Cyberpunk 2077 is not a movie. It's a ridiculously popular video game that just game out. (Yes, it's possible to be ridiculously popular on Day 1. Before that, even.) It's available on Windows, PlayStation 4 and PS5, Xbox One and Xbox One X/S.
But you'd be forgiven if you were to see recent headlines and believe that there was a new Keanu Reeves movie available because, well, there's a lot of familiarity here. Here's how Jez Cordon of Windows Central puts things:
Set in California in 2077, Night City is one of the last memories of Western opulence. Megacorps now rule the world openly, taking the law into themselves, as ordinary folks are stamped out in the crossfire. With the Night City Police Department utterly overwhelmed, they allow mercenaries to operate freely among the populace, as citizens and corporations take justice into their own hands.
You play as V, selecting from one of three backstories. Nomad tribes rule the roads between the megacities, handling smuggling and "logistics" for different groups looking to transport goods on land. You can also play as a Corpo, as someone who worked within one of Arasaka's cut-throat divisions. Finally, you can be a street kid who grew up among gang warfare in one of the city's slums. Whichever back story you choose can bring consequences and opportunities in equal measure as you wind your way through the game's enthralling plot.
Reeves, of course, was used purposefully as the basis for one of the characters in the game. The character of Johnny Silverhand is a sort of amalgamation of a bunch of Reeves characters. Neo from The Matrix. A little bit of Ted "Theodore" Logan thrown in for good measure. Maybe a little bit of Bob Actor and Fred from A Scanner Darkly.
Those aren't the only films that come to come to mind when it comes to Cyberpunk 2077, however Here are some other shows you should definitely check out.
The Matrix (1999)
Let's start with the obvious choice. Keanu Reeves is Thomas Anderson in the computer-generated world, and Neo in the real world. Humans brought the apocalypse upon themselves (yes, again), and Neo and the other survivors are trying to survive while also win a war against the machines. But first, Mr. Anderson must become Neo and "the one."
The Matrix helped usher in the DVD era, 360-degree "bullet time" filmmaking, and a new breed of sci-fi from the Wachowski sisters. The two sequels that followed helped round out the story — at least until The Matrix 4 arrives — but didn't have nearly the same impact.
Max Headroom (1985, 1987-88)
It's tough as hell to explain Max Headroom without trying to sound a little bit crazy. Which, of course, is the point. It started as a 1985 TV movie and later ran as a series from 1987-88. Matt Frewer — who you know from a million other series like the new Perry Mason, Fear the Walking Dead, Orphan Black, Falling Skies, the 1994 series of The Stand and so many more — plays journalist Edison Carter and the computer-animated Max Headroom. It was cutting edge for the mid-1980s and fit perfectly in the MTV generation and brilliantly as a Coca-Cola pitchman.
It's not all that easy to actually watch Max Headroom today, but it's also impossible to deny its effect on pop culture — even if you're not aware of it.
Blade Runner (1982)
Another sci-fi original whose legacy lives on today. Harrison Ford is a cop who hunts "replicants" — androids on the lam. But he's got a secret. The problem is he doesn't know he's got a secret. Dystopia? Yep. Robots and sex? Sure thing.
V For Vendetta (2006)
The Wachowskis are back! V For Vendetta is more political than it is straight sci-fi. But It's got another anti-hero fighting a fascist British society. V employs conventional weapons, of course, but also the ideas of media manipulation, vengeance and the ability to know and do what's right.
