Movies About Scientists, Engineers, Doctors, Researchers, Inventors, Explorers and People who do Amazing Things
by WingedCreature | created - 30 Nov 2012 | updated - 5 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Imitation Game (2014)
PG-13 | 114 min | Biography, Drama, Thriller
During World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians while attempting to come to terms with his troubled private life.
Director: Morten Tyldum | Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Allen Leech
Votes: 824,972 | Gross: $91.13M
2. The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936)
Passed | 86 min | Biography, Drama, History
The biography of the pioneering French microbiologist who helped revolutionize agriculture and medicine.
Director: William Dieterle | Stars: Paul Muni, Josephine Hutchinson, Anita Louise, Donald Woods
Votes: 3,152
Very old but it's age doesn't stop it from being a good movie.
3. Queen of the Desert (2015)
PG-13 | 128 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
A chronicle of Gertrude Bell's life, a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Robert Pattinson, Damian Lewis
Votes: 12,579
4. Einstein and Eddington (2008 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 94 min | Biography, Drama, History
Drama about the development of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, and Einstein's relationship with British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington, the first physicist to experimentally prove his ideas.
Director: Philip Martin | Stars: David Tennant, Richard McCabe, Patrick Kennedy, Benjamin Uttley
Votes: 7,635
5. Einstein's Big Idea (2005 TV Movie)
120 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
This docudrama examines the history of scientific discovery that lead up to Albert Einstein's famous equation E=mc2 and its aftermath in the creation of nuclear energy. This includes ... See full summary »
Director: Gary Johnstone | Stars: Aidan McArdle, Shirley Henderson, Steven Robertson, Gregory Fox-Murphy
Votes: 639
6. Shackleton (2002)
103 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The true story of Shackleton's 1914 Endurance expedition to the South Pole, and his epic struggle to lead his twenty-eight man crew to safety after his ship was crushed in the pack ice.
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Eve Best, Mark Tandy, Embeth Davidtz
Votes: 3,092
7. Longitude (2000– )
200 min | Drama, History
In two parallel stories, the clockmaker John Harrison builds the marine chronometer for safe navigation at sea in the 18th Century and the horologist Rupert Gould becomes obsessed with restoring it in the 20th Century.
Stars: Jeremy Irons, Anna Chancellor, Emma Kay, Samuel West
Votes: 2,431
8. Doomsday Gun (1994 TV Movie)
Unrated | 120 min | Action, Drama, History
How the brilliant Canadian munitions engineer, Dr. Gerald Bull, agreed to build a super-gun for Saddam Hussein in 1988, when the U.S. cut his funding for the experiment, and how it attracted the attention of several intelligence agencies.
Director: Robert Young | Stars: Frank Langella, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Michael Kitchen
Votes: 1,194
9. Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery (2007– )
54 min | Documentary, History
This documentary tells the real story of the life and times of Captain James Cook; the greatest explorer in history who traveled to Australia and New Zealand. His three voyages pushed the ... See full summary »
Stars: Matt Young, Bridget Bezanson, Vanessa Collingridge, Huw Lewis-Jones
Votes: 72
10. Captain James Cook (1987–2000)
480 min | Biography, Drama, History
During Captain James Cook's first voyage, in 1770, he discovered the east coast of Australia. He later recommended Australia as a future British colony.
Stars: Keith Michell, John Gregg, Erich Hallhuber, Jacques Penot
Votes: 324
11. Creation (I) (2009)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Torn between faith and science, and suffering hallucinations, English naturalist Charles Darwin struggles to complete 'On the Origin of Species' and maintain his relationship with his wife.
Director: Jon Amiel | Stars: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Ian Kelly, Guy Henry
Votes: 15,128 | Gross: $0.34M
12. Seven Wonders of the Industrial World (2003)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary, Drama, History
Drama-documentary series which describes some of the key technological achievements of the industrial age.
Stars: Robert Lindsay, Ron Cook, John Walters, Michael Carter
Votes: 477
13. Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
PG-13 | 129 min | Biography, Drama
The story of Dian Fossey, a scientist who came to Africa to study the vanishing mountain gorillas, and later fought to protect them.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Brown, Julie Harris, John Omirah Miluwi
Votes: 29,191 | Gross: $24.72M
14. Breaking the Mould (2009 TV Movie)
80 min | Drama, History
A historical drama that tells the story of the development of penicillin in the 1930's/40's, by a group of scientists in Oxford at The Dunn School of Pathology
Director: Peter Hoar | Stars: Dominic West, Denis Lawson, Oliver Dimsdale, Joe Armstrong
Votes: 324
15. Ingenious (2009)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A rags-to-riches story of two friends, a small-time inventor and a sharky salesman, who hit rock bottom before coming up with a gizmo that becomes a worldwide phenomenon.
