Cypher (2002)

High style and noirish overtones about mind control and brainwashing in corporate America. Nothing new there, so nothing new here.

An under-the-radar sci-fi action thriller...

Just like the spies' mission as they hunt for secrets and significance inside massive corporate databanks, [Cypher's] point is unclear.

...it declines into high-tech gizmos, whizbang hardware, and hairbreadth escapes, leaving the brain behind for the sake of sheer, overinflated thrills.

It might be just another "DTV dump" title for Miramax, but I'd call Cypher (easily) one of the best direct-to-video titles I've seen all year.

...confounding...

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Natali can’t be bothered to fashion an actual human story around the perpetually buzzing toys and non-stop backstabbing and double-crossing.

combines industrial espionage with alternative reality in a satisfyingly mind-bending plot reminiscent of Philip K. Dick at his best.

I liked it during the scenes when something "cool" was being revealed on screen, but the moment that "cool" ended, my interest waned.