Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology films have become more popular as both technologies inch closer to reality. Both technologies are often clumped together with Mixed Reality (MR) under an Extended Reality (XR) umbrella. However, both AR and VR technologies function quite differently and have been portrayed in various ways throughout the years in film.
Virtual Reality is the technology where you are in an enclosed virtual environment and can interact with the virtual world. This is often through the use of a headset. VR has been portrayed in popular films such as Tron (1982), The Matrix (1999) and Ready Player One (2018). Other films that have utilized virtual reality technology include The Lawnmower Man (1992), Disclosure (1994), Virtuosity (1995) and The Cell (2000).
Augmented Reality is the technology where you view and interact with virtual environments within a real-world environment. The best example of AR technology is in Iron Man (2008) when Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit has a HUD (Heads Up Display) that displays virtual information in his view. While VR was more popular in earlier decades of film, AR concepts have become increasingly popular in films such as They Live (1988), Total Recall (2012) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017).
Mixed Reality is a technology that has elements of both AR and VR. MR technology is where you are viewing virtual information in a real-world environment but can also interact with the virtual information locally or remotely. Though a relatively new technology and term, MR technology has been shown in films such as Minority Report (2002) and Sleep Dealer (2008).
Our list of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Films includes over 55+ movies that incorporate these technologies. In addition, our list also includes HCI (Human Computer Interaction) and Hologram technologies that are often integrated with AR, VR and MR tech. Some technology such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) has its own category and can be found in our list of Thriller Techno Films or list of Sci-Fi Films About Robots. Our list of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Films You Haven’t Seen Yet includes mostly obscure films that incorporate these technologies and often focus on the societal impact of these technologies.
We have embedded a compilation video of our Top Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality Films You Haven’t Seen and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
#10
Brainstorm
Plot: Two researchers invent technology to experience sensory experiences of others.
Tech: HCI, Virtual Reality
KBZ’s Take: Similar to the film Strange Days (1995), Brainstorm focuses more on HCI technology with VR in the background. The oversized ‘helmet’ looks a bit ridiculous but given the time period and early stages of the technology, it’s an accurate look at how bulky this type of device would be. While the entire taping and recording of the experiences seems very dated given untethered streaming technology now, Brainstorm focuses more on how this technology can be abused personally and ethically.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3H4MYO2
#9
Avalon
Plot: In the future, young players become addicted to an illegal virtual reality battle simulation game.
Tech: Virtual Reality
KBZ’s Take: Capitalizing on VR worldbuilding of The Matrix (1999), Avalon explores the societal impact of VR through gaming addiction. Though the story is a bit muddled (on first viewing), the visual representation of both the virtual and real world carries the film. For any diehard fan of AR and VR technologies, this film is a must-see.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3H3UnwV
Plot: An elderly woman uses a service that creates a hologram of a younger version of her husband.
Tech: Augmented Reality, Holograms
KBZ’s Take: Like the next film on our list, Marjorie Prime explores the social and emotional impact of replacing a real-life person with a virtual one. This film is more like a play in its presentation with little to no special effects of AR or Hologram technology. However, that is not needed as the narrative of the film zeros in on the question of how these technologies will impact our life experiences.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3EYVsU0
#7
Auggie
Plot: An elderly retiree falls in love with his Augmented Reality companion
Tech: Augmented Reality, AI
KBZ’s Take: Very similar to Her (2013), Auggie shows more of the visual representation of AI through the use of AR. And like Marjorie Prime, this film is light on AR special effects and more interested in the ethical dilemma for these emerging technologies. Where Marjorie Prime tackles a broader look at AR intertwined into our life experiences, Auggie simply asks the question, “Is it cheating if it’s with a virtual representation of a person that might or might not exist?”
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Fk8tc6
Plot: Man must hunt a killer in a virtual reality simulation.
Tech: Virtual Reality
KBZ’s Take: This film, along with Dark City (1999), was overlooked due to the VR mania of The Matrix (1999) released that same year. While more of a Future Noir film, the film does an admirable job of integrating a murder mystery both in the virtual and real world. The special effects aren’t in the realm of The Matrix, but it’s still an interesting film that utilizes virtual reality technology in a more subtle way.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3EOuE8Q
#5
eXistenZ
Plot: A game designer, on the run, enlists the help of a man to see if her VR game has been damaged.
Tech: Virtual Reality
KBZ’s Take: Where The Matrix (1999) explores going down the rabbit hole of VR, ExistenZ takes everything to another level where you don’t know if the rabbit hole is reality or not. ExistenZ delves into philosophical questions regarding the balance (or unbalance) between the virtual world and reality. Plus it’s directed by David Cronenberg, so you can expect a steady stream of weirdness with the VR ‘machine’ and world. This is another 1999 VR film that was lost a bit in the shuffle after The Matrix appeared.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3OXY5dA
Plot: A mentally challenged man becomes a dangerous genius in a virtual reality simulation.
Tech: Virtual Reality
KBZ’s Take: This was the de facto VR film before the rash of VR film released later in the decade. Similar in name only to a Stephen King short story, The Lawnmower Man introduced a generation of gamers and moviegoers to virtual reality biometric suits, virtual reality contraptions that spin you around for no apparent reason, and very outdated virtual reality world animations. But, it’s still a classic film in the VR film microgenre and nobody will ever forget “Access Denied”.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B5cMpj
#3
Bliss
Plot: A homeless woman convinces a recently fired man that they’re both living in a computer simulation.
Tech: Virtual Reality
KBZ’s Take: This is a very dark film that was betrayed by its marketing. Though marketed as a ‘romance’, Bliss is more about drug abuse and the toll it takes on reality. Though virtual reality plays somewhat into the narrative, the film is more about the virtual world achieved through the use of drugs. It’s a great film that explores virtual reality concepts but is much more than that.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Uo7lsn
#2
Sleep Dealer
Plot: Strangers try to connect in a futuristic world where they work in virtual labor.
Tech: Mixed Reality
KBZ’s Take: Sleep Dealer was way ahead of it’s time in relation to showing how mixed reality would enable virtual ‘skilled’ labor. It’s often cited as one of the top films to watch for AR, VR and MR and utilized many early concepts that we’re starting to see today. Highly recommended not only for AR & VR film fans but also for fans of any technology-driven films.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B2hWCG
#1
Anon
Plot: In a futuristic world, a detective tracks a woman who has no identity.
Tech: Augmented Reality
KBZ’s Take: This is ranked #1 for one main reason – it’s one of the only films that shows how Augmented Reality technology can be abused in a connected world. While the film shows a future world where privacy is a thing of the past, it excels in showing the havoc a hacker could cause by ‘hacking’ into an individual’s’ AR view and messing with their mind. No film has done a better job of showing the perils of an ‘always on and connected’ AR experience that’s closer to reality than one might think. Writer/Director Andrew Niccol has always been ahead of the curve with his films on emerging technology and Anon is his best film after Gattaca (1997) and In Time (2011).
Where to Stream / Buy: https://www.netflix.com/title/80195964
