Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema examines the global impact and lasting influence of the science fiction subgenre cyberpunk on film culture. Featuring near-future scenarios set on planet earth, cyberpunk films juxtapose technological advances with social upheaval, ecological crisis, and urban decay. Central to these stories are characters who fight against technology gone haywire, global mega-corporations, or colonialism. The Academy Museum’s presentation explores this genre through an international and multigenerational lens, featuring more than 25 films, including Blade Runner (1982), Tron (1982), Videodrome (1983), The Terminator (1984), The Matrix (1999), Sleep Dealer (2008), and Alita: Battle Angel (2019), as well as Afrofuturist films, including Pumzi (2009) from Kenya, Neptune Frost (2021) from Rwanda, and Indigenous futurist films, such as Night Raiders (2021) from Canada.
