Matt Farrell

Lore & Background

Farrell's involvement begins when FBI Deputy Director Miguel Bowman requests his help following a blackout at the Cyber Division. McClane is assigned to pick him up in New Jersey, but assassins led by Mai Linh attack immediately upon arrival. During their escape to Washington D.C., Farrell reveals he wrote an algorithm for Gabriel's girlfriend, Mai Linh, believing it was for legitimate security purposes. He realizes too late that his code facilitated the "fire sale," a three-stage cyber attack targeting transportation grids and the stock market. As they travel, they deduce Gabriel's next target is the power grid in West Virginia, where they fight off Linh's team. After Linh dies in an elevator shaft explosion, Farrell traces Gabriel to Woodlawn, Maryland. There, he discovers the facility is actually an NSA backup site for personal and financial records. In a critical moment during the infiltration of this facility, Farrell locates the main server and encrypts the data Gabriel's men had downloaded before being captured.

In Their Own Story

The journey from New Jersey to Washington D.C. sets the tone for their partnership as they evade helicopter ambushes orchestrated by Mai Linh. After surviving an explosion at a utility superstation in West Virginia that caused a massive blackout on the Eastern Seaboard, Farrell and McClane travel via helicopter to Baltimore to find Frederick "Warlock" Kaludis. Warlock identifies the code Farrell wrote for Linh as the key to accessing data at Woodlawn. Using a traceroute, they locate Gabriel at the NSA facility disguised as a Social Security Administration building. During the infiltration, Farrell finds the main server and encrypts the stolen financial data just before Gabriel's men capture him. Gabriel flees the building with Farrell and McClane's daughter, Lucy, taking them to a nearby hangar. Inside, Gabriel demands Farrell decrypt the data; when he refuses, Gabriel shoots him in the leg and threatens to kill Lucy. McClane arrives and kills two of Gabriel's men but is wounded by Emerson. In the final confrontation, Gabriel holds a gun to McClane's shoulder wound; McClane pulls the trigger, sending a bullet through his own shoulder that strikes Gabriel in the heart. Farrell then grabs a pistol and kills Emerson as the FBI arrives.

Reader's Guide

Matt Farrell appears exclusively in Live Free or Die Hard (2007), the fourth installment in the series directed by Len Wiseman. He is played by Justin Long, who also starred alongside Cliff Curtis, Maggie Q, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Kevin Smith. The film was released on June 27, 2007, by 20th Century Fox and grossed $383 million worldwide. Farrell's role is distinct from previous allies as he is a hacker rather than a police officer or military personnel. He works with John McClane (Bruce Willis) to stop Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant). The plot relies heavily on Farrell's technical skills, particularly his ability to recognize the "fire sale" attack and encrypt data at the Woodlawn facility. His character development is driven by guilt over unintentionally aiding Gabriel and a desire to make amends. Kevin Smith appears as Frederick "Warlock" Kaludis, another hacker who assists them. The film received positive reviews from critics and is the only Die Hard movie released with a PG-13 rating.

Did You Know?

• Matt Farrell is portrayed by Justin Long, who also appeared in the film alongside Kevin Smith as Frederick "Warlock" Kaludis.
• Farrell unknowingly helped Thomas Gabriel by writing an algorithm for Mai Linh that was used to crack a specific security system.
• During the climax at the Woodlawn facility, Farrell encrypts the financial data downloaded by Gabriel's men before being captured.
• The film Live Free or Die Hard is based on the 1997 Wired magazine article "A Farewell to Arms" by John Carlin.
• Farrell survives a gunshot wound to the leg inflicted by Thomas Gabriel in the final hangar scene.