1995
In 1988, a young hacker named Dade Murphy, also known as Zero Cool, is arrested and forbidden from touching a computer until his eighteenth birthday. Seven years later, Dade, now known as Crash Override, moves to New York City and quickly falls in with a group of hackers, including the skilled Acid Burn, whose real name is Kate Libby. When their friend Joey attempts to hack the Gibson supercomputer at Ellingson Mineral Corporation, he is caught by the Secret Service and the company's security officer, Eugene Belford, also known as The Plague, who is secretly framing Joey for a virus he himself created to embezzle money. Dade and his friends discover The Plague's scheme and race against time to expose him by hacking into the Gibson and downloading the evidence, all while evading Agent Richard Gill and The Plague's attempts to stop them. The hackers launch a coordinated attack on the Gibson, broadcasting The Plague's confession and the evidence of his crimes to the world, leading to his arrest and the exoneration of Joey and the other hackers.
Save the Cat beat sheet
Hackers opens with a militarized raid on a suburban home, setting a tone of authority versus individual freedom.
Open full beat sheetDade Murphy is listed as Protagonist / Hacker. A highly intelligent 18-year-old hacker with a history of crashing computer systems. In the parsed data, Dade Murphy is connected to 27 scenes, 16 dialogue lines, 16 text mentions, first appearing around scene 4.
27 scenes / 16 dialogue linesKate Libby is listed as Hacker / Love Interest. A skilled hacker and student at Stanton High. In the parsed data, Kate Libby is connected to 14 scenes, 14 dialogue lines, 14 text mentions, first appearing around scene 40.
14 scenes / 14 dialogue linesEugene Belford is listed as Antagonist. A corrupt computer security officer at Ellingson Mineral Corporation. In the parsed data, Eugene Belford is connected to 12 scenes, 3 dialogue lines, 3 text mentions, first appearing around scene 18.
12 scenes / 3 dialogue linesRichard Gill is listed as Secret Service Agent. A determined Secret Service agent hunting hackers. In the parsed data, Richard Gill is connected to 11 scenes, 6 dialogue lines, 6 text mentions, first appearing around scene 18.
11 scenes / 6 dialogue linesRamon Sanchez is listed as Hacker. A hacker friend of Dade, known for phone phreaking. In the parsed data, Ramon Sanchez is connected to 10 scenes, first appearing around scene 11.
10 scenes / 0 dialogue linesEmmanuel Goldstein is listed as Hacker. A quirky hacker friend of Dade. In the parsed data, Emmanuel Goldstein is connected to 9 scenes, 1 dialogue line, 1 text mention, first appearing around scene 49.
9 scenes / 1 dialogue linesJoey Pardella is listed as Hacker. A young, inexperienced hacker who accidentally hacks a bank. In the parsed data, Joey Pardella is connected to 9 scenes, 1 dialogue line, 1 text mention, first appearing around scene 15.
9 scenes / 1 dialogue linesPaul Cook is listed as Hacker. A hacker with a photographic memory. In the parsed data, Paul Cook is connected to 6 scenes, first appearing around scene 24.
6 scenes / 0 dialogue linesLauren Murphy is listed as Dade's Mother. Dade's mother who moves them to New York. In the parsed data, Lauren Murphy is connected to 4 scenes, 1 dialogue line, 1 text mention, first appearing around scene 2.
4 scenes / 1 dialogue linesMargo Wallace is listed as Ellingson Executive. Head of Public Relations at Ellingson Mineral, accomplice to The Plague. In the parsed data, Margo Wallace is connected to 3 scenes, first appearing around scene 28.
3 scenes / 0 dialogue linesArmed troops raid a suburban house while a woman makes breakfast.
Lauren MurphyTroops storm the house and break into Dade's bedroom.
Dade Murphy, Lauren MurphyDade Murphy is sentenced for his hacking crimes.
Dade MurphyDade, now 18, hacks into a TV network.
Dade Murphy, Lauren MurphyDade tricks a security guard to gain access to the station's systems.
Dade MurphyDade engages in a hacking duel with Acid Burn.
Dade Murphy, Kate LibbyDade's mother confronts him about his computer usage.
Dade Murphy, Lauren MurphyDade skates to his new school.
Dade MurphyDade meets Kate Libby at the school office.
