Sneakers (1992)

Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Starring: Robert Redford, Dan Akroyd, Sidney Poitier

Synopsis:
A security analyst's past comes back to haunt him as he is blackmailed into stealing an experimental codebreaker.

Impressions:
I've always liked this movie and now that I've recently taken up an interest in cybersecurity, there's that much more to love. This is probably one of the best hacking films out there, both in terms of quality and accuracy. There are some creative liberties, yes, but you get rather close to life with elements like social engineering and such that often get glossed over in fictional portrayals of security breaches. The movie is packed to the gills with a star cast who all leave a mark. Dan Akroyd is particularly amusing as the conspiracy theorist Mother and James Earl Jones delivers a superb one-scene wonder. The time the film's set (and when it came out) right after the end of the Cold War sets the perfect tone and this is one of the earlier (and more accurate) film portrayals of the NSA. It's a very good movie and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Own It