As technology evolves, the idea of people being monitored and/or controlled becomes all the more real. In movieland, these are not new concepts, and there have been plenty of movies that have explored these very topics, and in a variety of ways.
Here’s a roundup of the best movies about surveillance.
Best Movies About Surveillance
While some of these movies are available to stream for free, most require a subscription to a paid streaming service, and some are currently only available to watch with a digital rental or purchase.
1984 (1984)
Drama/Sci-Fi | 1h 50m
The original ‘Big Brother’ movie where speech and even facial expressions of citizens are monitored for thoughtcrimes.
1984 is available to stream with an MGM+ subscription, or for free on Pluto TV and Tubi.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Crime/Drama | 2h 16m
While less focused on surveillance in the traditional sense, this movie heavily leans on the idea of state-mandated behavioral modification and control by an authoritarian government.
A Clockwork Orange is currently only available to stream with a rental.
A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Sci-fi/Thriller | 1h 40m
Everything everyone does is recorded in an attempt to fight the war on drugs, forcing people to wear scramble suits to protect their identity.
A Scanner Darkly is available to stream with a Howdy subscription, or for free on YouTube.
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Sci-Fi/Thriller | 1h 46m
A secret agency monitors people’s lives to ensure they stay on the right path – a predetermined path.
The Adjustment Bureau is currently only available to stream with a rental.
Blow Out (1981)
Mystery/Thriller | 1h 48m
When a sound engineer accidentally records evidence of a political murder, he finds himself in danger, and up against the powers that be.
Blow Out is available to stream with a Prime Video subscription.
Brazil (1985)
Sci-Fi/Comedy | 2h 12m
In this totalitarian society, the constant use of surveillance results in an excessive amount of paperwork.
Brazil is currently only available to stream with a rental.
Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019)
Drama | 1h 33m
A dramatization of how data mining and micro-targeting was used to monitor and manipulate voter behavior.
Brexit: The Uncivil War is currently only available to stream with a digital purchase.
Children of Men (2006)
Sci-Fi/Thriller | 1h 49m
In a world where infertility has resulted in humanity facing extinction, the police state tightly control the remaining population.
Children of Men is currently only available to stream with a rental.
Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
Sci-Fi/Thriller | 1h 40m
Sometimes control is exerted by a non-human force. In this case, it’s a supercomputer that has taken total control of humanity.
Colossus: The Forbin Project is currently only available to stream with a rental.
The Conversation (1974)
Mystery/Thriller | 1h 53m
While less about state surveillance, this movie does dig deep into the ethics of surveillance, and the paranoia that can stem from it.
The Conversation is available to stream for free on Plex and YouTube.
Dark City (1998)
Sci-fi/Thriller | 1h 35m
Not all surveillance programs are conducted by a government, authoritarian or otherwise. Sometimes it is a mysterious alien species simply known as The Strangers.
Dark City is available to stream for free on Plex, The Roku Channel and Tubi
Enemy of the State (1998)
Action/Thriller | 2h 12m
Satellites, bugs, and much more are used by a powerful group of people in an attempt to cover up a politically motivated murder.
Enemy of the State is available to stream with an AMC+ subscription.
Equilibrium (2002)
Sci-Fi/Action | 1h 47m
In an attempt to enforce emotional suppression, a totalitarian state constantly monitors its citizens for sense crimes.
Equilibrium is available to stream for free on Pluto TV.
Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
Sci-Fi/Drama | 1h 52m
When thought is monitored and controlled through the banning of books, having unauthorized information can prove deadly.
Fahrenheit 451 is currently only available to stream with a digital purchase.
Gattaca (1997)
Sci-Fi/Drama | 1h 46m
One way to ensure everyone stays in their genetically assigned social class is to make sure the DNA of citizens is their only ID.
Gattaca is available to stream for free on Tubi.
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Animation/Sci-Fi | 1h 23m
Control can be found in many forms, including rewriting people’s memories, and Tokyo’s Section Nine is tasked with apprehending the hacker before its too late.
Ghost in the Shell is available to stream with a Prime Video subscription, or for free on Tubi.
The Hunger Games (2012)
Sci-Fi/Action | 2h 22m
A police state maintains control through terror and enforced inequality. In particular, through the use of a high-tech surveillance grid and a televised death match.
The Hunger Games is available to stream with a MovieSphere+ subscription.
The Matrix (1999)
Sci-Fi/Action | 2h 16m
Monitoring and control leads to a completely simulated reality, The Matrix, and the enslaving of humanity.
The Matrix is currently only available to stream with a rental.
Minority Report (2002)
Sci-Fi/Action | 2h 25m
Theough the use of precogs, the state not only monitors its citizens but also predicts their behavior, including the crimes they have yet to commit.
Minority Report is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription, or for free on Pluto TV.
Official Secrets (2019)
Drama/Thriller | 1h 52m
The true story of a whistleblower who revealed how a government illegally eavesdropped on people in an attempt to influence voting.
Official Secrets is available to stream with a Netflix subscription.
Snowden (2016)
Drama/Thriller | 2h 14m
The NSA built a global system capable of monitoring digital communications, including those of ordinary Americans.
Snowden is available to stream with a Starz subscription, or for free on Xumo Play.
Total Recall (1990)
Action/Sci-fi | 1h 53m
A construction worker is forced to question his own reality after a memory implant reveals his entire life is based on false memories.
Total Recall is available to stream for free on Pluto TV.
The Truman Show (1998)
Drama/Comedy | 1h 43m
Technically, it is us who’s watching, along with the rest of the world, as one man leads his entire life unaware it is being broadcast 24/7 by a network of hidden cameras.
The Truman Show is available to stream with an MGM+ or Peacock subscription, or for free on Pluto TV.
V for Vendetta (2005)
Sci-Fi/Thriller | 2h 12m
The vigilante V uses terrorist tactics to fight back against a totalitarian government and its massive network of monitoring devices.
V for Vendetta is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription.
Even More Movies About Control and Surveillance
If you’ve seen all the movies listed above, or looking for something different, all of the surveillance-related movies below are worth a watch.
- Anon (2018) – available to watch on Netflix
- Blackhat (2015) – available to watch on Prime Video
- The Circle (2017) – requires rental
- Eagle Eye (2008) – available to watch on Peacock and Pluto TV
- Echelon Conspiracy (2009) – requires purchase
- Fahrenheit 451 (2018) – available to watch on HBO Max
- The Fifth Estate (2013) – requires rental
- Hackers (1995) – available to watch on Pluto TV and Tubi
- Kimi (2022) – available to watch on HBO Max
- Look (2007) – currently unavailable to stream
- The Manchurian Candidate (2004) – available to watch on Starz
- The Net (1995) – available to watch on Tubi
- Strawberry Mansion (2021) – available to watch on Prime Video, The Roku Channel and Tubi
- Untraceable (2008) – available to watch on The Roku Channel
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