Director: Jeff Balsmeyer | Stars: Dallas Roberts, Jeremy Renner, Ayelet Zurer, Marguerite Moreau
Votes: 2,122
16. Marco Polo (2007 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 165 min | Adventure, Drama
The series follows the adventures and discoveries of the Venetian, Marco Polo.
Director: Kevin Connor | Stars: Ian Somerhalder, BD Wong, Desiree Siahaan, Brian Dennehy
Votes: 1,554
17. The Aviator (2004)
PG-13 | 170 min | Biography, Drama
A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly
Votes: 384,058 | Gross: $102.61M
18. The Social Network (2010)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Drama
As Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, he is sued by the twins who claimed he stole their idea and by the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara
Votes: 758,620 | Gross: $96.96M
19. Apollo 13 (I) (1995)
PG | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, History
NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise
Votes: 315,550 | Gross: $173.84M
20. Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
PG-13 | 127 min | Biography, Drama, History
This film reenacts the Manhattan Project, the secret WWII project, and the first atomic bombs designed, built, and tested in Los Alamos.
Director: Roland Joffé | Stars: Paul Newman, Dwight Schultz, Bonnie Bedelia, John Cusack
Votes: 9,123 | Gross: $3.56M
21. No Highway in the Sky (1951)
Not Rated | 98 min | Drama, Thriller
An aeronautical engineer predicts that a new model of plane will fail catastrophically and in a novel manner after a specific number flying hours.
Director: Henry Koster | Stars: James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Glynis Johns, Jack Hawkins
Votes: 4,452
22. Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)
Approved | 103 min | Biography, Drama
True story of the doctor who considered it was not immoral to search for a drug that would cure syphillis.
Director: William Dieterle | Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Ruth Gordon, Otto Kruger, Donald Crisp
Votes: 1,826
23. Something the Lord Made (2004 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 110 min | Biography, Drama
A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.
Director: Joseph Sargent | Stars: Cliff McMullen, Yasiin Bey, Luray Cooper, Alan Rickman
Votes: 15,359
24. I Aim at the Stars (1960)
Approved | 107 min | Biography, Drama
The story of rocket scientist Dr. Werner von Braun's career, from the 1920s until the late 1950s.
Director: J. Lee Thompson | Stars: Curd Jürgens, Victoria Shaw, Herbert Lom, Gia Scala
Votes: 250
25. Awakenings (1990)
PG-13 | 121 min | Biography, Drama
The victims of an encephalitis epidemic many years ago have been catatonic ever since, but now a new drug offers the prospect of reviving them.
Director: Penny Marshall | Stars: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner, Ruth Nelson
Votes: 158,734 | Gross: $52.10M
26. Touching the Void (2003)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Adventure, Drama
The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Simon Yates, Joe Simpson, Brendan Mackey, Nicholas Aaron
Votes: 38,094 | Gross: $4.59M
27. Temple Grandin (2010 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 107 min | Biography, Drama
A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry.
Director: Mick Jackson | Stars: Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, David Strathairn, Catherine O'Hara
Votes: 32,573
28. Jobs (2013)
PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama
The story of Steve Jobs' ascension from college dropout into one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century.
Director: Joshua Michael Stern | Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas
Votes: 103,863 | Gross: $16.13M
29. Reach for the Sky (1956)
Approved | 123 min | Biography, Drama, War
Biopic of RAF Group Captain Douglas Bader who, after having lost both legs, flew a British fighter plane during WWII.
Director: Lewis Gilbert | Stars: Kenneth More, Muriel Pavlow, Lyndon Brook, Lee Patterson
Votes: 2,992
30. Mary Bryant (2005–2007)
R | 480 min | Adventure, Drama
A young woman is transported to the New South Wales penal colony in 1788.
Stars: Romola Garai, Jack Davenport, Alex O'Loughlin, Sam Neill
Votes: 2,578
31. Hidden Figures (2016)
PG | 127 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.
Director: Theodore Melfi | Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner
Votes: 255,244 | Gross: $169.61M
32. Kon-Tiki (2012)
PG-13 | 118 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl's epic 4,300-mile crossing of the Pacific on a balsawood raft in 1947, in an effort to prove that it was possible for South Americans to settle in Polynesia in pre-Columbian times.
