5 Best Movies About Programmers

The word programming evokes reactions of confusion and mystery for those who haven’t dug into its depths. Yet this curious branch of knowledge is steadily increasing in popularity. After all, knowing how to program is becoming a seriously useful skill—a skill that’s becoming more and more essential for our modern lives. But it can be a foreign concept to those outside of the tech industry. That’s why we’re here today. To give a comprehensive overview of five of the greatest films about programming, so that even those outside of the tech world can get a better understanding of the power of this unique craft.

The Social Network (2010)

The Social Network is a film about the rise of one of the world’s most recognizable figures, Mark Zuckerberg, and incredibly, the founding of Facebook. Directed by David Fincher, the film starred Jesse Eisenberg in the lead role, and won an astonishing three awards at the 83rd annual Academy Awards.

The movie follows the story of Mark Zuckerberg as he programmatically builds 2 successive versions of his now famous social networking site. After the initial launch of “thefacebook”, the website quickly became popular. Despite multiple legal battles, Zuckerberg begins the process of building the new and improved social media platform, one that was destined to bring him the success we now recognize.

The genius of the film lies in its careful visualization of the intense coding process. The audience can see the power of programming through Zuckerberg’s complex code and the groundbreaking results it yields. It may not provide an in-depth tutorial of programming, but it provides an impression of the reality of the programmers’ life, which in itself is quite an accomplishment.

Hackers (1995)

Hackers is one of the earliest feature films about programming. The movie is set in New York and follows a group of bright and skilled hackers as they attempt to crack a major computer system. Released in 1995, the movie was an instant hit and helped to establish the hacker and programming subculture.

The movie follows the story of a group of young hackers played by Johnny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, and Matthew Lillard. The crew try to hack into a major computer system, one that if broken, could have catastrophic consequences. The audience is taken through an interesting and informative journey as they witness the crew solving complex problems and navigating their way around computer security systems. What’s more, Hackers features early concepts of the internet and has some really clever ideas for its time. It also contains some exciting sequences set inside a computer environment which play a huge part in keeping the audience’s interest.

The Imitation Game (2014)

The Imitation Game is a thrilling historical drama directed by Morten Tyldnin and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the British mathematician, Alan Turing. The film follows Turing’s life as he attempts to crack The Enigma code during World War II. This feat of programming genius was a significant win for the British forces and allowed them access to vital intelligence.

The movie follows Turing’s struggles as he attempts to create a machine for decrypting Nazi forces’ communications. After years of intense programming and dedication, the machine that he created manages to break the code. It was one of the most remarkable successes of the war period and brought Turing international recognition.

The Imitation Game offers a detailed and in-depth look at Turing’s career and his extraordinary coding skills. He was a genius and a hero, and this movie rightfully showcases his accomplishments.

Silicon Valley (2014-2019)

Silicon Valley is a smash hit HBO television series. It is one of the most celebrated programming movies of recent times. Created by Mike Judge and now in its sixth season, the show follows the story of a group of gifted engineers and entrepreneurs as they attempt to launch their software company.

The show is great at providing an inside look of the tech industry. The characters are smart, funny, and resourceful. They are also really good at programming and the audience is provided with a realistic yet entertaining look at the coding process. Through the show, viewers not only witness the power of this craft, but the enterprising spirit that comes with it.

The show definitely serves as a great motivation for young programmers and tech enthusiasts. It is certainly one of the best shows that HP ever produced.

Code: Debugging the Gender Gap (2015)

Code: Debugging the Gender Gap is a documentary about the lack of gender diversity in the tech industry. The film brings light to the fact that despite its growth and prestige, the tech industry still has a large gender gap.

The documentary follows the story of a number of successful women already in the industry, and the difficulties they faced to even make it. Despite the obvious talent, resilience, and ingenuity of the women featured in the film, the audience can still feel the lack of gender representation in the industry.

The movie also makes some great points about the power of programming and the lack of women in the industry. It serves as a reminder that even though strides are being made, change can’t come soon enough.

Conclusion

There is an ever-growing demand for programmers around the world and each of the five films discussed above provide a unique insight into the various aspects of elearning translations and coding. From entertaining protagonists and gripping narrative sequences, to thoughtful observations about the impact of gender representation in the tech world, the five movies discussed here are invaluable resources for understanding the power of programming.

Whether you’re just a curious observer of the tech industry or a budding programmer looking for some inspiration, these five films should be at the top of your watch list. They will not only provide a glimpse of what programming can really do, they’ll also show its complexity and potential—the potential that lies in our