Cybersecurity on Screen: TV Shows, Documentaries, and Movies
This article brings together TV shows, documentaries, and movies related to cybersecurity including all the major titles we discussed focusing on realism, real-world relevance, and cultural impact. The goal is not hype, but understanding.
TV Shows About Cybersecurity, Hacking, and Surveillance
Mr. Robot (2015–2019)
A psychologically intense series centered on a cybersecurity engineer pulled into hacktivism and cybercrime. The show is widely praised for its accurate depiction of hacking techniques, command-line work, operational security failures, and the mental toll of living inside digital systems of control.
Person of Interest (2011–2016)
A crime and surveillance thriller built around an AI system capable of predicting violent acts using mass data collection. The series explores government surveillance, metadata analysis, algorithmic power, and the consequences of predictive technologies.
Black Mirror (2011– )
An anthology series examining the darker consequences of modern technology. Several episodes deal directly with hacking, digital coercion, surveillance, and privacy collapse, presenting near-future scenarios rooted in existing technical capabilities.
CSI: Cyber (2015–2016)
A procedural drama focused on FBI cybercrime investigations. While more dramatized than realistic, it introduces a wide range of cybercrime scenarios including hacking, online fraud, and digital forensics.
Scorpion (2014–2018)
A high-energy series following a team of elite technical specialists solving cyber and technological crises for government agencies. The show blends cybersecurity concepts with action-driven storytelling.
Silicon Valley (2014–2019)
A tech-industry satire that frequently touches on data security, encryption, startup culture, and the unintended consequences of building powerful software in competitive environments.
Level 9 (2000)
A short-lived series centered on a secret government task force fighting cybercrime and digital threats, reflecting early-2000s anxieties around the growing power of the internet.
Cybersecurity Documentaries
Citizenfour (2014)
A real-time account of Edward Snowden’s NSA revelations, filmed during his meetings with journalists in Hong Kong. The documentary exposes the scale of global surveillance and the infrastructure behind modern intelligence gathering.
Cyberbunker: The Criminal Underworld (2023)
An inside look at a fortified data center used to host dark-web marketplaces, malware operations, and criminal services, and the international law-enforcement effort that ultimately shut it down.
Zero Days (2016)
An investigation into Stuxnet, the first known cyber weapon, and the emergence of malware as a tool of state-sponsored warfare targeting critical infrastructure.
United States of Secrets (2014)
A PBS Frontline documentary series examining the rise of the NSA’s surveillance programs, whistleblowers, and the evolution of intelligence operations after 9/11.
The Great Hack (2019)
A documentary exploring how personal data was harvested and weaponized for political influence, focusing on Cambridge Analytica and large-scale data manipulation.
Terms and Conditions May Apply (2013)
An exploration of how corporations and governments collect, store, and exploit user data through legal agreements most people never read.
The Internet’s Own Boy (2014)
The story of Aaron Swartz, internet activism, open access to information, and the legal consequences of computer crime laws.
We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists (2012)
A documentary tracing the origins, actions, and philosophy of the Anonymous hacktivist collective.
Scam Interceptors (BBC)
A factual series following ethical hackers and investigators as they disrupt online scam operations and digital fraud networks.
Cybersecurity Movies
Snowden (2016)
A dramatized retelling of Edward Snowden’s path from intelligence contractor to whistleblower, providing narrative background to the events documented in Citizenfour.
The Fifth Estate (2013)
A film about WikiLeaks and Julian Assange, focusing on leaked data, encryption, journalism, and the ethical conflicts surrounding radical transparency.
Official Secrets (2019)
Based on a true story, the film follows a British intelligence translator who leaks classified information exposing illegal surveillance activities.
The Report (2019)
A political thriller examining classified investigations into government abuse, secrecy, and accountability within intelligence institutions.
Who Am I: No System Is Safe (2014)
A German cyber-thriller depicting hacking culture, social engineering, online identity, and the psychological dynamics of cybercrime.
Blackhat (2015)
A globe-spanning cybercrime thriller involving infrastructure hacking, malware, and international cyber conflict.
WarGames (1983)
A classic film about a young hacker who accidentally accesses a military system, raising early questions about automation, escalation, and trust in computer systems.
Sneakers (1992)
A caper-style film focused on penetration testing, cryptography, physical security, and social engineering.
Enemy of the State (1998)
A surveillance thriller depicting government monitoring, data tracking, and the erosion of privacy in the digital age.
Hackers (1995)
A stylized portrayal of 1990s hacker culture, emphasizing underground communities, identity, and early internet mythology.
Eye in the Sky (2015)
A modern warfare thriller exploring surveillance technology, remote operations, and decision-making enabled by digital systems.
Closing Thoughts
Across television, documentaries, and film, cybersecurity storytelling has evolved alongside real-world events. Early fantasies have given way to narratives grounded in leaked documents, court cases, and exposed infrastructure. These works collectively illustrate how deeply digital systems are woven into power, crime, and governance and how fragile those systems can be when trust breaks down.
Together, they form a cultural record of the information age and its ongoing security crisis.