but did have a novelization released in 1995 by David Bischoff. The book expanded on backstories of the characters, particularly Dade’s troubled relationship with his father, which is only briefly touched on in the film.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The opening court case of young Dade being banned from computers.
Dade and Kate’s hacking duel on the school’s sprinkler system.
Cereal Killer’s subway announcement rallying hackers.
The final rooftop lights spelling “Crash and Burn.”

Iconic Quotes

“Hack the planet!”
“Mess with the best, die like the rest.”
“There is no right or wrong. There’s only fun and boring.”
“Kid, don’t threaten me. There are worse things than jail.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

Kate’s hacker handle “Acid Burn” was inspired by a real female hacker known in underground circles.
The movie features cameos from real New York club kids in the rave scenes.
The Plague’s alias references “bacteriophage,” viruses that infect bacteria—a nod to his destructive coding.

Trivia

The hacking visuals were done with 3D animation because the filmmakers thought real code would look boring on screen.
Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie wore real piercings and club fashion, adding to the authenticity of 90s hacker culture.
The phrase “Hack the Planet!” became a rallying cry in real hacker communities.

Why Watch?

If you want a movie that captures the chaotic, colorful spirit of the 90s internet era, Hackers is worth watching. It’s not realistic, but it’s stylish, campy, and filled with a youthful energy that few tech films have matched.

Director’s Other Movies

The Wings of the Dove (1997)
K-PAX (2001)
Inkheart (2008)
Backbeat (1994)

Hackers (1995)