The Top 10 Best Virtual Reality Movies
Virtual Reality is Still a Long Ways Off… Or is it?
Virtual reality is the future! At least convincing virtual reality. The concept has been around forever and Hollywood has been a lot better at creating their vision of it than Silicon Valley. While there might be some promising concepts around the corner, nothing comes close to the magic of Hollywood. With geeks becoming more and more powerful (cue evil laughter) it’s only a matter of time until virtual reality becomes more than just a gimmick. Until that day though, we just have to live with virtual fiction rather than virtual reality. That’s why I’m devoting this week’s top 10 list to movies that strongly feature VR. That means the concept has to play a cornerstone to the overall plot of the movie. Not just a quick scene to show off how cool the future is. I have to admit that some of these movies aren’t that great, but a lot of them are from a different time and like casual racism they didn’t know better when it comes to VR. That’s not an excuse, just a fact. So, without further adieu, here are the Top 10 Virtual Reality Movies that have hit theaters. Read on and enjoy, because you have no idea if this list is real or just a programmed version of some list you could be reading… I mean, technically it’s all programmed because it’s on the internet, but don’t argue that right now. Just enjoy the list.
10. The Lawnmower Man
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, this virtual reality movie is back from the early days of VR. Meaning that all the digital worlds look like an old-school screensaver. It might not be the most cutting edge of the movies on this list, but it’s still one of the most memorable because of just how awful a lot of the scenes are. The premise is that a mentally challenged gardener gets super smart from playing video games until he develops god-like powers. This is a complete work of fiction since we don’t have internet trolls flying around using their telekinetic powers to spread terror. Luckily, they have to stick to cyberbullying in the comments… For now.
9. Virtuosity
A golden example of just how weird movies got in the mid-nineties. Denzel Washington plays a cop who has to square off against the ultimate criminal (Russell Crowe). You see, someone had a brilliant idea to create a simulation that combined the traits of all the worst serial killers into one ultra-killer. Unfortunately, life in virtual reality didn’t really sit well with this creature of ID. So, it being the future, he made himself a body and escaped into the real world. Oh, and not just any body. A body made of nanites, which pretty much gives him superpowers. Needless to say, he sets out on a killing spree across future L.A. It raises the age-old question about why companies seem to do stupid things like this. I mean, I’m no businessman, but I’m pretty sure there’s not a lot of profit in simulated ultra criminals.
8. Gamer
This virtual reality movie is one of my guilty pleasures. I’m not here to convince you that Gamer is a good movie, but it’s a lot of fun to watch. In an odd twist on VR, people allow others to take over their bodies like avatars and use them for whatever they want. At first, it starts off a lot like the Sims. Walking around, talking, doing menial tasks. Seems family friendly, until that dirty expansion gets added to the mix. Luckily, the hero of the movie isn’t being used as a sex slave by some overweight guy living in his mom’s basement named Chuck. No, he really lucks out and just has to compete in a Call of Duty-esque battle royale while some teen “drives him”. It could have been worse though, there was surprisingly little teabagging in this flick.
7. eXistenZ
Alright, so virtual reality is pretty complicated. If it’s really good, then is there any way to know if you’re really part of the game or real. Better yet, how can you tell if you’re in the game or not? Well, eXistenZ asks all of these questions while bravely arguing that reality shouldn’t be tampered with. The only problem is that reality sucks. What I found most interesting about this film is that it essentially addresses the “troll issue.” Does the fact that you’re playing a character mean that you would act differently than you would in the real world? Does anonymity make you braver? Well, as any comment section on the internet knows, yes. Yes, it does.
6. The Thirteenth Floor
Oh ho. Now we’re getting to the dark side of virtual reality (because none of the other movies have been dark so far). The Thirteenth Floor is a movie that is all about one of the most troubling questions when it comes to VR. If the simulation is perfect, then how do you know if it’s a simulation? How do you know if the real world is the real world? Something you definitely should think about before investing in one of those goofy headsets. After all, it’s all fun and games until a madman traps you in a prison you don’t even know you’re in. I’m sure we’re a few years off from this, but then again maybe we aren’t… Maybe this is all a simulation and instead of flying or kung-fu fighting, you’re reading another Top 10 list from Stars & Popcorn!