The Net (1995):

Episode Summary

In this episode of Celluloid Circuits, we boot up our 90s dial-up modems and dive deep into The Net — the 1995 techno-thriller starring Sandra Bullock that eerily predicted the age of digital surveillance, identity theft, and life lived entirely online.

We explore:

- How The Net captured early fears about the internet just as most people were getting online.

- The tech tools that made Angela Bennett’s life so advanced (and vulnerable) in 1995.

- Gatekeeper as a metaphor for trusting software — and how that trust can be exploited.

- The chilling idea that if you’re erased from the system, you’re erased from society itself.

- Why the film’s themes of isolation, convenience, and control are more relevant than ever.

Plus, we break down how these ideas connect to today’s concerns about data breaches, algorithmic bias, and living in a world where your entire identity exists in scattered databases.

TLDR

Digital convenience often comes at the price of privacy and autonomy.

A connected world doesn’t always mean a supported one — Angela’s story is a cautionary tale of isolation.

The systems we trust to keep us safe can also be used to control or erase us.

Nearly 30 years later, The Net feels less like retro paranoia and more like an unsettling prophecy.

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Up Next

In our next episode, we’ll explore the blurred lines between human and machine in Her and Ex Machina. From romantic AIs to manipulative androids, we’ll break down how these films challenge our ideas of consciousness, ethics, and love.

Thanks for listening — and remember, the future is only a reel away.