The 5 Best Science Movies of All Time

Sci-fi is a genre full of inaccuracies and far-fetched theories. Many genres have a tenuous relationship with the truth, but occasionally, Hollywood does something spectacular — giving us the perfect blend of fact and possibility. We’ve chosen the five best science movies for scientists and everyone who loves knowledge. 

5. A Beautiful Mind

This poignant 2001 depiction of the life of American Nobel Prize winner John Nash deserves a place on this list. Nash’s groundbreaking work on mathematical game theory is depicted alongside his experience with schizophrenia. Told from Nash’s perspective against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film focuses on people more than science and is a stark expose of mental illness and the brutality of psychiatric treatments at the time.

4. Her

This once far-fetched story seems eerily accurate in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). “Her” is a 2013 film about a lonely writer who makes a living composing love letters before meeting his new operating system's AI — Samantha — and falling in love with her. Although we have a way to go before AI becomes self-aware, the concept that technology could create an AI with a unique personality capable of forming relationships is a distinct possibility. 

3. Apollo 13

This Oscar-winning 1995 film Apollo 13 details the real-life events of the fated Apollo 13 lunar mission. Many people consider it one of the most accurate space movies as it correctly depicts the oxygen tank explosion and subsequent accumulation of carbon dioxide while adding heartfelt interactions and palm-sweating tension. 

2. The Imitation Game

Combine science and history in this breathtaking 2014 rendition of mathematician Alan Turing’s contribution to the Enigma Machine in WWII. Known as the father of modern computing, Turing created a rudimentary computer to crack encoded Nazi messages faster than any human being. This movie about his efforts provides modern audiences a glimpse into the beginnings of machine learning through the cryptography science that pioneered much of today’s digital reality and paying homage to a victim of the times. 

1. Interstellar

Produced by theoretical physicist and Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne, this 2014 masterpiece is considered one of the best science fiction films ever made. Beyond the astounding visuals, a strong basis in theoretical physics backs up the story, from accurate visual portrayals of gravitational lensing to time dilation.

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