Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Hackers 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 10, 2023

1995’s “Hackers” isn’t a vision of the future or a snapshot of the era. It’s a study of style and restless adolescent energy working with the technological advancements of the 1990s, merging a comic book sensibility with the internet revolution, emerging with a broad, cyberpunk-y offering of entertainment. It’s heightened work from director Iain Softley, who works hard to give the feature a special screen magic, playing with the new frontier of computer-fu and the tried-and-true ways of teen cinema. “Hackers” is immense fun, especially if it’s not taken especially seriously, with Softley carefully supplying a steady stream of exaggeration with his characters and environments, giving the whole endeavor a wonderful amplification and sublime soundtrack support, making for a spirited movie.

Dade (Jonny Lee Miller) is new in town, forced to join his mother in New York City for his senior year of high school. He has a past, responsible for a major hacking event as a child, and now he’s 18 years old, reuniting with his first love as he plays with others online. Dade soon catches the attention of Kate (Angelina Jolie) and her band of hackers, who respond to Dade’s skills, but need time to trust him, working the young man into their underground lifestyle. Emerging as a threat is Eugene (Fisher Stevens), a shadowy computer security officer looking to acquire a fortune while creating an ecological disaster, aiming to frame the hackers for his crimes. Refusing to accept defeat, Dade and Kate put aside their differences and build a hacking team, ready to battle Eugene and avoid legal entanglements from Special Agent Gill (Wendell Pierce), who’s looking to bust the gang.

The screenplay by Rafael Moreu looks to create a world for the young characters, with Dade the audience surrogate, walking into a strange city populated with unusual kids, finding his way into a hacker gang via lust for Kate, who initially doesn’t want anything to do with him. “Hackers” deals with teenage kicks and bonding activities, but there’s a level of fantasy to the endeavor, with Softley turning the viewing experience away from a gritty study of tech mastery into a colorful, glowing overview of war between the hackers and the bad guys, with the establishment, represented by government goon Gill, also trying to ruin plans. It’s this approach that helps “Hackers” find its balance between silliness and slickness, with Softley trying to bring a rich sense of style to the picture, actively making it the most visually interesting effort possible while dealing with a limited budget and a plot that is admittedly quite goofy, going big with a Bond-like supervillain and various keyboard battles.

For additional analysis and information, please read Jeffrey Kauffman’s 2015’s Blu-ray review.

Hackers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout Factory originally released "Hackers" on Blu-ray in 2015, and they return to the title in 2023 with a new 4K presentation, a "restoration of the original camera negative." It's definitely an improvement on the BD, handling the specific cinematography of the endeavor, which used special film stock and lighting to deliver a low-grain image. Clarity is excellent, exploring the fine details of the frame, with the production especially fond of close-ups, delivering textured skin surfaces. Costuming is fibrous as well, with a slightly sharper sheerness at times, identifying the PG-13-ness of the feature. The highly decorated world of the film is open for study, with active living spaces and party zones. Exteriors are dimensional as the action heads around New York City. Colors are active, supporting the movie's love of vivid computer displays and glowing workspaces, along with extreme lighting choices using fresh primaries. Clothing also delivers varied hues, joined by distinct makeup designs. Skin tones are natural. Blacks are deep, preserving shadow play and evening events. Highlights are tasteful. Grain is nicely resolved. Source is in good condition.

Hackers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The previous release of "Hackers" only offered a 2.0 DTS-HD MA track. It was an acceptable listening option, but the UHD hopes to stay more faithful to other presentations, restoring a 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix to audio options. It's a powerful mix for "Hackers," capturing the techno thunder of the soundtrack with crisp instrumentation and nice low-end thump, supporting the aural energy of the endeavor. Scoring selections are equally defined, and music in general pushes out with wider engagement, working into the surrounds. Dialogue exchanges are sharp, with a full sense of subtle emotionality and cartoon emphasis. Atmospherics are alert and circular, and sound effects are distinct.

Hackers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Keyboard Cowboys" (24:35, HD) is a making-of for "Hackers," featuring interviews with director Iain Softley, hacking consultants Emmanuel Goldstein and Nicholas Jarecki, visual effects artist Peter Chiang, and actors Matthew Lillard, Fisher Stevens, and Penn Jillette. Hacking worlds for Goldstien and Jarecki are explored, with the men entering the subculture early on in their lives, both enjoying a natural way with computer language. Coming off of "Backbeat," Softley was drawn to the screenplay for "Hackers," with writer Rafael Moreu taking the process seriously, asking questions of the players and noting their personalities and stories. Casting is examined, with the ensemble committed to understanding the ways of their characters and all the technical information in the writing. Lillard goes deeper into characterization and choices, reflecting on his youthful energy, joined by Stevens, who worked to understand his part in the production, even learning to skateboard for the part.

• "The Beauty of the Baud" (26:59, HD) is another look at the making of "Hackers," featuring interviews with director Iain Softley, hacking consultants Emmanuel Goldstein and Nicholas Jarecki, visual effects artist Peter Chiang, costume designer Roger Burton, and actor Matthew Lillard. This is a more technical discussion of the feature, exploring the look of the endeavor, highlighting the extreme lighting needs of the shoot and strange costuming, with characters formed by their appearances, including Angelina Jolie, who submitted to a complete change to her look to become the part. Visual effects are examined, as meticulous attention to detail was utilized to bring the computer world to life, with Chiang working long hours to perfect some of the amazing images in the picture. Soundtrack triumphs are identified, giving "Hackers" a memorable sound to help support the visual adventure.

• "You Can't Stop Us All" (12:18, HD) examines the prescient ways of "Hackers" and the development of its cult appeal, featuring interviews with director Iain Softley, hacking consultants Emmanuel Goldstein and Nicholas Jarecki, visual effects artist Peter Chiang, and actors Matthew Lillard, Fisher Stevens, and Penn Jillette.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:36, HD) is included.

Hackers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Hackers" scores with its bright, inventive presentation, with cinematography from Andrzej Sekula ("Pulp Fiction") some of his finest work, adding incredible lighting and color to the endeavor. And the soundtrack is stellar, bringing a bouncy techno pace to the chase with strong music selections that capture the era and support the adventure. The movie impresses on a technical level, and most of the performances hit the mark, offering youthful enthusiasm for subculture language and ultra-focused computer battling. Perhaps "Hackers" is dated, as computer information and power has changed radically since the film's release. It's not a picture for cynics, requiring some relaxation while Softley explores old tech and cartoon personalities, but it's a vibrant feature that's superbly executed, making for an entertaining sit for those willing to go along with it.