If you ask anyone to tell you why they love movies so much, many would probably give you the same answer: films offer us a unique experience that lets us both escape our busy lives and, at the same time, connect to the things we care about the most. Whether you’re looking to distract yourself, to feel nostalgic, or to have a good laugh, we guarantee there’ll be a film out there that does the trick. Which movie you’ll pick often depends on your life experiences, and if you’re a software engineer, chances are you might be looking for films about that subject.
If you’re searching for movies about software engineer, look no further! We made a list of 5 great watches that all revolve around technology, with compelling figures at their center that will definitely have your attention. Some of these films will inspire you, other will entertain you, and some might even inspire you to pursue a career in software engineering. After all, this career could give you a chance to be part of the movie industry (including streaming cinema), as some software companies specialize in video streaming development services – if you’re lucky enough to join one of them.
Without further ado, let’s look at 5 great software engineer movies! Find them all below, in alphabetical order.
1. BlackBerry
If you haven’t seen this gem from writer-director-star Matt Johnson yet, you’re in for a real treat. You might be familiar with Blackberry phones, but did you know that they were the world’s first smartphones? And how much do you know about the people behind the company? Based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s bestselling book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of Blackberry,” this movie tells us that story with irresistible charm and fantastic performances that will have you cheering for its protagonists from start to end.
BlackBerry begins in Waterloo, Ontario, where underdog tech geniuses Douglas Fregin (Johnson) and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) are trying to get funding for an idea they’ve had. The two best friends think they’ve found a way to invent a portable device that would work both as a pager and as a mobile phone, meaning that it that could even send emails – something that, back in 1996, was unheard of. Needless to say, nobody takes them seriously at first, even more so due to their chaotic presentation and casual appearance. But just when they think they’ve officially run out of luck, an opportunity presents itself in the form of businessman Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), who not only believes in their project but who would also seem to have all the business acumen and charm that Mike and Douglas lack.
And so begins an unbelievable adventure that will take you through all the stages of the creation of the Blackberry – from pitching to manufacturing to finding the right technology that would deliver what our heroes promised – while also showing you the ever-changing dynamics between our well-meaning developers and their new, cunning business partner. As loyalty shifts and the competition starts to get tough, will the phone and its engineers survive? Prepare for a wild ride, complete with an irresistible soundtrack and a unique filmmaking style that will make it all feel like it’s happening in real time. Not to be missed!
2. Ex Machina
Nowadays, writer-director Alex Garland is mainly known for Civil War and the upcoming Warfare, but the film that put the filmmaker on the map is Ex Machina (2014), a sci-fi gem that will subvert your expectations from start to end. It all begins when a young programmer named Caleb (Domnnall Gleeson) wins a competition and is invited to spend the weekend at the home of his employer, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), who’s the CEO of a major software and internet company. There, Nathan tells him that he actually wants Caleb to participate in an experiment, which should lead to ground-breaking innovations in the field of synthetic intelligence. All he has to do is spend time with a highly intelligent, advanced artificial intelligence named Ava (Alicia Vikander) and evaluate how “human” she is.
Needless to say, Caleb accepts, excited to get to research and work on something completely new, and at first, it truly is. But what begins as a series of interesting conversations soon turns into a much more disquieting affair. What are Nathan’s true motives? And how much does Ava’s humanity influence her actions? As the movie unfolds, things get tense and unpredictable, until Caleb is driven to near-insanity and finds himself questioning his entire reality, and even his own self. Ex Machina is an intriguing analysis of the role of technology in our lives that manages to be both incredibly thought-provoking and surprisingly scary: if you’re into horror-thrillers with something to say, you won’t be able to take your eyes off it.
3. Pirates of Silicon Valley
When we think of the word “innovator,” the first names that come to mind are usually Bill Gates, co-founder and former CEO of Microsoft, and the late Steve Jobs, inventor and co-founder of Apple. While there are plenty of movies about both – including the Michael Fassbender-starring Steve Jobs (2015), from director Danny Boyle – we picked Pirates of Silicon Valley for two reasons: it’s about both figures, and it provides a lot more info in terms of software engineering.
This TV film, from director Martyn Burke, chronicles the creation and rise of both Apple and Microsoft, telling us the story of both Gates (Anthony Michael Hall) and Jobs (Noah Wyle) with a particular focus on the 1970 and 80s. Pirates of Silicon Valley is not a documentary, so some of the narrative is dramatized, but it’s accurate enough to be gripping, particularly if you’re interested on how computer were created and the influence they had on our current world.
4. The Social Network
David Fincher’s The Social Network is not only the best film you’ll find on this list, but it’s also one of the best movies you’ll ever see. Based on Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book “The Accidental Billionaires,” Fincher’s film sets out to tell us how Facebook was invented, but it ends up doing so much more than that. The Social Network unfolds over two timelines: one takes us back to Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg‘s (Jesse Eisenberg) college years, and the other follows a trial that takes place in real time, as the inventor is also being sued by not one, but multiple people, including Facebook’s co-founder Eduardo Severin (Andrew Garfield).
In terms of the actual coding, the most exciting part of the film is when Mark and Eduardo are at uni, and an equation written on a dorm window ends up changing millions of lives with an invention that was born not out of research and methodical planning, but out of pure chance. But the movie also gives us a very interesting look at the dynamics behind funding and backing a company that grows at the speed of light, and ultimately invites us to think about the real cost of success. Don’t miss it!
5. Swordfish
Many movies about software engineers tend to focus on people who are incredibly skilled at creating code but who also have a tendency to disregard rules: after all, these are the kinds of stories that can lead to high stakes and tense, enthralling storytelling. Swordfish is definitely one of these movies, as our software developer just-so-happens to be a convicted hacker. But said hacker, named Stanley (Hugh Jackman) finds himself facing an interesting moral dilemma when the head of a covert counter-terrorist unit (John Travolta’s Gabriel) enlists his help to find some funds to fight terrorism – only, Gabriel’s motives aren’t exactly selfless.
And so, Stanley – whose only desire is to see his daughter Holly (Camryn Grimes) again – finds himself right in the middle of an intricate web, where some of the people he works for are moved by the desire to do good but others just want revenge, and it becomes harder and harder to find out who’s which. It’s an interesting premise brought to live by a fantastic cast, as Jackman and Travolta are joined by Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Vinnie Jones and more A-listers. But you also get to see some programming, so it definitely deserves its spot on this list!
The five movies listed above all feature software engineers and should make for entertaining watches, whether you’re a programmer yourself or you’re looking to immerse yourself in the world of tech and intrigue. There’s something for everyone here, from crowdpleasers to lesser known releases. Enjoy!
