The Imitation Game is a historical drama that stars modern-day fop and Marvel sorcerer Benedict Cumberbatch as the brilliant but haunted Alan Turing, one of the first computer programmers in the world, whose effort in cracking The Enigma Code in WWII led to saving thousands of lives and helping to end the war. His tormented soul was highlighted in the highly acclaimed biopic, and that got us thinking about other historical movies like The Imitation Game that people might also enjoy.
Movies Like The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything (2014)
Another genius is presented here, this time Stephen Hawking. The film takes a poignant look at Stephen’s early life before he achieved worldwide fame and examines the terrible illness that would affect him physically, but not mentally. Eddie Redmayne would receive an Academy Award for his work on the film.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Russell Crowe goes against type to play the mathematician John Nash in this heartbreaking look at the life of Nash, a Nobel prize winner who was plagued by mental health issues. The film follows the time Nash spent at Princeton, and under the watchful eye of director Ron Howard, became an Oscar winner.
Schindler’s List (1993)
German Industrialist Oskar Schindler is featured in this traumatic look at the man’s attempts to save his Jewish workers hunted by the Nazis in Germany during the Holocaust. Liam Neeson is magnificent in the role, under the direction of Steven Spielberg. and the film became another Oscar winner.
Darkest Hour (2017)
Winston Churchill is the man of the hour in this WWII historical drama with Gary Oldman turning in another fantastic performance as the UK’s Prime Minister, battling to halt the war spreading through Europe. The film explored the nightmarish period in history, with Churchill struggling against the odds to stop the Nazi war machine.
Creation (2009)
This film chooses Charles Darwin as its focal point, with Marvel‘s bereft android Paul Bettany in the lead role, presenting a genius struggling with the divide between faith and science, and also dealing with his own hallucinations and self-doubts. Bettany would star in the film with his real-life wife Jennifer Connelly, but sadly it did not strike much of a chord with its audience.
Codebreaker (2011)
This movie, like The Imitation Game, is a look at the life of Alan Turing, this time with Ed Stoppard in the role and co-starring under-rated Doctor Who and friend of Withnail, Paul McGann. The drama documentary focuses on the therapy sessions that Turin had in the last eighteen months of his life, and the sessions presented are all based on real meetings. The film also uses testimony from real people who knew and remembered Turin.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Gus Van Sant directs this fan-favorite feel-good film that follows Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT with an aptitude for mathematics, struggling with his own inner demons until he meets a soul mate. Robin Williams and Matt Damon just shine together and after he died in 2014, the bench where the characters share a conversation became a makeshift memorial for Williams.
Hidden Figures (2016)
This inspirational film follows the true story of the African-American female mathematicians who worked at NASA at the height of the space race. The film shows the obstacles that these amazing women faced and overcame as they proved vital in the realm of space exploration. Directed by Theodore Melfi, the film would receive three Oscar nominations.
The Good Shepherd (2006)
Did you know grumpy gangster Robert DeNiro directed this historical drama about the origins of the CIA? I didn’t, and it seems that despite the strong A-list cast and director, the film sailed under the radar. Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie star in this look at the secret organization through the eyes of Damon’s Edward Wilson, trying to cope with The Bay of Pigs incident and reminiscing about his past.
The Wind Rises (2013)
And finally, here’s one you may not know of. The Wind Rises is a masterpiece of animation from Hayao Miyazaki, and rather than mathematics, the film explores the world of a visionary aeronautical engineer and the struggles he faces as he traverses some ethical choices with his work being used in WWII by the Japanese.
Do you have any other recommendations for movies like The Imitation Game? Let us know!
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