Movies About Math

Updated May 1, 2024

Many movies have explored Movies About Math. Here are 17 of the best ones.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

★★★★

3.3 out of 4 stars

From Gus Van Sant, starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård
Rated R

Good Will Hunting is a 1997 drama film, written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and directed by Gus Van Sant. It stars Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård. The story follows Will Hunting, a 20-year-old math genius, who is a janitor at M.I.T. He is working on an equation that baffles the faculty, while also dealing with his troubled past. He is constantly at odds with authority figures, until he meets a therapist, Dr. Sean Maguire (Williams), who helps him to confront his fears and ultimately embrace his potential. The film focuses on Will's journey of self-discovery, as he learns to confront his inner demons and find the courage to pursue his dreams. Will learns to accept the help of his friends and colleagues, and in the end, develops a sense of belonging and purpose. The film also features a strong chemistry between its two lead actors, Damon and Williams, and their relationship provides much of the film's emotional resonance.

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

★★★★

3.3 out of 4 stars

From Ron Howard, starring Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer
Rated PG-13

"A Beautiful Mind" is a biographical drama directed by Ron Howard, based on the life of John Forbes Nash Jr., a mathematical genius who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. The film follows Nash from his time at Princeton University in the 1940s to his eventual Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994. Nash is forced to face his delusions and gradually learns to trust other people and accept his limitations. As Nash struggles with his mental illness, he also has to contend with the problems of an unexpected marriage, dealing with the government, and ultimately, winning his battle against his own mind. In the end, Nash's genius allows him to overcome his illness and the film is an uplifting story of resilience and the power of the human spirit.

The Imitation Game (2014)

★★★★

3.2 out of 4 stars

From Morten Tyldum, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Allen Leech
Rated PG-13

The Imitation Game is a 2014 historical drama biopic directed by Morten Tyldum and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as pioneering computer scientist and mathematician Alan Turing. The film follows Turing's life during World War II as he leads a team of cryptanalysts in a race to break the German Enigma code. As Turing and his team work to crack the code, which could turn the tide of the war, Turing finds himself facing persecution from his superiors due to his homosexuality, and is eventually charged with "gross indecency." The film follows Turing's story as he struggles with his inner demons, the prejudices of the world around him, and his race against time to complete his mission.

Contact (1997)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Robert Zemeckis, starring Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Rated PG

Contact is a 1997 American science-fiction drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on Carl Sagan's 1985 novel of the same name. It stars Jodie Foster as Dr. Eleanor "Ellie" Arroway, a SETI scientist who finds strong evidence of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make first contact. The film also stars Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, Tom Skerritt, William Fichtner, John Hurt, Angela Bassett, Jake Busey, and David Morse. The film follows Arroway's journey after she discovers a signal coming from the Vega star system that appears to have been sent intentionally. After secretly briefing government officials, she is chosen to lead a team to make contact with the civilization that sent the signal. Along the way she is met with much opposition from both the public and other scientists. Eventually, she is able to make contact and discovers a message from the aliens that changes her life forever.