12 Terrifying Tech horror Movies for Halloween
Just as with horror movies, hackers torment and aim to make you miserable with the information they steal from you. With only an Internet connection and pieces of malware, they can cause havoc to unsuspecting victims. These processes have all been acted out in these top 10 tech horror movies and series, and they are meant to give you reasons why you need to secure your privacy.
There are various tools with which you can secure your privacy and make it difficult for hackers to get to you. The use of a VPN encrypts your connection so that shared data remains private. Antivirus Software as well protects your device and data stored from malware. Both tools are easy to use and very efficient.
Tech Horror Movies to Watch
Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)
This is a sequel to 2014’s Unfriended and you can watch it on Netflix. In one of the best tech horror movies, a teenager finds a laptop in a lost and found section of a cyber cafe and takes it home. He goes online and plays a game with his friends who he shows a folder containing cached files of people that appeared to be in danger.
They get dragged into the web as they get a message that threatens their life if they disclose what they have seen to the police and just like that, their planned night of fun turns into horror. It turns out the previous laptop owner; a group of cybercriminals had access to the dark web and was watching over their every move.
Problem – Using unsolicited tech gadgets. Opening cached/unknown files.
Solution – Don’t touch an unknown gadget. Hide your location/identity through a VPN while accessing the stolen property.
Hard Candy (2005)
This is another one from the list of best tech horror movies you can watch on Netflix while you hold your popcorn tight. In this movie, a 14-year-old vigilante lures an online sexual predator into physiological and physical torture. The movie puts the child who is mostly the victim of cyberstalking and online child exploitation as the avenger to such crimes. It gives a breath of fresh air from the norm where the predator always eats the prey.
There are some brutal scenes you will witness and for some, it’s a story of a psychopath, while others think it’s a story of a hero. It’s up to you to decide which one is for you.
Problem – trusting strangers on social media and taking them home.
Solution – always give as little information about yourself as possible to strangers online. Do lots of research on any social media friend before you meet them.
Cam (2018)
Alice works for a website called FreeGirlsLive as a camgirl, and she is obsessed with ranking at the top of the site. Her channel suddenly gets taken over by someone who is exactly like her in both appearance and mannerism.
In Cam, the horrors of exploitation and identity theft are exposed as they happen in a darker context here. Alice’s obsession with getting to the top makes her measure her self-worth with the number of likes she gets, and it drives her into madness. She gets locked out of her online accounts eventually, and her manufactured identity also crumbles. You can watch this movie on Netflix.
Problem – no security of an online account making it easy to hack and take over
Solution – use security measures like 2FA to make it difficult for a hacker to take over your account and steal your identity
Demon Seed (1977)
This movie features the creation of a scientist, which can be likened to the story of Frankenstein and his monster. The scientist creates a super artificial intelligence robot named Proteus who later becomes obsessed with the thought of impregnating the scientist’s wife.
The computer requests for an open terminal through which it can study human behavior and increase its knowledge but Alex the scientist refuses to grant the request. Proteus however finds a terminal at the scientist’s residence and uses it to take control of their automated home, thereby trapping his wife inside. His desire to have a child with his creator’s wife is so it can be immortal.
Problem- leaving devices without strong security
Solution – always use powerful security for your devices to prevent unauthorized access by an intruder.
The iMom (2013)
It’s a short film available on YouTube that centers on our over-reliance on technology. You may begin to wonder at first why stress over raising your child by yourself when you can just solve it all with an iMom. It is great and convenient, but what happens when the language processing of the AI gets compromised?
IMom is part of a weekly series on YouTube that promises to leave your mouth open as the fear of being cooked alive creeps in when you are called chicken affectionately and the robot sees you as food.
After watching iMom, you will have a broader perspective of the merits and perils over-reliance on technology can cause. It’s only for 13 minutes but in that time, the air will be electrified as what you’ll watch will render you speechless.
Problem – leaving children unsupervised with devices
Solution- monitor your kids as they use gadgets and access the internet as they are vulnerable and means through which you could get attacked.
Don’t F**K with Cats (Documentary 2019)
We will begin with a piece of advice: don’t post your vile murder videos online except you want to be humbled by a team of Facebook users.
