An interesting article in the Technology section of Sunday’s New York Times had us on the edge of our seats as we read about how the U.S. army combat trains its digital soldiers. This, of course, reminded us of so many films that struggle with the problematic narrative dilemma of how to make a story about people sitting at computers compelling. Some more or less successful instances came to mind, which we’ve condensed into this listicle of 11 Movies About Digital Warfare.

WarGames

Cold War code-cracking gamer played by 21 year-old Matthew Broderick looking about 15.

Tranformers

In Michael Bay’s operatic orgy of metallurgy, Anthony Anderson and some random Australian exchange student play precocious hackers who end up helping the CIA.

Swordfish

Hacking not being the most exciting narrative activity, the brilliant filmmakers behind Swordfish throw in some oral sex for the perfect computer geek fantasy.

Hackers

It’s like Tron meets The Matrix, meets mid-90s net naïveté. Also, lots of Angelina Jolie.

The Matrix

Well, obviously. Also…

Tron

The Dude was the first to go digital.

Live Free of Die Hard

Techno-terrorists are so talented now that they can revive tired franchises using only the flimsiest of plots.

23

Not the disastrous Jim Carey movie about a paranoid cryptographer, but the 1998 German film about teenage code junkies.

Sneakers

It’s rather tragic that we didn’t know about this old star cybercaper with Sidney Poitier, Dan Akroyd and Robert Redford (and River Phoenix) until today.

Takedown

This sort of sequel to Hackers stars Skeet Ulrich and Master P! And it looks, well, not good.

Mission: Impossible

Seen from the right angle, the first Mission: Impossible movie is just a really expensive ad from Apple’s new Powerbooks.