Directors: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg | Stars: Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo, Gustaf Skarsgård, Odd-Magnus Williamson
Votes: 51,962 | Gross: $1.52M
33. The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci (1971)
300 min | Biography, History
Miniseries dramatizing the life of the Italian Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519).
Stars: Philippe Leroy, Giulio Bosetti, Giorgio Piazza, Bruno Piergentili
Votes: 436
34. The Way Back (I) (2010)
PG-13 | 133 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Siberian gulag escapees travel four thousand miles by foot to freedom in India.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Dragos Bucur
Votes: 122,006 | Gross: $2.70M
A true story about a long journey to freedom.
35. The Theory of Everything (2014)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Stephen Hawking gets unprecedented success in the field of physics despite being diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 21. He defeats awful odds as his first wife Jane aids him loyally.
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior, Sophie Perry
Votes: 482,026 | Gross: $35.89M
36. A Brilliant Young Mind (2014)
PG-13 | 111 min | Drama, Romance
A socially awkward teenage maths prodigy finds new confidence and new friendships when he lands a spot on the British squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad.
Director: Morgan Matthews | Stars: Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan
Votes: 30,315 | Gross: $0.14M
37. The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Drama
The story of the life and academic career of the pioneer Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan, and his friendship with his mentor, Professor G.H. Hardy.
Director: Matt Brown | Stars: Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Malcolm Sinclair, Raghuvir Joshi
Votes: 62,126 | Gross: $3.87M
38. Beatrix: The Early Life of Beatrix Potter (1990 TV Movie)
Biography, Drama
A biographical film about Beatrix Potter as a young woman.
Director: Mike Healey | Stars: Ernest Blake, Helena Bonham Carter, Carolyn Bonnyman, Carol Brannan
Votes: 16
39. The Secret Life of Nikola Tesla (1980)
115 min | Biography, Drama
Life and times of Nikola Tesla, famous scientist whose inventions were stolen, but whose greatest contribution to mankind remain a mystery to this day.
Director: Krsto Papic | Stars: Petar Bozovic, Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, Strother Martin
Votes: 1,492
40. First Man (2018)
PG-13 | 141 min | Biography, Drama, History
A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Director: Damien Chazelle | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler
Votes: 202,229 | Gross: $44.94M
41. Genius (2017– )
TV-14 | 50 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life stories of history's greatest minds, from their days as young adults to their final years: their discoveries, loves, relationships, causes, flaws, and genius.
Stars: Samantha Colley, Seth Gabel, Antonio Banderas, Clémence Poésy
Votes: 20,114
42. Radioactive (2019)
PG-13 | 109 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The incredible true story of Marie Sklodowska-Curie and her Nobel Prize-winning work that changed the world.
Director: Marjane Satrapi | Stars: Rosamund Pike, Yvette Feuer, Mirjam Novak, Ralph Berkin
Votes: 21,723
43. Amundsen (2019)
125 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The life and adventures of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, the first man to arrive on the South Pole.
Director: Espen Sandberg | Stars: Pål Sverre Hagen, Christian Rubeck, Katherine Waterston, Trond Espen Seim
Votes: 4,992
44. True Spirit (2023)
TV-PG | 109 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The story of Australian teenager, Jessica Watson, the youngest person ever to sail solo nonstop around the world.
Director: Sarah Spillane | Stars: Alyla Browne, Teagan Croft, Cliff Curtis, Josh Lawson
Votes: 10,045
45. Tracks (I) (2013)
PG-13 | 112 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
A young woman goes on a 1,700-mile trek across the deserts of West Australia with four camels and her faithful dog.
Director: John Curran | Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver, Lily Pearl, Philip Dodd
Votes: 31,728 | Gross: $0.51M
46. Oppenheimer (I) (2023)
R | 180 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr.
Votes: 726,605 | Gross: $326.11M
47. The Lost King (2022)
PG-13 | 108 min | Comedy, Drama
An amateur historian defies the stodgy academic establishment in her efforts to find King Richard III's remains, which were lost for over 500 years.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Sally Hawkins, Shonagh Price, Helen Katamba, Lewis Macleod
Votes: 8,228
48. Nyad (2023)
PG-13 | 121 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach, commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Anne Marie Kempf, Carolyn McCormick
Votes: 36,822
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