10 Best Movies Like 'Oppenheimer' (2024)

Whether they specialize in biology, geology, chemistry, or physics, fans love to see that excited look when a scientist makes a breakthrough. But these discoveries aren't always as cheery as Doc Brown inventing the flux capacitor. Some discoveries have dire consequences, as shown in. Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.

Nolan's most recent movie tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer as he aids in the invention of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer blew past expectations and dominated the box office, especially as "Barbenheimer" fever swept the world. Viewers who have already seen Nolan's latest epic (or are waiting to watch it) will be glad to know there are several other films like Oppenheimer to choose from to satisfy that need for the perfect mix of drama and science. While there isn't a great selection of movies about Oppenheimer himself, if you're in need of some scientific cinema to freshen up those brain cells, then look no further.

10 'Tesla' (2020)

Director: Michael Almereyda

Not a film about the world's most popular electric car company, Tesla is an underrated biopic movie about famed inventor Nikola Tesla finding his purpose. Like Thomas Edison, Tesla invented many forms of electrical motors and machines, of which very few ever made international acclaim in his lifetime. His attempts to bring his new system for worldwide wireless energy are met with numerous obstacles from a variety of external factors.

Starring Ethan Hawke, this film is essential for history lovers and fans of Nolan's The Prestige (2006), as Tesla is depicted as a man with a singular mission. It may not be the highest-reviewed film in the genre, but it's perfect for getting your science gears spinning much like they did with Oppenheimer​​​​.

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9 'Radioactive' (2019)

Director: Marjane Satrapi

A story directly portraying the deadly consequences of scientific discovery, Radioactive is about the life of Marie Curie and the release of polonium and radium upon the world. Substances not fully understood at the time, Marie promoted the usage of radium without knowing its radioactivity was poisoning its users. While she explored its applications in medicine, it soon becomes apparent that there's a dangerous potential application in warfare, too.

The film is quite a parallel to what fans get from Oppenheimer; a misunderstood scientific discovery directly causing the deaths of countless individuals. Starring Rosamund Pike as Marie Curie, Radioactive is one of the best period dramas in recent memory as viewers watch Marie realize the horrors she's released into the world.

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8 'The Man Who Knew Infinity' (2015)

Director: Matthew Brown

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Dev Patel– known for his work in Lion, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Green Knight – boasts an iconic performance as real-life mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. Originally a lower-class citizen from India, Ramanujan emigrated to England to attend Cambridge University and subsequently made breakthroughs in mathematical theory. With the help of his professor, G. H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons), Srinivasa becomes a renowned pioneer in mathematics, with his work forever changing future theories.

The film takes place during World War I and unravels Ramanujan's fight against racial prejudice at Cambridge and tuberculosis, adding some hard-hitting drama to the academic tale. It's a classic story akin to The Theory of Everything that's bound to scratch that itch for more movies like Oppenheimer.

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7 'The Theory of Everything' (2014)

Director: James Marsh

The story of one of the world's most influential people, The Theory of Everything illustrates the early life of famed physicist Stephen Hawking. Performed by Eddie Redmayne, viewers follow Hawking in the 1960s as a Cambridge University student and has he falls in love with Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones). There are highs as he revels in scientific discoveries but lows as he also comes to terms with his diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Although the movie is not an accurate depiction of true events, The Theory of Everything still excels in portraying a man fighting against the clock, himself, and love. Like J. Robert Oppenheimer, Stephen Hawking is a controversial figure who changed the way people perceive science and the limitations (or lack thereof) of physics as a whole.

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Director: Theodore Melfi

An essential viewing for any history buff, Hidden Figures is the film that brought three unsung American heroes back into the spotlight. Taking place in 1962, this film revolves around NASA's John Glenn orbital launch, and, more prominently, the three Black female mathematicians whose calculations and intelligence helped accomplish the mission.

Less so a scientific breakthrough than a social one, this is a story worth admiring and sparks excitement as fans watch Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) make history. The film depicts the unique challenges they go through as Black women in the predominantly white male-dominated industry and highlights the three women's stories in an inspiring way. Oppenheimer is admittedly a less celebratory affair, but Hidden Figures is still a contemplative and important addition to any scientist's film collection.

Hidden Figures

PG

Where to Watch

• stream
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Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

December 10, 2016

Director

Theodore Melfi

Cast

Taraji P. Henson , Octavia Spencer , Janelle Monae , Kevin Costner , Kirsten Dunst , Jim Parsons , Mahershala Ali , Aldis Hodge , Glen Powell

Runtime

126

Main Genre

Drama

5 'Arrival' (2016)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, this sci-fi drama depicts the arrival of alien spacecraft all across the globe and how humans attempt to communicate with them. Directed by Denis Villeneuve – who also directed Dune (2021) and Prisoners (2013) – the film approaches the situation with realism similar to that of Interstellar.

