Who would have guessed a movie about a computer nerd could be such a big deal? Now
that the tale of the world's youngest billionaire is receiving raves from critics
and audiences alike, we thought we'd put together a fun little feature to
celebrate David Fincher's The
Social Network. Here, from #15 to #1, are the results of our Fandango
user survey, asking all of you, who are the all-time movie computer geeks?
By Chuck Walton
The #15 spot on our survey is owned by Jeff Fahey, known to modern audiences as fan favorite Captain Frank Lapidus on "Lost," but also known back in the day as Jobe Smith, or "The Lawnmower Man." While not exactly a good guy (far from it in fact), Fahey's Jobe does make an impression as he transforms from simpleton lawnmower guy next door to experimental lab rat to all-powerful, virtual computer man. For early CGI, this is a pretty cool metamorphosis.
At #14, we have a young Charlie Korsmo as the picked-upon high school graduate who is determined to finally get even with the high school jock who's made his teen years miserable. In the process, he'll also learn about the joys of partying and getting completely hammered. He'll also eventually form a hugely profitable computer company. Just like another William we know.
Nerrrdddssss! Who can forget the rallying cry, or the ubiquitous (?) use of the Queen song "We Are the Champions" at the end of Revenge of the Nerds. Leading the charge is ultra-versatile Anthony Edwards as Gilbert Lowell, a pocket nerd in the year 1984. One year later, Edwards would morph into the over-partied frat boy in The Sure Thing.
The cool thing about Ilan Mitchell-Smith's nerd Wyatt Donnelly in Weird Science is that he can make cool things using his computer...like Kelly LeBrock. His creation, named "Lisa," is the kind of ultra-hip party girl who knows a smart and sensitive winner when she sees one, and promptly turns Wyatt into a porsche-driving stud geek.
Amongst computer auteurs, Angelina Jolie represents the ultimate femme nerd. In 1995, developers the world over got their wish - watching Jolie and lots of tech gadgets in the same film frame. She's the ultimate combo: beauty, brains and enough hacking creds to make even Neo the maginificent a bit jealous.
He's adored by millions and is now an Oscar winner. Twenty eight years ago, he was also a super duper computer programmer named Kevin Flynn, who sets into action a chain of events that will be continued this December in Tron: Legacy. The thing about Flynn is that while he's a mega nerd, he was also one of the first smart kids who seemed kind of cool, and even operated his own video game parlor.
Stupid is as stupid does. Same for smart. And same for smartass. Val Kilmer's Chris Knight is the smartass king, who does whatever he pleases and with such a total sense of Real Genius affability that a quarter century later, he's still the whip-smart cool dude we all wish we could be. To quote the man himself, "I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates...who said...I drank what?"
Forget the computer. One of the all-time geeks period, Anthony Michael Hall practically made a living out of playing nerdlike over the course of his early film career. From Sixteen Candles to Weird Science to The Breakfast Club and beyond, Michael Hall effortlessy assayed geeks of varying i.q. and chutzpah.
The other Michael Bolton is such an underrated creation of geek specificity that David Herman is truly deserving of his lucky #7 rating. From the look (glasses, coif, button down shirt and on) to the mannerisms to the ever-increasing irritation over his namesake (plus a special way with gangsta rap), Herman's Bolton is a computer geek for the centuries.
After gaining fame as the endearing, beer-drinking, "eh"-spouting McKenzie brother Bob on SCTV, Moranis evolved from the goofy doof from Ghostbusters to full-fledged zany computer scientist dad in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Imagine the fun if he was your pops. Your backyard could become an adventure through an overgrown Amazon, and your allowance would be as big as a house.
He's not just the Apple guy. In Live Free or Die Hard, Justin Long proves believable as a computer nerd who could literally fight side by side with Bruce Willis. Not too geeky or too polished, Long's Matt Farrell serves as audience substitute for the over-the-top scenarios, and a handy hacker capable of nullifying a bad guy's bank account or utility bill.
Matthew Broderick was the first leading man, movie computer geek star in War Games. He made plugging your phone into a modem, and turning on that nifty audio doo-dad as fun as anything James Bond could pull off. Along with Bridges' Kevin Flynn, Broderick ushered in a golden age of movie computer geekdom.
If you ever need a credible hip computer geek in your movie who's believable as the smart guy, but doesn't need to be on the Mark Wahlberg level of coolness, then Seth Green's your man. He looks like he'd know his way around javascript, and he'd be able to keep his calm around world-class beauties such as Charlize Theron.
