For My Fellow Nerds: Here is a List of the Best Movies about Science

If you are looking for movies about science or movies about scientists, then look no further than our list of top 14 movies:

Top Movies about Science and Scientists:

Oppenheimer (2023)

• Genre: Biography, History, Drama.
• Director: Christopher Nolan.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

I am so glad about the Barbenheimer trend that broke the internet since I truly believe that it helped shine a light on the Oppenheimer movie. and drew the attention of a younger and wider audience.

Plot Summary: The movie is set during World War II, and it follows the story of a physicist (Robert Oppenheimer). who was entrusted with the hard task of leading a top-secret project to develop the atomic bomb. that ended the war.

The film has big household names, mainly Cillian Murphy who did an amazing job portraying Oppenheimer’s emotions, ambition, and moral complexity.

The film does not use CGI. all the visually stunning shots were made with the use of practical effects since Nolan wanted the film to feel as real as possible. The film used a variety of techniques to recreate the atomic bomb explosions, including miniatures, models, and pyrotechnics.

Continue reading for more movies like Oppenheimer.

Tesla (2020)

• Genre: Biography, Drama.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

NO this is not about Elon Musk or the elegant electronic Car.

This movie is a biography of Nikola Tesla, and his extraordinary career as a visionary inventor. and his achievements relating to electricity and technology.

The movie explores the tense rivalry between Tesla and Thomas Edison. It also showcases Tesla’s financial struggles due to his inability to monetize his ideas effectively. leading to hardships and personal challenges.

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)

• Genre: Documentary, Crime.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.
• Available on: HBO Max.

Plot Summary: This movie documents the life of Elizabeth Holmes who was believed to be the next Steve Jobs only to turn out she is a big Steve FRAUD.

Elizabeth Holmes claimed to have the technology to transform the healthcare industry. by making a device capable of conducting a wide range of blood tests with just a few drops of blood.

With her seemingly promising idea and her persona. Holmes managed to secure massive funding for her company, valuing it at billions of dollars.

However, it was only a matter of time before journalists and industry experts argued that technology was far from being functional. And former employees revealed that test results were fake and were conducted by traditional blood testing methods. This resulted in investigations and legal actions against the company and its leadership.

movies about science or movies about scientists.

Radioactive (2019)

• Genre: Biography, History
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: This is a film about the legacy of Marie Curie, the movie is set in 1930, and it tells the story of Marie Curie who was a brilliant scientist. despite her gender and the discrimination against her. She conducted pioneering research on radioactivity and continued her work to win two Nobel Prizes.

Despite her success and groundbreaking results. Curie experienced the dark side of radioactivity She and her husband both suffer from radiation poisoning and eventually died from it.

The movie portrays science as both an asset and a grave danger. and it is the scientists who are courageous enough to risk their lives for the future of humanity.

Hidden Figures (2016)

• Genre: Biography, Drama, History
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: Based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s Book of the same name. Hidden Figures is about the lives of three brilliant African-American women who worked at NASA during the early years of the space program. And how Despite facing racial and gender discrimination, these women prove their exceptional talents and intelligence.

The movie Shines a light on those great figures that once were hidden:

• Katherine Goble Johnson (Played by Taraji P. Henson):
  A brilliant mathematician, assigned to work in the Space Task Group. She was recognized for her hard work and intellect and was given the opportunity to contribute significantly to the program.
• Dorothy Vaughan (Played by Octavia Spencer):
  When computers posed a threat to her job. she took it upon herself to learn programming and becomes an expert at this new technology.
• Mary Jackson (Played by Janelle Monáe): She became NASA’s first African-American female engineer.

movies about science or movies about scientists.

The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015)

• Genre: Biography, History
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: The movie is based on the real-life story of Srinivasa Ramanujan. He is a self-taught mathematical prodigy with a unique ability to intuitively understand and solve complex mathematical problems.

he faced significant challenges due to not having money or formal education he was not able to get approved by academic institutions in India. but his love and passion for Math made room for him and he got the recognition he deserved.

The Theory of Everything (2014)

• Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: This movie is a biography of Stephen Hawking, and it is quite unique because Hawking was alive during the production of the film. He was involved in the production and provided valuable information to the filmmakers he praised Eddie’s portrayal of him. It is such a beautiful motivational movie, about an unbreakable soul.

The Imitation Game (2014)

• Genre: Biography, Drama, Thriller.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: Set during World War II this historical drama is based on the life of Alan Turing, who is a brilliant computer scientist. Turing was tasked with breaking the German Enigma code. The film explores his struggle to gain acceptance due to his eccentric behavior.

movies about science or movies about scientists.

Interstellar (2014)

This is the only fictional movie on this list but one can’t talk about scientific movies without mentioning Interstellar. Same as Oppenheimer this movie is directed by the great Mr. Christopher Nolan.

• Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: Interstellar is a Sci-Fi movie, set in a time when Earth has been damaged beyond repair due to environmental changes. Of course, it is upon NASA to discover and look for a chance for humanity’s survival in distant galaxies.

Interstellar tells a thought-provoking tale of love, time, and human resilience in the face of adversity.

Jobs (2013)

• Genre: Biography, Drama.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: “Jobs” is a biographical drama starring Ashton Kutcher, telling the story of Steve Jobs the co-founder of Apple. the movie showcases Steve’s journey from a college dropout to becoming one of the most influential figures in the tech industry.

The film also explores the complexity of Jobs’ personality, emphasizing his perfectionism, and demanding personality. and his relationships with coworkers, and tension with Apple’s management.

The Social Network (2010)

• Genre: Biography, Drama.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: “The Social Network” is a biographical drama film about the creation of Facebook and the and legal disputes that followed it.

The story is set at Harvard University back in 2003. when Mark Zuckerberg created a website called Facemash by hacking into college databases to steal photos of female students, then allowing site visitors to rate their attractiveness. the site quickly went viral among students.

Inspired by this success, Zuckerberg partnered with his best friend, to develop a more sophisticated platform. or what we currently know as “Facebook.”

More movies like Oppenheimer and movies about science and scientists.

Flash of Genius (2008)

• Genre: Biography, Drama.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

What is a better idea than naming a movie about patent conflict from patent law terminology?

the phrase “flash of genius” is patent law terminology that was in effect from 1941 to 1952.

Flash of Genius is a biographical film. And it revolves around the story of Robert Kearns and his legal battle against the Ford Motor Company. after they developed an intermittent windshield wiper based on his idea.

The Aviator (2004)

• Genre: Biography, Drama.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: This movie is a biography about the incredible life of Howard Hughes. an American pilot, director, and entrepreneur, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. Hughes’s rise from a young, ambitious heir to his family’s wealth to a pioneer in aviation. leaving a permanent mark in the industry and history.

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

• Genre: Biography, Drama.
• Cast and Crew: Click here.

Plot Summary: The Movie follows the life of John Nash. a brilliant mathematician who struggles with social interactions and mental health issues. The film portrays his triumphs in mathematics alongside his struggle with mental illness. the movie highlighted the importance of love and support.

That was it for movies about science.

I hope this was a fun read for you,

If you made it to the end I want to say thank you so much, it means a lot to me.
Also, I would love to know what your thoughts are. Please let me know in the comments below.

See you at the next one, bye.