This documentary is the story of Luke Magnotta who posted disturbing videos of his murders on social media, provoking viewers to come after him. An online manhunt was formed and they were bent on going over the footage looking for clues as to his whereabouts. This was what led to his arrest eventually.
Through this video, you can feel the power of social media, and how it can be used to amplify both good and evil. It’s a real crime case that will horrify you, to say the least. That being said, viewer discretion is advised as the content is way different from the simplicity of the title. You can watch this documentary on Netflix.
Problem – posting too much data online
Solution – make available only what is necessary as the internet isn’t anonymous and what you post can be used to trace you.
Untraceable (2008)
In untraceable, Diane is the chief of cybersecurity trying to track down a serial killer who is wanted for the brutal manslaughter on live TV for all to see. The more views his site gets, the quicker his victims get killed. It’s a movie with a fine line between society’s fetish for gore scenes combined with our increasing detachment from such. Get ready to flinch a lot as the scenes are not known to be pretty. It’s also available on Netflix.
Problem – allowing a live video feed on the internet
Solution – when going live on the internet, try to take away clues and pointers to your real location for your safety.
#Horror (2015)
This plot revolves around 12-year-old girls who are victims of cyberbullying, eating disorders, and parental neglect. They are from wealthy homes but their lives are already a nightmare which became much worse when they got stalked by a throat-slashing serial killer.
As the movie progresses, it’s seen that the girls are ignorant of the fact that their most private moments, even their murders, are recorded and uploaded with a hashtag. A lot of psychos like the videos and it adds to the drive that keeps the serial killer going.
Horror is a movie that shows just how nonchalant we are about even the most horrific online content especially in this age where there is a lot of concern for child safety on the internet. The movie is available to watch on Netflix.
Problem – internet Cyberbullying
Solution – monitor your children’s internet activity and look out for any traces of conveying
Ex Machina (2014)
This sci-fi thriller features Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander. The story revolves around a genius who is about to create and launch an AI that is so much like humans that it creates discord and brings about questions about our consciousness and shallowness.
The plot twists just as there is manipulation and betrayal of trust as the AI stimulates love in the heart of its creator to help her escape. It’s a beautifully creepy movie that is unique and will make your Halloween night a memorable one. It’s available to watch on Netflix and also Amazon Prime Video.
Problem – trusting and granting too much access to a robot
Solution – never give too much access to the software as it can be used against you
Black Mirror (White Bear, Season 2, Episode 2)
This episode from Black Mirror; White Bear would end our list of tech horror movies that are fit to instill the spirit of Halloween in you. It’s carefully selected to keep your heart racing and bring horror to your couch.
In the series, a woman wakes up with amnesia and finds out the world is a slave to a television signal transmitted by the White Bear. The world has been subjected to surveillance and oppression and she takes it upon herself to destroy the transmitter and save humanity from its sadistic path.
This is meant to help you consider taking your privacy seriously as cybercriminals, hackers, data surveillance, and internet restrictions are real.
Problem – too much dependence on internet devices
Solution – take your data privacy seriously as your devices could be hacked and personal data stolen and used against you
Protect Your Privacy
There are several ways you can protect your privacy and the easiest include the use of a tool such as a VPN and your behavior such as activating a private browser or incognito.
- With a VPN, your connection is secure as every data sent would pass through an encrypted channel. So even if the data is intercepted by hackers, all they would see is gibberish that is impossible to crack.
- VPNs also keep you anonymous as your requests come from a different IP address. So hackers, your ISP, and other third parties would be unaware of your internet activities.
- Going incognito when online helps improve your privacy as it prevents browsers from saving cookies so that websites don’t recognize you.
Conclusion
With the coronavirus still around, safety measures have been put in place to celebrate Halloween and so it won’t be business as usual. It’s going to be mostly indoors and it can get boring if you are not properly equipped for the evening.
Our top picks of tech horror movies have all you need to keep you at the edge of your seat while your jaw hangs in horror. It also points to the importance of having your privacy secured and for this, we recommend using LimeVPN. So sit back and enjoy this year’s Halloween from your couch without missing the feel or experience of the holiday.
