What are the best movies for engineers? This question is probably going through your mind if you are either an engineer or an engineering student. Who doesn’t like to watch films? And if it is old school with some Sci-Fi, then it will be really interesting to watch.
As an engineer, you would prefer movies with innovation, problem-solving, critical thinking, action, and so on. But that also depends on personality as well. Considering everything, we have made a list of the best movies for engineers. There’s a good possibility that each one will benefit engineers in some way.
We advise you to read till the very end because you will find some interesting movies that you want to add to your movie list, even if you are not an engineer.
10 Must Watch Movies for Engineers from All Backgrounds
Picking the best movies for engineers was not easy. There are thousands of movies to choose from. At the same time, it is very difficult to pick one while leaving another behind. After intensive research, we believe these 10 are the top movies for engineers –
#1 Apollo 13 (1995)
| Insights about this movie – |
| Genres – History, Adventure, DramaIMDb Rating – 7.7/10Highlights – Three astronauts’ lives were in danger after aboard the Apollo 13, which had significant internal damage. NASA must come up with a plan to safely get the spacecraft back to Earth. |
The movie “Apollo 13” was based on the true incident of the 13th Apollo mission, which was headed for the moon. Despite being scheduled to fly on Apollo 13, the astronauts ended up using Apollo 13. The film focused on the lunar surface mission that was abandoned after an explosion. A great pick for movie lovers as well as for engineers.
#2 Armageddon (1998)
| Insights about this movie |
| Genres – Sci-Fi, Action, AdventureIMDb Rating – 6.7/10 Highlights – When NASA learns that a Texas-sized asteroid will strike Earth in less than a month, they assemble an oddball group of deep-core drillers to save the world. |
How can we not mention Armageddon when it comes to engineers, right? Just like Apollo 113, this one is loved by most people. An excellent movie for civil engineers. The movie is about a mismatched team of heavy specialists who are hired by the government to land on an asteroid that is headed for Earth, drill to the center of it, and then install a nuclear weapon to destroy it. Sounds intimidating? Then why not watch it today?
#3 The Prestige (2006)
| Insights about this movie |
| Genres – Sci-Fi, Mystery, Drama IMDb Rating – 8.5/10Highlights – Following a horrific event, two stage magicians from London compete to conjure the greatest deception while risking everything to deceive one another. A classic case from the 1890s. |
This movie is undoubtedly one of the greatest creations of Christopher Nolan. An all-time favorite among movie lovers. We bet this movie will be educational and entertaining for engineers as well. The movie is played by some great actors, and we found that the character “David Bowie” actually portrayed Nikola Tesla. We guess this was enough to inspire you to watch this movie.
#4 Interstellar (2014)
| Insights about this movie |
| Genres – Sci-Fi, Adventure, Drama IMDb Rating – 8.6/10Highlights – In an effort to assure humanity’s existence, a group of explorers ventures through a wormhole in the universe. |
It is a contemporary motion picture, similar to Armageddon and Apollo 13. The story is mesmerizing enough to motivate you to watch this movie again and again. The movie really exhibits some of the greatest CGI and physical effects of all time. As an engineer or engineering student, you will love to see the innovative designs of robots and spacecraft. You will also find it fascinating how these technologies work and how the team travels into a wormhole in search of a new humanity.
#5 Wall-E (2008)
| Insights about this movie |
| Genres – Animation, Adventure, FamilyIMDb Rating – 8.4/10Highlights – A little waste-collecting robot accidentally starts a space mission in the far future that will eventually determine the fate of humanity. |
This one is an animated film in our list of engineering movies. This is a movie from Pixar Studios where the first 40 minutes deserve to rank among the best silent movies ever created. Early on in the film, there is very little spoken dialogue. Instead, many of the characters interact via body language and robotic noises. You will love how the movie illustrates everything, which makes it one of the great movies for mechanical engineers.
#6 Ex-Machina (2015)
| Insights about this movie |
| Genres – Sci-Fi, Thriller, DramaIMDb Rating – 7.7/10 Highlights – By assessing the human traits of a highly developed humanoid artificial intelligence, a young programmer is chosen to take part in a groundbreaking synthetic intelligence experiment. |
Ex-Machina is one of the best science fiction films for engineers and science students. The movie focuses on the story of a young programmer who tries to implement sentience into an A.I. robot. The programmer works for a billionaire who instructs him to take any necessary steps to accomplish his objective. If you are looking for the best movies for electrical engineers, then this one is definitely worth a shot.
#7 Blade Runner (1982)
| Insights about this movie |
| Genres – Sci-Fi, Action, Drama IMDb Rating – 8.1/10Highlights – A blade runner needs to hunt down and destroy four replicants who hijacked a ship in outer space and then came back to Earth in search of their creator. |
If you love science fiction and a little bit of action, then you should watch this movie. “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, written by Philip K. Dick in 1968, is the source material for the film. The film describes the story of a police officer who wants to hunt a group of bio-engineered fugitives who are called “Replicants.” A remake of this film, titled “Blade Runner (2049),” has been produced due to its immense popularity.
#8 3 Idiots (2009)
| Insights about this movie |
| Genres – Drama, ComedyIMDb Rating – 8.4/10Highlights – Rancho is a great student at an engineering institute with a different perspective on the world. Racho has two companions named Raju and Farhan. After graduation, Rancho moved forward without telling anyone. After many days, his pals discovered him as one of the greatest scientists in the world. |
Now, this one is the only film from Bollywood in our list of the best movies for engineers. So, you probably understand that this movie is worth watching whether you are an engineer or not. The movie demonstrates the hard reality and toxic competition of engineering students. However, not everyone is a part of the system, and they can achieve great success in the future. Although the movie may seem amusing at first, there are a lot of things to learn from it.
#9 Hidden Figures (2016)
| Insights about this movie |
| Genres – History, Drama, BiographyIMDb Rating – 7.8/10Highlights – It is a story about a group of female African-American mathematicians who played a crucial part in NASA’s early space program. |
We believe this could be one of the best movies for software engineers since it focuses on mathematical complexities. It is partially based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s nonfiction book that has the same name. According to “Deadline Hollywood,”
- It was one of the most successful films of 2016, with a net profit of $95.5 million.
The National Board of Review also selected it as one of the top ten movies of 2016. If you like biographical dramas, then you should spend your time watching this movie.
#10 The Martian (2017)
| Insights about this movie |
| Genres – Sci-Fi, Adventure, DramaIMDb Rating – 8.0/10Highlights – An astronaut is left alone on Mars. Unfortunately, his crew assumed that he was dead. By using his ingenuity, he must inform everyone on Earth that he is alive. However, he won’t be capable of living without possible resources. |
The movie depicts a man who gets stranded on Mars. During their mission to Mars, his partner and research teams abandoned him there, assuming he had perished in a violent sandstorm. But he is still living there, all by himself, and there isn’t much food left. The crew on earthworks arduously to save him and return him to earth.
The storyline is incredibly engaging and rich in scientific detail. The most interesting fact about this movie is that the lead actor is a botanist, not even an engineer.
Final Words – Which Movie Would You Like to Watch?
Well, there are other great movies for engineers that we may have missed. But if you want to make a list of the 10 best movies for engineers, then our list is perfect. Many of these films have even won Oscars. However, we’d really love to hear about your favorite movie. So, go ahead and mention your favorite engineering movie in the comment section.
There are some all-time favorites, some fresh watchlist additions, and some really bizarre picks on our movie list. We hope our list of the best engineering movies provides you with as much solace and entertainment as possible.