The Net (1995 film)

Did You Know?

• Sandra Bullock committed to filming The Net from mid-January through April 10, 1995.
• The film was shot at San Francisco's Moscone Center during Macworld on January 5, 1995.
• A sequel, The Net 2.0, directed by Charles Winkler and starring Nikki DeLoach, was released direct-to-video in 2006.

Plot

United States Under Secretary of Defense Michael Bergstrom commits suicide after being told he tested positive for HIV. Freelance systems analyst Angela Bennett, based in Venice, Los Angeles, maintains most of her relationships online or by phone, with few in-person contacts aside from her institutionalized mother who has Alzheimer's disease. Her co-worker Dale sends her a floppy disk containing a backdoor labeled "π" that accesses a security system called Gatekeeper, sold by Gregg Microsystems. Dale dies when his private plane's navigation system malfunctions. On vacation in Cozumel, Mexico, Angela meets Jack Devlin, who seduces her and then arranges for a mugger to steal her purse. Devlin kills the mugger and retrieves the disk. Angela escapes on a speedboat but is knocked unconscious when her dinghy hits rocks. She later discovers the disk is ruined and all records of her life have been deleted. Angela contacts her former lover, psychiatrist Alan Champion, who helps her and arranges to move her mother for safety.

Reception

The Net grossed $50.7 million in the United States and Canada and $110.6 million worldwide against a $22 million budget. On Rotten Tomatoes, 44% of 59 reviews were positive, with the consensus stating the film lacks sufficient thrills or plausible plot points. Metacritic assigned a score of 51 out of 100 based on 22 reviews, indicating mixed or average reviews. Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars, calling it an update of an Alfred Hitchcock trope that is contrived in parts but carried by Bullock's performance. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly praised Bullock, comparing her smile and eyes to Julia Roberts. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B". The film was released on VHS on January 9, 1996, and became the 10th most-rented film in the United States for 1996.