Dade Murphy, Kate LibbyDade is pranked by Kate and other students.
Dade Murphy, Kate LibbyDade hacks into school records during class.
Dade Murphy, Kate Libby, Ramon SanchezDade meets The Phantom Phreak and Joey.
Dade Murphy, Ramon Sanchez, Joey PardellaDade visits the hacker hangout Cyberdelia.
Dade Murphy, Kate Libby, Emmanuel Goldstein, Ramon SanchezDade triggers the school sprinklers.
Dade Murphy, Kate Libby, Ramon SanchezThe hackers discuss hacking a Gibson supercomputer.
Dade Murphy, Emmanuel Goldstein, Ramon Sanchez, Joey PardellaJoey hacks into the Gibson.
Joey PardellaThe Plague is alerted to the intrusion.
Eugene BelfordThe Plague and Hal discuss a hacker activity on the Gibson system.
Eugene Belford, Richard GillJoey downloads a file called Garbage as proof of his hack.
Joey PardellaThe Plague arrives and begins tracing Joey's connection.
Eugene Belford, Richard GillJoey's mother interrupts his hacking session.
Joey PardellaThe Plague confirms the trace was successful.
Eugene Belford, Richard GillJoey hides the disk in the ceiling.
Joey PardellaDade, Phreak, and Cereal visit Lord Nikon.
Dade Murphy, Emmanuel Goldstein, Ramon Sanchez, Paul CookThe hackers watch Razor and Blade's show.
Dade Murphy, Emmanuel Goldstein, Ramon Sanchez, Paul CookSecret Service agents raid Joey's apartment.
Joey PardellaAgent Gill arrives and gives an interview.
Richard GillThe Plague presents the virus situation to the board.
Eugene Belford, Margo WallaceThe Plague and Margo discuss the virus scheme.
Eugene Belford, Margo WallaceGill and The Plague question the lack of evidence.
Eugene Belford, Richard GillAgents stake out Joey's apartment.
Dade, Cereal, and Phreak discuss Joey's arrest.
Dade Murphy, Emmanuel Goldstein, Ramon SanchezGill confronts The Plague about Dade Murphy.
Eugene Belford, Richard GillAgents and The Plague confront Dade.
Dade Murphy, Eugene Belford, Richard GillDade has a nightmare about being arrested.
Dade Murphy, Kate Libby, Eugene Belford, Richard GillThe hackers attend a party at Kate's.
Dade Murphy, Kate Libby, Emmanuel Goldstein, Ramon Sanchez, Paul CookJoey attends a recovery group meeting.
Joey PardellaThe hackers discover Kate's laptop.
Dade Murphy, Kate Libby, Emmanuel Goldstein, Ramon Sanchez, Paul CookThe Plague hacks the FBI to find information on Dade.
Eugene Belford, Margo WallaceDade and Kate challenge each other to a hacking contest to prove their skills.
Dade Murphy, Kate LibbyKate hacks into Concourse Bank to max out Agent Gill's credit card.
Kate Libby, Richard GillAgent Gill's credit card is destroyed by a waiter.
Richard GillDade hacks a personal ad system to embarrass Agent Gill.
Dade MurphyGill is harassed by callers responding to the fake personal ad.
Eugene Belford, Richard GillDade and Kate track down Razor and Blade at a club to ask for help.
Dade Murphy, Kate LibbyDade and Kate meet Razor and Blade to discuss the Da Vinci virus.
Dade Murphy, Kate LibbyDade hacks the city traffic light system.
Dade MurphyNikon and Cereal receive the signal to meet at Grand Central.
Emmanuel Goldstein, Paul CookThe hackers set up to attack the Gibson.
Dade Murphy, Kate Libby, Emmanuel Goldstein, Paul Cook, Joey PardellaNorman? This is Mr. Eddie Vedder, from Accounting. I just had a power surge here at home that wiped out a file I was working on. Listen, I'm in big trouble, do you know anything about computers?
Uh, the accounting subdirectory in the Gibson is working really hard. We got one person online, the workload is enough for like ten users. I think we've got a hacker.
Now listen up, use your best viruses to buy us time, we have to get into Plague's file and copy the worm.
Ai! Boom boom aiaiaiaiaee! Alright, that was a little tension breaker, that had to be done, alright?
That was me. That was me. I did that.
I hope you don't screw like you type.
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