Which 1992 film helped popularize virtual reality in mainstream culture?

The 1992 film The Lawnmower Man helped popularize virtual reality in mainstream culture.

Directed by Brett Leonard, the film follows a scientist who uses experimental technology to increase the intelligence of a gardener. Its story presents virtual reality as a powerful, dangerous force, mixing computer-generated imagery with ideas about human enhancement and consciousness.

The film was not a documentary about actual VR systems, and its fictional technology was far more capable than the hardware available in 1992. Nevertheless, its imagery helped introduce terms and visual ideas associated with VR to a wide cinema audience. The movie’s promotional material also emphasized immersive computer worlds at a time when VR was receiving growing media attention.

The film is often discussed alongside later works such as The Matrix and Ready Player One, but those are different productions from different periods. The Lawnmower Man remains an important early example of Hollywood’s fascination with virtual reality.