I’ve been wanting to post a list of movies about mathematics, science or numbers but never got around to it. This seems to be the best time to do it as we’re in the age of social distancing. Below are some, but certainly not all, the movies out there about math, science or numbers. I put them in order by date released, starting with most recent. It’s by no means a comprehensive list. There are many I have either never heard of or didn’t know were about science and/or mathematics. It’s a nice way to get in some movie time with family, friends or just get some alone time. Let me know which one(s) you’ve seen or if you know of any that are missing from the list. Enjoy and stay safe with a movie about math or science!
Movies about math and science
Hidden Figures (2016) This was a great movie. It was about these African American women who worked at NASA and played a pivotal role in the space program.
The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015)
The Theory of Everything (2014)
Moneyball (2011) This was fun when I first saw it. I honestly thought it was a sports movie, but I kept watching, I was pleasantly surprised. A movie about how the analysis of the various statistics recorded about players was used to choose a winning team. This is becoming more common place now, but it was nice to see some pioneers in other industries seeing the value of mathematics and analytical thought.
October Sky (1999) This is about these four boys living in a mining town wanting to build a rocket. They want a chance out of their little mining town and the science fair is this chance. I really liked this movie because it’s simple, based on real life, and it ends happy. It’s a feel good, underdog type of film.
Infinity (1996) I just saw these recently on Amazon Prime and I was surprised I had never heard of it. It had been a long time since I had seen Matthew Broderick. It was also nice to see a movie about math and Feynman. The movie was more about a period if his life with his wife and their relationship rather than about his math, but it was nice to watch a movie about the human behind the math.
Donald in Mathmagic Land (1959) – That’s Donald Duck!
This is just a short list of the movies about math and science. There many more if you include computer science, forensics and other areas.
