Engineers and tech professionals build the world — and these films show what that really takes.
From the Apollo moon landing to the founding of Facebook, these movies capture the obsession, creativity, and sacrifice of those who solve impossible problems.
Here are 10 essential films for every engineer and technology professional.
1. Interstellar (2014) 8.5
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction · Director: Christopher Nolan · Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine
The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
2. Hidden Figures (2016) 8.0
Genre: Drama, History · Director: Theodore Melfi · Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe
The untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA and serving as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history
3. The Imitation Game (2014) 8.0
Genre: History, Drama, Thriller · Director: Morten Tyldum · Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode
Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain’s top-secret Govern
4. The Martian (2015) 7.7
Genre: Science Fiction, Drama, Adventure · Director: Ridley Scott · Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile pl
5. Ex Machina (2015) 7.6
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction · Director: Alex Garland · Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac
Caleb, a coder at the world’s largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives a
6. Apollo 13 (1995) 7.5
Genre: Drama, History · Director: Ron Howard · Cast: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon
The true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew, with the failed journey turning into a thrilling saga of
7. The Social Network (2010) 7.4
Genre: Drama · Director: David Fincher · Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Armie Hammer
In 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programmer Mark Zuckerberg begins work on a new concept that eventually turns into the global social network known as Facebook. Six years later, Mark is one of
8. Gravity (2013) 7.2
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama · Director: Alfonso Cuarón · Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris
Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.
9. Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) 7.0
Genre: Drama, TV Movie · Director: Martyn Burke · Cast: Noah Wyle, Anthony Michael Hall, Joey Slotnick
The story about the men who made the world of technology what it is today, their struggles during college, the founding of their companies, and the ingenious actions they took to build up the global c
10. Steve Jobs (2015) 6.8
Genre: Drama, History · Director: Danny Boyle · Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen
Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the b
These films celebrate the engineers and innovators who shaped our world. They’re inspiring, humbling, and a reminder of what’s possible when brilliant minds refuse to give up.