The Top 10 Best Virtual Reality Movies

5. Tron: Legacy

It might not live up to the original, but Tron: Legacy had a lot going for it when it was first released. The effects are pretty cool, the soundtrack is banging, and it builds perfectly upon the previously established world. I’m especially a fan of how it went more in-depth with the programming and artificial intelligence within that world. After Jeff Bridges Kevin Flynn has been missing for years, his son, Sam, now grown, goes in search of his long lost father. His journey takes him into the same game that his father was sucked into in the original Tron, but it’s grown a lot since then. Now the world is a massive mega-city under the iron-rule of an artificial intelligence calling itself Clu. If Sam has any hope of rescuing his father, he’s going to have to fight with everything he’s got in this virtual world.

4. Johnny Mnemonic

Nothing goes better with Canadian cyberpunk than Keanu Reeves. Johnny Mnemonic is a strange film. It’s one of those movies that had a very distinct image of a future that never came to be. In it, Keanu Reeves is an information carrier, who stores knowledge in an implant in his head and delivers it on behalf of his client. It’s a great concept, but we kinda moved beyond all that with the invention of encrypted e-mail and texting. Virtual Reality isn’t featured too heavily in this film, but there are definitely a few scenes that show Johnny cruising through the “net.” It’s a movie that’s so ridiculous it’s good, and definitely prepared Keanu for his part in another movie coming up on this list.

3. Ready Player One

One of the most anticipated movies of 2017 managed to live up to a lot of the expectations set forth for it. Ready Player One shows us what we all hope is possible one day through virtual reality. It’s a movie filled with easter eggs as the people flocking to the virtual world of the Oasis take on avatars based on their favorite characters from video games, movies, comics, and much more. It creates so many unique and different worlds that it has something for everyone. Most importantly The Oasis in Ready Player One offers it’s players an escape from the real world, making it just as important as it in a lot of ways. Friendships and romances are forged online that are every bit as intimate and real as they are in reality. This is what the future of virtual reality will hopefully look like.

2. Tron

Before virtual reality was, well, a reality, there was Tron. One of the most beloved science-fiction films of all time (followed by a much less beloved sequel). Tron was more about people getting sucked into a video game than actual VR, but the 80’s was kind of a gray area when it comes to a technologically advanced concept. Their heart was in the right place, but they were still stumbling around grunting that “fire was bad.” Still, Tron was very much ahead of its time when it came to video games. While video games were just starting to really get some momentum, Tron was imagining what virtual reality would be and apparently their vision of it involved a lot of neon. It was a different time though and I can’t hold that against them. Well, not too much.

1. The Matrix

I know we don’t talk about the sequels, but the original Matrix is probably one of the best science fiction films ever made. Sure it had great actions sequences and revitalized Keanu Reeves career, but let’s take a moment to take a look at the philosophical implications of that film. Virtual reality is used to pacify humans to such a point where they can’t tell what’s real and what’s not. In fact, one of the villains of the film is a human who wants to get back into the Matrix so he can experience the joys of life that we take for granted. After all, sensation and perception are just electrical impulses in the brain, so if you could duplicate those impulses then you could enjoy a nice juicy steak without all those nasty calories. Or, you know, other stuff. Virtual reality as a form of prison makes The Matrix the greatest virtual reality movie of all time… So far.

Honorable Mention: Inception

This film is a bit of a stretch, but hear me out. Inception is a movie that features people using technology to enter and shape people’s dreams. In other words, it’s like they’re creating a reality separate from the real world and they use technology to do it. That screams Virtual Reality to me. Just because it’s all done inside someone’s head doesn’t mean it doesn’t meet the requirements for this list. In fact, I think that the unique take on the concept rightfully earns a spot on it. Still not convinced? Why would you need an architect to design something if you weren’t trying to create an alternate reality to trick your subjects into thinking they were in the real world? It’s kind of a tricky take on the theme, but hey, it’s my list.

There you have it, 10 of the best virtual reality movies you can watch. Now technology has exploded in recent years, so I’m sure there will be a lot more movies that will earn a spot on this list in the near future, but that’s a bridge to pass when we get to it. Until that time comes, be sure to comment on this article what your favorite virtual reality movies are and what you think of this list. I’m always open for new recommendations when it comes to great sci-fi movies, so be sure to share those rare gems that you might have found.