6 Best Scientist Biopic Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 11, 2026

Scientific genius and personal struggle have produced some of the most acclaimed biographical dramas of recent decades. Oppenheimer follows the physicist whose atomic bomb haunts him, The Imitation Game races to crack the Enigma code, Hidden Figures follows three Black mathematicians behind America’s space programme, and The Theory of Everything pairs a physicist’s career with his illness. A Beautiful Mind and Madame Curie round out the list.

Oppenheimer (2023)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 93% Metacritic 90

The physicist behind the atomic bomb grapples with the moral weight of his creation.

Directed by Christopher Nolan · 3h 01m · Rated R

Won 7 Oscars370 wins & 378 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Hidden Figures (2016)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 93% Metacritic 74

Three Black women mathematicians become essential to NASA's early space race successes.

Directed by Theodore Melfi · 2h 07m · Rated PG

Nominated for 3 Oscars37 wins & 94 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Imitation Game (2014)

TMDB ★ 8.0

Alan Turing's codebreaking team races to crack Enigma while hiding secrets of their own.

Directed by Morten Tyldum · 1h 53m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Theory of Everything (2014)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 81% Metacritic 71

Stephen Hawking's scientific rise unfolds alongside his marriage and his ALS diagnosis.

Directed by James Marsh · 2h 03m · Rated PG-13

Won 1 Oscar25 wins & 128 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 74% Metacritic 72

A brilliant mathematician's groundbreaking career is overshadowed by his slide into schizophrenia.

Directed by Ron Howard · 2h 15m · Rated PG-13

Won 4 Oscars37 wins & 69 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Apple TV Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Madame Curie (1943)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A determined scientist and her husband battle scepticism and poverty in their pursuit of a groundbreaking discovery.

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy · 2h 04m

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Scientist Biopic Movies

Oppenheimer (2023)

Hidden Figures (2016)

The Imitation Game (2014)

The Theory of Everything (2014)

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Madame Curie (1943)

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