Though the term “genius” is commonly used and understood, it’s a little harder todefine in a black-and-white or straightforward manner. Some noteworthy historical figures who displayed high levels of intelligence are considered geniuses by some, but not others. And perhaps someone can be a genius if they’re particularly clever regarding one narrow field, but would others say a level of brilliance across numerous areas of life be needed for one to be a true genius?
Bit of a ramble, but that’s all to say that maybe the following characters from the following films are geniuses, or maybe they’re not. If they arguably fit within the realm of genius, then they’re able to qualify here.These films explore extreme intelligence being used for good, bad, and things in between, with some movies even showing unexpected downsides to having minds most might consider brilliant.
10’A Beautiful Mind' (2001)
Director: Ron Howard
A Beautiful Mindisn’t too surprisingly about genius, considering its title.It’s a solid biographical filmthat follows the real-life mathematicianJohn Nash, who was well-recognized for winning the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994.A Beautiful Mind, though, focuses on the earlier parts of his life, principally during the 1950s, when he was contending with strong feelings of paranoia that threatened to get in the way of his work.
It’s a film that presents Nash as someone who was both brilliant and troubled, thoughA Beautiful Mindis ultimately about overcoming immense personal obstacles.It also does a fairly good job of getting viewers inside the head of John Nash, done as a way to ideally communicate the ways his experience with schizophrenia impacted his life.
A Beautiful Mind
9’The Imitation Game' (2014)
Director: Morten Tyldum
Continuing along the trend of biographical movies that explored the lives of actual geniuses,The Imitation Gameis all aboutAlan Turing, particularly centering on what he did during World War II. Turing was a mathematician and computer scientist, among other things, and made developments in his chosen fields that proved significant for computers and technology generally speaking as the 20th century went along.
Being set largely around World War II also increases the stakes ofThe Imitation Game, making it something ofa thriller on top of being a biopic. It simplifies the science-related content enough to be understandable, butthe film ultimately succeeds in arguing that Turing was something of a genius. Thecasting ofBenedict Cumberbatchmight’ve helped, considering he’s rather good at playing very smart characters (see also theSherlockseries andDoctor Strange).
The Imitation Game
8’Searching for Bobby Fischer' (1993)
Director: Steven Zaillian
Searching for Bobby Fischeris an interesting look at genius, or at least the potential of it, given it centers on a very young chess prodigy. His potential makes the adults in his life encourage furthering his skills as a chess player, but the central conflict revolves around whether they’re pushing him too far, considering his age. There’s also the risk he could end up likeBobby Fischer, a real-life chess prodigy who was also very troubled and eventually controversial.
So, anyone coming toSearching for Bobby Fischerlooking for a biopic about Fischer might be disappointed,but it is an engaging and sometimes thought-provoking look at the pursuit of greatness and how it impacts someone who’s both brilliant and young. It’s all-arounda very well-made and well-acted drama, and succeeds in making chess surprisingly intense.
Searching for Bobby Fischer
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7’Good Will Hunting' (1997)
Director: Gus Van Sant
Admittedly,Good Will Huntingmight well be the first title that comes to the minds of most when hearing the term “movies about genius.”It’s a famed tearjerker of a film, being both sentimental and heartbreaking, following the titular Will Hunting who’s a brilliant mathematician, but finds himself working as a janitor because of his troubled life, largely as a result of his struggles to handle his emotions.
It’s a movie that shows how traditional intelligence and emotional intelligence are two very different things, andthat one being gifted at one doesn’t automatically mean proficiency in the other. ButGood Will Huntingoffers hope in the sense that maturing emotionally is possible, even once someone’s an adult, so long as they’re able to commit to bettering themselves and, ideally, have good people to support them (ideally, a psychologist like Dr. Sean Maguire, played byRobin Williams).
Good Will Hunting
6’The Royal Tenenbaums' (2001)
Director: Wes Anderson
The Royal Tenenbaumsis a little likeWes Anderson’s previous film,Rushmore, in the way it explores the lives of intelligent characters who are also troubled in some ways. InRushmore, the stakes weren’t quite as high, and the protagonist there might not have been quite as brilliant, though.The Royal Tenenbaumslooks at an entire family of very smart people who are also very emotionally troubled.