While Angelina Jolie's hacker might be the more downloaded one on certain geeks' computers, if you were actually to spend a project together poring through data matrices, Sandra Bullock's the beauty whose next-door-neighbor, down-to-earth appeal and smarts make her the movie star nerd with whom guys and girls would love to share an online chat.
He's not the greatest thespian on the planet. But would you rather see Ben
Affleck in The Matrix? If you asked any real computer geek, who
would be your idealized
comic book superhero version of yourself, then 9 nerds out of 10 say
Keanu Reeves in The Matrix...as long as it's
the first Matrix.
Did the voters miss anyone? Let us know below!
Take one last trip to Oz with the For Good Collector’s Pack, featuring a Movie Ticket and a Limited-Edition Costume Sketch Poster by Paul Tazewell.exclusive sketch of Academy Award-winning designer Paul Tazewell’s original costume design!
*For Good Collector’s Pack is non-refundable. While supplies last. Domestic shipping will be added at checkout. Movie ticket is non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a bundle. The Poster Print will begin shipping in the month of November. Please use a physical address where the item can be delivered. Once carrier confirms delivery, Fandango is not responsible for lost or stolen deliveries. See full terms and conditions at https://redeem.fandango.com/products/for-good-collectors-pack . Universal Pictures Marketing and its affiliates are not sponsors of this bundle.
Grab The Running Man Collectible Pack and receive a movie ticket and an exclusive collectible lenticular card mini-print!
*The Running Man Collectible Pack is non-refundable. While supplies last. Domestic shipping will be added at checkout. Movie ticket is non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a bundle. The Lenticular Card Mini-Print will begin shipping in the month of November. Please use a physical address where the item can be delivered. Once carrier confirms delivery, Fandango is not responsible for lost or stolen deliveries. See full terms and conditions at https://redeem.fandango.com/products/the-running-man-collectible-pack.
Buy a ticket between 11/20-11/29 to opening weekend (12/4-12/7) for Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair and be the first to receive a Gogo Yubari Fortnite outfit!
"Movie ticket is non-refundable. Fortnite outfit will be provided on 11/30/25. Limited time offer. While supplies last. Log into your account on Fandango.com or the Fandango app between 12:00am ET on 11/20/25 and 11:59pm PT on 11/29/25 and purchase at least one movie ticket to ‘Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair’ for an opening weekend showtime (showtimes between 12/4/25 and 12/7/25). On 11/30/25, purchaser will receive a post purchase email containing one (1) Fortnite Promotional Code (“Code”) that is good for one (1) Gogo Yubari Fortnite outfit. Code expires, and must be redeemed at https://www.fortnite.com/redeem by, 4:00pm PT on 12/31/25. Code is one time use only. Limit one Code per Fandango account and Fortnite account. You must have, and be logged into, your Fandango account to receive a Code. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. An Epic Games account is required to play Fortnite and redeem a Code. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer is subject to Fandango's terms and policies, at http://www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies. Redemption of the Code is subject to Epic Games’ Terms of Service, at https://legal.epicgames.com/en-US/epicgames/tos.
Buy tickets to see the film three times in IMAX, get a limited-edition Avatar: Fire and Ash print
Limited time offer. While supplies last. Log into your account on Fandango.com or the Fandango app between 6:00am PT on 11/17/25 and 11:59pm PT on 1/23/26 and purchase at least three (3) IMAX tickets to three (3) different IMAX showtimes of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ (purchases must be made in separate transactions). Purchaser will receive an email on 1/25/26 containing one (1) Promotional Code (“Code”) that is redeemable for one Avatar: Fire and Ash limited-edition IMAX print, while supplies last. Limited-edition print will ship in February. There is a limited quantity of Codes available in this promotion. Codes will stop being distributed on the earlier of (i) the Code distribution limit being reached, (ii) Avatar: Fire and Ash no longer being in theaters, or (iii) 11:59pm PT on 1/26/26. There is a limited quantity of Code redemptions available in this promotion. Code expires, and can no longer be used, when the limit of Code redemptions has been reached, or at 11:59pm PT on 2/1/26, whichever comes first. Limit one Code per transaction. You may have to pay taxes additionally. One-time use only. Void where prohibited. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. If lost or stolen, cannot be replaced. No cash value, except as required by law. Non-transferable. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. Offer valid in the U.S. only. You must have, and be logged into, your Fandango account to receive a Code. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer is subject to Fandango Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy at Terms and Policies at http://www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies.
Embark on a final journey to Pandora with the Collector’s Print Bundle, featuring one Movie Ticket and a Limited-Edition Print!
