In 1982, Tron was one of the first movies to explore the idea of virtual reality through its virtual world, known as The Grid. The fact that Tron became a cult classic and recently received its second sequel, Tron: Ares (2025), is a testimony to rising interest in virtual reality.
The idea of creating a world different from our own stirs excitement, fear, and controversy, making virtual reality rich material for filmmakers to explore the paranoia and hope surrounding the technology’s future. Viewers interested in virtual reality can use our guide to discover the 10 best movies about virtual reality on platforms like Disney+, Prime Video, Hulu, and more.
10. The Lawnmower Man (1992)
The Lawnmower Man centers on Jobe Smith (Jeff Fahey), a man with a learning disorder, who undergoes Dr. Lawrence Angelo’s (Pierce Brosnan) virtual reality experiments to increase his intelligence, though the abilities he gains go far beyond what anyone intended. It’s a cheesy, but entertaining, hidden gem from the ‘90s. While the story is a bit outlandish, such as virtual reality bestowing superhuman powers, its visuals are quite striking for the time, and the story is unique.
Although not as profound as Flowers for Algernon (2000), The Lawnmower Man shares similarities with the story, such as exploring themes about the treatment of those with disabilities and the ethics and complexities of experimentation. Mostly, it’s a fun, campy movie about a man who tries to transcend humanity through virtual reality. However, its lack of realism and sophistication makes it rank lower than more complex and science-based entries on this list.
9. Virtuosity (1995)
Virtuosity is a sci-fi action movie in which former cop and prisoner Parker Barnes (Denzel Washington) tests a new virtual reality technology designed to train police officers, only for the virtual reality’s unhinged serial killer (Russell Crowe) to escape into the real world. The film boasts a unique premise but suffers from the same lack of realism as The Lawnmower Man, due to a far-fetched tale of virtual reality creations crossing over into the real world.
Still, Washington and Crowe offer compelling performances, while the film is an exciting blend of sci-fi and action. Although it doesn’t have much to say about virtual reality, it’s an excellent film for viewers seeking a fun, techno-thriller spin on the topic.
8. Strange Days (1995)
In Strange Days, a new type of technology called SQUID allows people to experience the recorded memories of others. However, complications arise when SQUID recording black marketeer Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) discovers a recording of a terrible crime. Strange Days is an intriguing exploration of virtual reality, examining how users can abuse it to harm others.
The film is controversial, though, due to its brutal depiction of violence and sexual assault. Although these depictions are purposeful and meant to critique the voyeurism and complicity caused by the digital age, they may dissuade some viewers from watching. Still, if viewers can stomach the graphic nature of Strange Days, they’ll find a complex and convoluted depiction of virtual reality that was years ahead of its time.
7. Brainstorm (1983)
Brainstorm features a very similar premise to Strange Days, as researchers Michael (Christopher Walken) and Lillian (Louise Fletcher) develop technology that records and replays the sensory experiences of individuals, which is quickly used to relive intense and even fatal experiences. Since it came before Strange Days, Brainstorm has the advantage of novelty in its unique interpretation of virtual reality and its early exploration of potential benefits and harms.
Additionally, Brainstorm is less dystopian and graphic than Strange Days. At times, it even mixes sci-fi with virtual reality, going as far as to depict virtual reality capturing afterlife experiences. The film is a little more palatable than Strange Days, but every bit as bizarre and intriguing. It will appeal to fans of writer Bruce Joel Rubin’s other supernatural and absurd works, such as Ghost (1990) and Jacob’s Ladder (1990).
6. OtherLife (2017)
OtherLife is a sci-fi thriller that follows Ren Amari (Jessica De Gouw), who captures the government’s attention by developing a biological form of virtual reality that creates realistic memories in individuals’ minds. While OtherLife is a more modern virtual reality movie, it harkens to Strange Days and Brainstorm with the idea that virtual reality isn’t something you transport into but that can be experienced or implanted in the mind itself.