What unfurls are a series of life-altering revelations for the linguist Louise Banks (Adams), who leads the communication team, as she begins to achieve a dialogue with the mysterious visitors. Despite leaning into fiction rather than real life, Arrival is an entrancing film that makes viewers feel as if they're making discoveries right alongside Adams, especially considering the amount of research that went into ensuring the scientific accuracy behind the movie's use of linguistics concepts. It also performs on a similar grand scale that Oppenheimer boasts.

Arrival

PG-13

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Where to Watch

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*Availability in US

Release Date

November 10, 2016

Director

Denis Villeneuve

Cast

Michael Stuhlbarg , Forest Whitaker , Tzi Ma , Amy Adams , Mark O'Brien , Jeremy Renner , Nathaly Thibault

Runtime

116 Minutes

4 'The Imitation Game' (2014)

Director: Morten Tyldum

Not for the faint of heart, The Imitation Game is a British drama set during World War II and boasts an entrancing performance by Benedict Cumberbatch as puzzle-genius Alan Turing. This Academy Award-winning film depicts WWII from the intelligence perspective and tells how MI6 (the British Secret Intelligence Service) deciphered the infamous Nazi codes. Turing's brilliant team, which includes Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), works day and night to crack the codes.

Cumberbatch's portrayal of Turing is beautiful yet tragic as viewers see this character struggle with the pressures of genius and fight inner and outer demons within a homophobic 1939 England. If you like watching characters spend all night mulling over equations and puzzles, then The Imitation Game is the perfect follow-up to Oppenheimer.

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3 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001)

Director: Ron Howard

This Russell Crowe vehicle blew audiences away during the turn of the century, displaying the emotional life of mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. A gripping story loosely based on the eponymous biography by Sylvia Nasar, the film depicts how Nash earned his Nobel Prize award in economics while at the same time learning to live with schizophrenia. Nash is initially portrayed as an arrogant and self-confident person, only to later go through a rough journey that reveals more about who he really is.

A Beautiful Mind is a movie that focuses more on Nash's mental health than the details surrounding his work (just as Oppenheimer sheds light on the theoretical physicist's mental state over the course of his life). Director Ron Howard's film shows the pressure of success, but also how self-discovery is just as important as a scientific one.

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2 '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

How does a sci-fi film from 1968 prime you for one in 2023? Well, 2001: A Space Odyssey, one of Stanley Kubrick's best films, revolves around themes of evolution, scientific advancement, and the consequences of hubris on a mass scale. It initially follows a group of astronauts, including Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea), on a mission to examine a strange alien monolith.

Eventually, the film tightens with suspense when HAL, an A.I., begins antagonizing his creators, and the deep-space mystery the astronauts hope to solve may come at the price of their own lives. All of this is mixed with stunning visuals, enigmatic scenes, and accurate depictions of space that still hold up to this day. Though it is HAL's rebellious streak that's most remembered – perhaps scientific discovery can lead to dangers as well as salvation, right, Oppenheimer?

2001: A Space Odyssey

G

Adventure

Mystery

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

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*Availability in US

Release Date

April 3, 1968

Director

Stanley Kubrick

Cast

Keir Dullea , Gary Lockwood , William Sylvester , Daniel Richter , Leonard Rossiter , Margaret Tyzack

Runtime

149 minutes

1 'Interstellar '(2014)

Director: Christopher Nolan

A space adventure flick and distant relative to Oppenheimer, Interstellar is one of Christopher Nolan's best films. No, it isn't a biopic, nor is it nonfiction, but this movie is riddled with scientific breakthroughs that reflect real-life theories, not to mention having vast character arcs. Following astronauts Cooper and Brand (performed by Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway respectively), this movie portrays a scientific endeavor to find a new home for humans among the stars.

What ensues can only be described as heartbreaking and mind-bending as viewers watch Cooper travel through wormholes and grapple with the personal consequences of pursuing scientific discovery, a theme audiences will undoubtedly recognize in Oppenheimer. It is as much an intimate father-daughter story as it is an epic exploration of the galaxy and beyond, with Cooper's arc being one of the greatest ever in science fiction.

Interstellar

PG-13

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Drama

Where to Watch

• stream
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• buy

*Availability in US

Release Date

November 7, 2014

Director

Christopher Nolan

Cast

Matthew McConaughey , Anne Hathaway , Jessica Chastain , Michael Caine , Bill Irwin , Casey Affleck

Runtime

169 minutes

NEXT: Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes