‘Cypher’ Is an Underrated Sci-Fi Chiller from the Director of ‘Cube’

Welcome to The Overlooked Motel, a place where under-seen and unappreciated films get their moment in the spotlight. I hope you enjoy your stay here and find the accommodations suitable. Now, please take a seat and make yourself comfortable. I have some misbehaving guests to ‘correct.’ 

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Today’s selection is a tragically under-seen sci-fi thriller that unfolds within the high-stakes world of corporate espionage. The film functions similarly to a political thriller with tech industry treachery standing in for governmental intrigue and workplace intel replacing state secrets. All that to say Cypher is likely to appeal to anyone fond of a paranoid political thriller. The flick is also bound to resonate with those looking for an unpredictable ride with ample twists and turns along the way to a shocking conclusion. 

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Cypher follows Morgan Sullivan (Jeremy Northam), who goes undercover posing as corporate schlub Jack Thursby for the sake of some good old-fashioned corporate espionage. He begins his career as a workplace spy by recording transmissions at corporate seminars and eventually goes undercover at a rival tech company to pilfer their precious trade secrets. The deeper into his cover Morgan gets, the more detached from his own reality he becomes. When he meets a mysterious woman called Rita (Lucy Liu), Morgan thinks he’s found an ally. But he can’t be entirely certain. Matters escalate from there, building to a finale full of twists and a shocking final revelation few will see coming.  

In addition to serving similar energy to a political thriller, Cypher also brings to mind the corporate espionage film The Spanish Prisoner. Cypher doesn’t quite live up to The Spanish Prisoner in terms of overall execution or utter originality. However, I see several similarities between the two pictures. The paranoid atmosphere, as well as the elaborate lengths to which the narrative goes to keep the viewer guessing, are reminiscent of that overlooked offering from the late ‘90s, which I previously covered here.  

Cypher marks the first collaboration between Cube director Vincenzo Natali and screenwriter Brian King. The pair later reteamed for the Abigail Breslin-starring supernatural horror picture Haunter. Natali proves, once again, that he knows exactly how to craft palpable tension on a minimal budget. Here, the tension comes from the lack of certainty that persists throughout. Even Morgan isn’t entirely sure what’s going on. We catch up with him right as he’s prepping for his first assignment, but the viewer lacks context and is likely to find themselves just as clueless as Morgan appears to be. That approach goes a long way to preserve the numerous twists that play out on the way to the film’s shocking conclusion. 

Similar to King’s script for Haunter, Cypher delivers a third-act revelation that changes everything that came before it. The reveal is well-supported by the narrative. However, the corroborating evidence comes across as relatively innocuous until the viewer has all the context to put the pieces together. 

I’m often reluctant to revisit a film with a twist ending. Once the cat is out of the bag, a second viewing can easily feel tedious and unnecessary. But the twist here is compelling enough that I enjoyed revisiting the film a second time to look for contextual clues I may have missed.

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Aside from a nicely staged twist, the flick also features strong performances from the key players. Jeremy Northam makes for an engaging lead here. His turn as Morgan is complex. He convincingly comes across as a very different person at the beginning of the film compared to the end. I won’t say anything more than that to avoid giving too much away. But you’ll see exactly what I mean if you opt to seek Cypher out.  

Northam’s costar Lucy Liu makes for a compelling addition to any film. She is a dynamic actor with far more range than she gets credit for. Liu is proficient with fight choreography; she has effective comedic timing; and she can effortlessly sell an emotional moment. Few can check all three boxes, but Liu checks those and more. Here, she gives femme fatale energy and keeps the viewer in suspense regarding her true intentions until the very end. 

My chief complaint with Cypher is that the CG effects and green screen sequences haven’t aged well. They weren’t great in 2002. But they are even less impressive now. However, if you can look past that piece, there’s plenty to appreciate about Cypher. 

In short, the film features a twisty, unpredictable narrative, strong performances from both leads, and keen direction by Vincenzo Natali. If you’re game to seek the flick out, you can find Cypher available as a digital rental and on physical media as of the publication of this post.  

That’s all for this installment of The Overlooked Motel. If you’d like to chat more about under-seen and underrated films, feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter, Threads, or Instagram. 

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