Dark, stylish, and thought-provoking, OtherLife digs deep into profound questions of what humanity and identity mean if experiences/memories could be artificially rendered. Although the pace sometimes drags and the film isn’t as flashy or thrilling as The Matrix (1999) or Ready Player One (2018), it’s an excellent movie for hardcore sci-fi fans hoping for a deep dive into virtual reality and its impact on humanity.
5. eXistenZ (1999)
eXistenZ centers on Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the creator of a virtual reality game, who goes to great lengths to save her game after an unhinged fan threatens her life. It’s the kind of film that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, keeping viewers on their toes with unpredictable twists and turns. Nothing is quite as it seems, and the paranoia and intensity it evokes make eXistenZ feel like a blend between horror and sci-fi.
Although the video game premise may seem fun, the movie delves deeply and darkly into how easy it is to lose sight of reality and existence with the right technology. The film is reminiscent of Inception (2010) in that both create confusion and disorientation through nesting story techniques. If you love thoughtful, puzzling movies like Inception, you’ll enjoy eXistenZ, though its complexity and thematic similarities to Videodrome (1983) may be off-putting for some.
4. Avalon (2001)
Avalon tells the story of Ash (Małgorzata Foremniak), who tries to uncover the truth behind an addictive virtual reality game, Avalon, which has left some players comatose. The film is like a cross between Strange Days and eXistenZ, featuring the bleak, dystopian premise of the former and the mind-bending, reality-blurring makeup of the latter. Given the video game premise, Avalon also leans a bit further into the action territory than prior entries on this list.
The result is a blend of fantasy and a thought-provoking interpretation of virtual reality. Given that it hails from the same creator, Avalon will especially appeal to fans of Ghost in the Shell (1995), as it shares its cyberpunk aesthetic and blends the mystery, sci-fi, and action genres. However, the slow pacing in the beginning prevents it from ranking higher on this list.
3. Tron (1982)
Tron follows computer programmer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who becomes trapped in his virtual world, The Grid, and seeks the help of security program Tron (Bruce Boxleiter) to escape. Like Brainstorm, Tron was one of the earlier films to delve into virtual reality, making the premise of Flynn’s transportation into a digital world quite exciting and groundbreaking at the time. Its dazzling visuals and foresight about technology and virtual reality set it apart from other sci-fi movies of the time.
Tron appeals to both viewers seeking entertainment and those seeking something more profound. To some, it’s an exciting, action-packed movie about common fantasies of being sucked into a computer. To others, it was a surprisingly predictive tale about virtual reality, the rise of digital monopolies, and algorithmic control. If you’re looking for a unique virtual reality film that was ahead of its time, you can’t go wrong with Tron.
2. Ready Player One (2018)
Ready Player One tells the story of Wade Watts (Tyler Sheridan), a young man who enters a virtual reality treasure hunt to escape a collapsing society in the real world. The film is one of the most well-known works to explore virtual reality. It stands out because it’s a bit less fantastical than films like The Lawnmower Man and eXistenZ, featuring a form of virtual reality that closely resembles real-world technology and the aspirations of the Metaverse.
Like Tron, Ready Player One is a highly entertaining and action-packed movie, delving into a sprawling, digital world and an unlikely hero. The more family-friendly film also makes the story more accessible than Strange Days. Although it may not reach the complexity of OtherLife or Brainstorm, Ready Player One often feels more relatable with its realistic depiction of virtual reality and its vital, straightforward message that escapism can’t replace reality.
1. The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix follows hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves), who is recruited by a group of rebels to find the truth about their existence and the Matrix. The film is quite unique in that it explores two of the hottest technological topics: AI and virtual reality. It imagines a type of virtual reality or simulation so complex that it truly replicates reality, making it difficult for many to distinguish simulation from the real world.
However, The Matrix is more of a warning about artificial intelligence than virtual reality, as AI utilizes the simulation to control humanity. It blends sci-fi, action, and philosophy while exploring complex themes about free will and the dangers of technology. The Matrix is visually stunning, action-packed, thrilling, and thought-provoking, rising above most virtual reality movies through its quality and complexity.
