The Best Computer Programmer Movies for ‘International Programmers’ Day’

January 7 celebrates “International Programmers’ Day” across the world, honoring people who develop the software that makes the world an easier place to live in. Whether it is through conveniences like DVR recorders, online bill paying or the development of cell phones, programmers makes everyone’s lives better, and this is the one day to celebrate all they do. With this holiday approaching, here are some great movies to watch in honor of programmers the world over.

“The Social Network”

When talking about movies about computer programmers, you can’t skip out on the biopic of one of the most successful programmers of all time, Mark Zuckerberg. David Fincher’s “The Social Network” tells the story of how Zuckerberg went from being a lonely, angry college student to become the man who invented Facebook. The success made him the youngest billionaire in history, and while many people including Zuckerberg discount the accuracy of the movie, it remains an entertaining look at the growth of a genius.

“The Net”

Of course, many years before Facebook made the Internet comfortable for people of all ages, there was still a lot of fear about the Internet and cyberspace. This fear brought about movies like “The Net,” starring Sandra Bullock. In the 1995 movie, Bullock starred as a computer expert who ends up in possession of a disc containing secret info. She ends up on the run when evil programmers erase all records of her existence, and she has to assume a new identity to find out who deleted her. At the time, it seemed slightly ridiculous because it assumed there were no paper backups, but it was the fear of computer programmer’s powers on full display here.

“Tron”

13-years before that movie, another movie looked at what filmmakers thought was the history of the cyber world. “Tron” featured a video game programmer named Flynn who created a virtual reality world where he could actually transfer himself into. The entire simulation, based around the video game world, soon threatened to take over and have the computer’s memory try to entrap the programmer. It ended up a battle between the programmer and his program. 28-years later, a sequel hit theaters showing what happened after the events of this groundbreaking movie.

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