From cult classics to contemporary reimaginings, this conversation unpacks the many faces of cyberpunk on screen. Panellists Megan McKeough, Mel Campbell and Conor Bateman explore the genre’s literary roots, transhumanist themes and political undertones, while considering how race, aesthetics and technology shape its evolving narratives. With references spanning Johnny Mnemonic, Her, Pacific Rim, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the talk offers insights into a genre that continues to question what it means to be human in a high-tech world.
00:00 - Introduction
03:17 The definition of Cyberpunk
05:30 Examples of Cyberpunk on screen
08:21 Typical cyberpunk characters
11:20 Cyberpunk cityscapes
13:01 Positive cyberpunk depictions
14:43 The reason modern films are dark and gritty
16:43 Spike Jonze’s film HER is almost a cyberpunk film
18:11 Pacific Rim is Cyberpunk and Steampunk
20:24 Dark City is not really a cyberpunk film
20:51 Tranhumanism
21:50 Cyberpunk’s origin’s in literature
23:52 Strange Days is hard to find online
25:09 Cyberpunk Videogames - Born Punk
28:48 Cyberpunk Videogames - Watch Dogs
29:38 Excerpt from Reset: A Journey into Cyberpunk by Conor Bateman
31:03 90s utopian visions of the future
33:18 Western and Asian elements in Cyberpunk – Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
40:03 Politics in Cyberpunk - Johnny Mnemonic and Appetite
47:24 Race and Diversity in Cyberpunk
49:55 Key lessons from Cyberpunk
52:04 Q&A