The Best Cyberpunk Content on Netflix
Newsbroke recently that Netflix will be teaming up with video game specialists, CD Projekt Red, to create an animated series – Cyberpunk Edgerunners – based on the Cyberpunk 2077video game. For fans of the genre, the news is beyond exciting. Cyberpunk 2077 is arguably the most highly-anticipated video game of the last few years, with the release expected to be in time for Christmas 2020.
Cyberpunk is a genre of fiction that loosely covers anything in a dystopian future. It often juxtaposes “low-life” characters with high-end technology. The genre of science fictionoften has a cult following, with fans keen to gobble up books, comics, graphic novels, and, of course, television and movies. Below we have a look at some of the shows and movies on Netflixthat cover the cyberpunk genre, or, at least, have cyberpunk elements.
Altered Carbon
There are two series of Altered Carbon on Netflix, and there is very likely to be a third series. The show is based on the books by Richard K. Morgan, and it’s difficult to find a purer example of cyberpunk on screen these days. Series 1 stars Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, Robocop) as Takeshi Kovacs, a mercenary who must solve a murder in a world where people don’t die. In season two, Anthony Mackie (Avengers Endgame) takes up the Kovacs role. Stunning visuals, gritty storylines, and a cool soundtrack all make this a cyberpunk classic.
Robocop 3
Robocop films drop in and out of Netflix. At the moment, Robocop 3 is available on Netflix UK. We should make a clear distinction between the original films, and the remakes (starring Joel Kinnaman, who seems to fit well with the genre of cyberpunk). The remakes are stylish and have cyberpunk elements, but the original Paul Verhoeven movie is a perfect cyberpunk picture. You can see a Robocop casinogame based on the 1987 movie at the online casino at Mansion, which is probably the closest you’ll get to a cyberpunk-themed slot machine. There is talk of a Robocop sequel coming out sometime in the early 2020s. This will be a direct sequel to the original films, overlooking the 2014 remake.
Ghost In The Shell SAC_2045
Japanese cyberpunk with the most loyal of followings, Ghost In The Shell is now a massive media franchise spanning movies, video games, comics, and books. The 2017 movie, starring Scarlett Johansson, has come in for a lot of criticism for its casting of Caucasian actors in an Asian role. However, the Netflix series, Ghost In The Shell SAC_2045, has no such problems as it is anime. Some critics have lampooned the series, but it does have plenty of fans. One season is currently available on the streaming platform.
The Terminator
It isn’t easy to define The Terminator, and some critics even claim it should be viewed as a horror movie instead of an action movie. However, it definitely has lots of cyberpunk elements; after all, it is all about the grim dystopian future of humanity. If you haven’t watched this film in a while, it will probably surprise you just how well James Cameron’s picture has held up after 36 years.
Love Death + Robots
An animated series on anything from the mind of David Fincher (Fight Club) will always be welcome, but this stylish and technically-accomplished series of shorts let the auteur go down some dark alleys. Some of the tales are great, some a bit dull, and others completely bizarre. But you can scroll through all the shorts on Netflix right now. If you are a cyberpunk fan, most of it will be right up your street.