*Collector’s Print Bundle is non-refundable. Domestic shipping will be added at checkout. Limited time offer. While supplies last. Movie tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a bundle. The Collectible Mini Print will begin shipping in December. Please use a physical U.S. address where the poster shipment can be delivered. Once carrier confirms delivery, Fandango is not responsible for lost or stolen deliveries. See full terms and conditions at https://redeem.fandango.com/products/collectors-print-bundle.
Get the "Pandango Pin Bundle" and receive a Zootopia 2 ticket and an exclusive mystery pin of Nick and Judy, Flash or Gary!
*Pandango Pin Bundle is non-refundable. While supplies last. Domestic shipping will be added at checkout. Movie ticket is non-refundable and non-exchangeable. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a bundle. The Official Disney Exclusive Collectible Pin will begin shipping in the month of November. Please use a physical U.S. address where the item can be delivered. Once carrier confirms delivery, Fandango is not responsible for lost or stolen deliveries. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. See https://redeem.fandango.com/products/pandango-pin-bundle for full terms and conditions.
Let the games begins. Don’t miss all your favorite Superstars at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames!
Two elements, one world, double the points! Buy your tickets to Avatar: The Way of Water Re-Release and Avatar: Fire and Ash to get 2x FanRewards points*.
*Limited time offer. Log in to your account on Fandango.com or the Fandango app between 9am PT on September 19, 2025, and 11:59pm PT on January 4, 2026, buy a minimum of one (1) ticket to each of Avatar: The Way of Water Re-release and Avatar: Fire and Ash (the purchases do not have to be in the same transaction), and for each ticket you buy, you will receive double FanRewards Points (250 per ticket, instead of the usual 125) in your Fandango account -- 125 FanRewards Points per ticket will be posted to your Fandango account after your purchase, and 125 FanRewards Points per ticket will be posted to your Fandango account by January 9, 2026 if you qualify for this offer. You must be logged in to your Fandango account to receive and spend FanRewards Points. You must be logged in to the same Fandango account when you purchase your tickets to each of the three movies to qualify for this offer. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. When you receive 500 FanRewards Points, you will receive a $5.00 Discount Reward which you will need to convert into a Discount Promo Code for use on a qualifying purchase on http://www.fandango.com (which can be used on http://www.movietickets.com) or http://www.fandangoathome.com. Discount Promo Code expires 21 days after the $5.00 Discount Reward is posted to your Fandango account. Discount Promo Code cannot be combined with any other offer, promo code or discount. You may be required to pay taxes additionally. Discount Promo Codes cannot be used to purchase a gift card. After applying your Discount Promo Code, any unused balance will automatically expire. Void where prohibited. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer is subject to the FanRewards terms at https://www.fandango.com/policies/fanrewards-terms and Fandango’s Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy at http://www.fandango.com/Terms-and-Policies.
Buy a ticket to Rental Family for a chance to win a trip to Tokyo, Japan!
NO PURCHASE OR APP NECESSARY. Purchase does not increase chances of winning. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 18 years of age and older, provided, however, that Grand Prize winner must be 21+, or 18+ and accompanied by a guest that is 21+. Void where prohibited. Ends December 21, 2025, visit https://www.fandangomovietickets.com/tokyosweepstakes. Sponsor: Fandango Media, LLC, 10 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608.
Buy a ticket to Now You See Me Now You Don't, get $5 off the Now You See Me 3-Film Collection bundle on Fandango at Home!
Limited time offer. Log into your account on Fandango.com or the Fandango app between 12:01am PT on 10/29/25 and 11:59pm PT on 12/15/25 and purchase at least one movie ticket to ‘Now You See Me Now You Don’t”. Purchaser will receive a post-purchase email containing 1 Fandango at Home Promotional Code (“Code”) that is good for the purchase (and not the rental) of the Now You See Me 3-Film Collection bundle for $5 off in My Offers in your account on http://athome.fandango.com and via participating Fandango at Home apps. You must have, and be logged into, your Fandango account to receive a Code. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. Code expires on (and must be used by) 12/19/25 at 11:59pm PT. Limit one per transaction. You may have to pay taxes additionally. One-time use only. Void where prohibited. If lost or stolen, cannot be replaced. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value, except as required by law. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. Offer valid in the U.S. only (excluding U.S. territories and where prohibited by law). You must have a Fandango at Home account to redeem your Code on Fandango at Home. Fandango at Home is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to open a Fandango at Home account. Credit card may be required for transactions on fandangoathome.com. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer and redemption of the Code are subject to Fandango Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy at http://www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies.
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