Gene Hackmanplays the family patriarch, and his flaws as a parent are key to why the members of his family find themselves struggling with life, despite all being gifted in their own ways. It takes well-off people and makes them more human and relatable, being anempathetic, sometimes funny, but also sometimes heartbreaking filmthat’s up there as one of Wes Anderson’s most powerful and memorable overall.
The Royal Tenenbaums
5’Re-Animator' (1985)
Director: Stuart Gordon
One of the best horror movies about using one’s remarkable intelligence for bad rather than good,Re-Animatorfollows a brilliant but disturbed scientist experimenting with bringing the dead back to life. Sure, one presumably has to be a genius to pull off such a thing, butif he’d dedicated himself to becoming knowledgeable about cinema, he likely would’ve seen enough movies to dissuade him from pursuing such a thing.
Less formally, there’s also some genius-level technical craft on offer inRe-Animator, with some seriously impressive special effects used to bring the most gnarly scenes inthis iconic B-movie to life. It’s all very extreme and in your face, but is more than likely a good time for anyone who likes – or at least doesn’t mind – theircomedy/horror movies getting very bloody.
Re-Animator
4’Iron Man' (2008)
Director: Jon Favreau
A film that shows how exploring geniuses on screen isn’t limited to movies that are either biopics or works of horror,Iron Manisan iconic superhero moviethat serves as a great introduction to the brilliant, smarmy, and sometimes insufferable Tony Stark. His character arc in this movie is particularly good, though, with a turning from using his intelligence and vast wealth for immoral purposes to doing so with, at least initially, better intentions.
Stark makes some bad decisions in later films, andcertainly isn’t perfect inIron Man, either, but that is one of the qualities that made him so compelling, and an essential central character for the MCU’s first three phases.Robert Downey Jr.is also set to returnas a very different genius Marvel character, so that’s something, too.
3’The Fly' (1986)
Director: David Cronenberg
LikeRe-Animator,The Flyis another movie about a passionate genius doing experiments that fly out of control, withbody horror being prominently featured in both. ButThe Fly, in contrast, is also more tragic and less outwardly comedic as a film, with Seth Brundle having good intentions but finding himself gradually turning into a monster after an experiment involving teleportation goes wrong.
Jeff Goldblumis perfectly cast as Brundle, with histrademark fast-paced delivery giving the impression that not even his character’s mouth can keep up with all the things his brain is thinking of. It’s also an interesting approach to the more standard “mad scientist” character that’s a horror archetype, given Brundle is immensely tragic and even pitiful, and that when he’s at his most monstrous, physically speaking (right near the end), that’s also when you’ll likely feel the most sorry for him.
2’The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
Director: Jonathan Demme
A film that contains one of cinema’s most infamous and villainous geniuses,The Silence of the LambsfeaturesAnthony Hopkinsas Dr. Hannibal Lecter, in what’s still perhaps the character’s most famous and iconic film. Lecter is always defined by his intelligence and ruthlessness, andThe Silence of the Lambsgives him ample opportunities to demonstrate his cunning, particularly as the film goes on.
To be fair, though, even if Clarice Starling might not be a genius in the traditional sense, her intelligence paired with her determination make her admirable, and both are qualities thatmake her an iconic film hero.The Silence of the Lambsisgreat for many reasons, one beingthe pairing of Lecter and Starling, exploring the way they differ morally but also having to form a very uneasy alliance to take down a serial killer at large.
The Silence of the Lambs
1’Amadeus' (1984)
Director: Miloš Forman
Few music-related individuals have been considered geniuses to the same extent that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was. He’s one of the two main charactersin the excellentAmadeus, being portrayed as someone who’s rather immature and crass, but also undeniably brilliant at composing music. He does so in a seemingly effortless way, which causes endless jealousy on the part ofAmadeus’ other main character,Antonio Salieri.
Salieri is also a composer, and an older/more sophisticated individual, yet he never achieves the same things Mozart does, and so his resentment grows, spelling eventual tragedy.Amadeusis a great exploration of both genius and the way those who are not geniuses themselves can become blinded by rage and jealousy. It’s powerful and also extremely entertaining, using its epic-length runtime to balance all the things it ambitiously sets out to do, as a film.
