12 Movies Like Oppenheimer
8 min read
Our world is gifted with personalities that changed the course of history forever, like Oppenheimer. Despite walking through the road of thrones, they found a way to bloom, giving this world an impossible outcome through their intelligence. Whether it is a Biography or a work of fiction, here is our list of movies that you must watch if you like Oppenheimer.
We have compiled a list of movies like Oppenheimer that may pose a question about history, explore creative minds, and offers one of the best cinematic experience.
12 Movies Like Oppenheimer
THE IMITATION GAME
Director: Morten tyldum
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Mathew Goode, Keira Knightley.
Genre: Biography
IMDB: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
The imitation game is based on the true story of Alan Turing, a mathematical genius who helped break a secret code called the Enigma code (cryptologists thought was unbreakable) during the Second World War. Before its release in 2014, Turing’s name was shadowed somewhere to be uncovered. Directed by Morten Tyldum, the movie perfectly projected Turing’s story and his intelligence in such a way that his name was quickly widespread across the world and got commendable recognition.
In 2015, The Imitation Game was nominated for multiple Oscars, winning Best Writing and Adapted Screenplay. The gripping storyline and Turing display are what make this movie a must-watch. This movie is a character study like Oppenheimer’s and explores the deep and tangled mind of Alan tuning
THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY
Director: Matthew Brown
cast: Dev Patel, Devika Bhise, Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones.
Genre: Drama, Biography
IMDB: 7.2/10
Audience Rating summary: 4.8/5
Srinivasa Ramajuna was born on 22 December 1887 in India, Erode, a man who knew infinity. Without having proper knowledge of pure mathematics, Ramajuna solved complex mathematical equations and gave contributions to number theory and analysis. This movie played an important role in telling the world about a mathematical genius that existed even before Einstein. With its simple narrative plot, this movie was quite loved by people interested in science and mathematics.
Ramajuna’s struggled with racism and xenophobia, as he tried to bring the Western world new ideas of mathematics, mysticism, and spirituality. This is a must-watch movie, especially if you are from an educational background and have mathematics as your core subject. This movie will surely widen your perspective and broaden your knowledge towards ancient knowledge of the ancient Eastern world that changed the lane of modern science forever.
DUNKIRK
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Fionn Whitehead
Genre: War
IMDB: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
After its release in 2017, Dunkirk achieved both commercial and critical success due to its screenplay, sound design, and direction, making it the highest-grossing World War II movie. Many consider it to be Nolan’s best work and one of the greatest war movies of all time. In 2018, Dunkirk won the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Achievement in Sound Editing, and Best Achievement in Film Editing.
Noland’s realistic practical work with explosions, casting, and non-linear storytelling grips every viewer’s attention to the very end and makes this World War II epic a beautifully crafted piece of art.
THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Director: James Marsh
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Emily Watson, Charlie Cox.
Genre: Biography
IMDB: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
If you are a fan of one of the greatest minds of our generation, Theory Of Everything is a must-watch movie for you. The movie’s approach in depicting Hawking’s struggles with motor neuron disorder and his love life is one hell of an emotional ride, it may even break some viewers because it’s based on a true story and life as such can exist and still move on. It has been able to portray a message of hope and human boundaries, which is not limited by our struggles and we can succeed, even from the hard-built concrete, flowers can bloom.
Stephen Hawking himself watched this movie, saying he was able to reflect on his own life, impressed by the acting of Eddie Redmayne (Stephen Hawking) he further adds, “ At the time I thought, he was me”
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
Director: Ron Howard
Casts: Russel Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany.
Genre: Historical Drama
IMDB: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
This movie is based on the story of Nobel prize-winning economist and mathematician John Nash. Despite studying at one of the top universities, Nash believed that going to universities and attaining classes was a waste of time, so he started working on bringing his ideas and theories into paper. As the movie progresses we see how Nash’s life moves on, him getting recruited by the Pentagon and later working to crack Russian codes.
The main stand out from this movie is the character of John Nash.
Highly introverted, lack of social and communication, and most importantly, suffering from schizophrenia. In 2002, it won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Director, and Best Writing and Screenplay. Unfortunately, Russel Crowe, despite his extraordinary performance, did not win the award that he surely deserved.
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Cast: Keir Dullea, William Sylvester, Gary Lockwood
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery
IMDB: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
A Space Odyssey is one of the most accurate sci-fi movies, with its unexpected ending and vague interpretation of Stanley Kubrick’s work, it is loved and praised for its philosophical appraisal and ideas, making it one of the most influential movies of all time.
Released back in 1968, this film presented a whole new idea of scientific research and showed the world, what seemed to be impossible with the limited resources of that time, how hard work and dedication can change and revolutionize the pathway of the film industry forever. This film has won Academy Awards for Best Visual Effect and Best Special Visual Effect and several BAFTA awards in Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Soundtrack in the year 2069.
