The 1997 film , directed by Gabriele Salvatores, is a visually rich, low-budget Italian cyberpunk thriller that has gained a dedicated cult following despite mixed critical reviews . It is often praised for its immersive atmosphere and for predating many of the virtual reality concepts popularized by The Matrix and eXistenZ . Review Highlights

Reviewers generally agree that the film is a stylized "mood piece" rather than a perfectly polished blockbuster . Nirvana (1997) - IMDb