Township’s Top 6 Techno-Horror Picks for Halloween
This Halloween, are you looking to be terrified by technology? If so, the Township team has assembled a list of our favorite entertainment that explores some unnerving tech scenarios for your viewing pleasure.
1. The Fly, 1986
First, it’s Cronenberg AND Goldblum–how could you not love that? Second, it has some good software development lessons: don’t drink (too much) while building things and spend some time thinking through edge cases.
- Ryan Williams, Software Engineer
The Tech: A Teleportation Device
Where to Watch: Hulu, HBO Max
2. Countdown, 2019
This movie reminds me of those old Facebook quizzes that would tell you at what age you were going to die. I never did get why people would take those things.
- Natasha Johnson, Software Engineer
The Tech: A Death Predicting Mobile App
Where to Watch: Prime Video, DIRECTV
3. Bicentennial Man, 1999
Hear me out… the fact that the robot looks so much like Robin Williams...terrifying. The fact that this robot falls in love with the granddaughter of a woman who loved this robot...also terrifying.
- Angela Sheppard, Engineering Manager
The Tech: Robotic Surgeon
Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
4. Black Mirror season 3, episode 6: "Hated in the Nation," 2016
I think about this episode at least once a week. Black Mirror as a series is about seeing how far technology stretches human emotions. This episode doesn’t have to push nearly as far as you might expect to go from “social media outrage cycle” to “literal swarms of insects killing people.”
- Kenna Hynes, Sr. People Specialist
The Tech: Killer Robot Bees
Where to Watch: Netflix
5. Smart House, 1999
Smart House shows that at the end of the day, technology is a tool, not a replacement for humans and certainly not a fast-forward button through essential human emotions like grief. AI will never replace the mom-shaped hole in your heart. There's a balance to be found in centering the stuff we build around the people who use it, rather than the other way around. Smart House shows us that technology does what we ask of it–but woe to those who ask for the wrong thing.
- Megan Coyle, Director of People
The Tech: A Fully-Automated Dream House
Where to Watch: Disney+
6. Upgrade, 2018
What would happen if a hybrid of Mark Zuckerbeg and Elon Musk could implant a super chip in the the body Trey Atwood from the OC? (the real Trey, not the original forgotten Trey.) Of course, a lot of people would get punched in the face. But it gets worse.
- Matt McInerney, Partner
The Tech: Implantable AI Super Chip
Where to Watch: Hulu, Prime Video