ARRIVAL
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Tzi Ma, Michael Stuhlbarg
Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller
IMDB: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
As the threat of global war reaches its peak, Bank and her crew try to make contact with extraterrestrial beings with both her and humanity’s existence at stake.
The message of Arrival is deeper than how its plot sails on the surface of the sci-fi genre, showing us the story of a woman and her realization of time progression and the reality of pain. Made with a production budget of only $47 million, the movie had a worldwide gross of $203 million making it a massive hit.
Arrival mainly focuses on time and memory, conversations, and humanity. The film also has some stunning graphics and visuals to keep you close to the screen.
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Director: Edward Burger
Cast: Daniel Bruhl, Flexis Kammerer, Aaron Himler, Devid Striesow
Genre: War
IMDB: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
All Quiet On The Western Port was released in 2022. It captures the dark reality of WWI, giving the new generation a whole new approach to this generation.
The film’s direction, helmed by a visionary director, expertly balances the grim realities of war with poignant moments of humanity, allowing viewers to deeply connect with the characters. The cinematography is breathtaking, capturing the desolate landscapes and the horrors of the battlefield with stunning realism. The hauntingly beautiful score amplifies the emotional impact, adding depth and intensity to every scene.
The film’s imaginative filmmaker skillfully strikes a balance between the heartbreaking human moments and the brutal reality of war, allowing audiences to empathize with the characters on a very personal level. The magnificent cinematography vividly depicts the horrors of the battlefield and the lonely landscapes with astonishing realism. Every scene gains depth, thanks to the hauntingly gorgeous tune, which underlines the emotional effect.
RADIOACTIVE
Director: Marjane Satrapi
Cast: Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Anya Tayloy-Joy, Aneurin Bernard.
Genre: Biography
IMDB: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
Radioactive was released on July 24, 2020. It is based on the real-life story of Madam Curie and her discovery of Radium. Curie is regarded as one of the most influential figures in medical science since her discovery led to her contribution to the treatment of cancer. Born on November 7, 1867, in Poland, Madam Curie was later diagnosed with aplastic pernicious anemia, due to years of radiation exposure.
Though Many critics have negative reviews of the film, as many facts were left out, and poor screenplay and writing, the movie did quite a good job in depicting Curie’s struggle and her love life with Pier which is quite adorable. Of Course, it’s a go-to film as it gives us an important lesson on the life of a real-life superhero.
FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY
Director: Roland Joffe
Cast: Paul Newman, John Cusack, Dwight Schultz, Bonnie Bedelia
Genre: Drama/War
IMDB: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
If you have questions regarding Manhattan projects after watching Oppenheimer, then you should go and watch this 1989 classic. This film showed realistic events of the Manhattan Project with profound accuracy.
The main confrontation in the movie is between General Leslie R. Groves of the US Army and J. Robert Oppenheimer, the head of the scientific team that created the bomb under Groves’ supervision. Conflict was inevitable when there were two men with backgrounds as different as these two. A film like TFAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY demands your full attention. It’s a movie for genuine thinkers, both in terms of the science behind creating an unattainable weapon and the ethical ramifications of aiding in mass murder.
OPPENHEIMER (1980)
Director: Barry Davis
Cast: Sam Waterston, Edward Hardwicke, David Suchet
Genre: Biography, War
IMDB: 8.3/10
Amazon UK: 4.⅕
Yes, you read that right, 1980 Oppenheimer is a BBC TV show made in the year 1980. In the series, Oppenheimer plays the leader of the Manhattan Project’s weapons laboratory during World War II, a time when he was constantly monitored by the government due to his connections to communists.
Between 29 October and 10 December 1980, it was first televised in the UK and from May 11, 1982, in the United States.
This TV show has a single season with 7 total episodes.
THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN
Director: Farhad Safinia
Cast: Mel Gibson, Sean Penn, Eddie Marsan, Steve Coogan
Genre: Drama, Biography
IMDB: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 41%
This film is the definition of true acting. The performances of Mel Gibson and Sean Penn took this film to a whole new level through their performance. Released in 2019, this film has a steady plot that drives us through a journey of two genius personalities, who played a significant role in the publication of what we know today as, the Oxford Dictionary, which was impossible if a madman from a criminal lunatic asylum in the UK had not provided the professor with a list of 10000 new words.
The movie has done exceptionally well in showing us the bonding between these two characters in the film and their role, which would be a revolutionary project in the history of English language literature. Though the film didn’t get any awards or recognition it deserved and is still less popular, this movie will surely tell you a wonderful tale that needs to be known.
