Hidden Superhero Gems On Netflix You Need To Watch

A teen gets shot in the head by street thugs, wakes up with shrapnel from his broken smartphone stuck in his brain, and as a result gets tech-based superpowers. No, seriously, that's the setup for Adam Randall's iBoy, which is based on Kevin Brooks' YA novel of the same name (notably, the book was published 10 years ago, which explains a lot about the film's take on technology).

After his accident, young Tom (Bill Milner) has more abilities than you can imagine. Intercept phone signals? Hack into any device? Learn martial arts in an instant by downloading YouTube tutorials? If it's somehow related to gadgets, Tom can do it, and he won't stop until he brings down the gang that assaulted his friend.

So no, iBoy doesn't make a lot of sense. That's part of its charm. Taken at face value, iBoy is very, very silly. Approach it like a throwback to '90s techno thrillers like Hackers and The Net, which treated the tech with an air of befuddled reverence, and you'll have a much better time. 

There's even an interesting (and possibly unintentional) comment on surveillance culture and vigilantism lurking behind iBoy's cheesy exterior, as Tom's invasion of others' privacy makes him increasingly unlikable as the movie goes on. In the absence of a relatable protagonist, it's up to Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams, who plays Tom's crush Lucy, to do a lot of the emotional heavy lifting. Naturally, she's up to the task.