Are you looking for movies like Hidden Figures to add to your library? In case you’re wondering what kind of movie Hidden Figures is, it is a powerful and inspiring film that tells the true story of a group of African American women who made significant contributions to NASA during the space race.
If you enjoyed the themes of determination, perseverance, and breaking barriers in Hidden Figures, you might want to check out other movies with similar themes.
From biopics to fictional stories, these films showcase the incredible strength and resilience of women who have overcome adversity and impacted the world.
So, without further ado, here are our top picks for movies like “Hidden Figures.”
1. The Imitation Game (2014)
- Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Mark Strong.
- IMDb Rating: 8/10
The Imitation Game is a 2014 American historical drama film directed by Morten Tyldum and written by Graham Moore, based on the life of Alan Turing, the British mathematician, logician, and computer scientist during World War II.
The movie received an Oscar for Best Screenplay out of 8 nominations.
The story follows Alan Turing as he works with a group of scientists in an attempt to crack the German code used to encrypt military transmission channels.
In their work to uncover the secret messages the Germans were communicating, Alan slips into depression.
Along the line, Alan admits to homosexuality, a big crime at the time, and receives a chemistry castration sentence.
However, before that can happen, he commits suicide and is pardoned in 2013, long after his death.
2. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
- Cast: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Judd Hirsch, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, Christopher Plummer
- IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
A beautiful mind is an American drama film with romantic elements released in 2001.
You’re probably wondering why it made it to our list of movies like Hidden Figures; well, the movie is about the life of John Nash Jr., one of the mathematicians responsible for contributing to the study of differential equations and geometry.
John Nash is a grad student at Princeton working on his dissertation and trying to come up with something unique for his research.
While working on his study, Nash came up with the idea that changed the game theory and secured a position at MIT due to his outstanding work.
However, he is diagnosed with a mental illness soon after, which affects his ability to work for the most part.
3. The Social Network (2010)
- Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella.
- IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
The social network is a film inspired by Ben Mezrich’s book, The Accidental Billionaires, released in 2010.
David Fincher worked as a producer, and Aaron Sorkin wrote the script for this biographical drama based on Mark Zuckerberg’s early life before he became known globally.
The social network follows Mark Zuckerberg during his time at Harvard University and the events leading to the creation of Facebook.
It brilliantly portrays the betrayals, legal battles, friendships lost, and every important thing that ensues at that point in Mark’s life.
The piece was well received by the general public and ended up winning 3 Oscars out of 8 nominations.
4. The Theory Of Everything (2014)
- Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Charlie Cox, Emily Watson, Simon McBurney, David Thewlis, Maxine Peake.
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
The theory of everything is one of the captivating biographical movies like Hidden Figures.
It is based on a 2007 memoir by Jane Hawking on the events surrounding the life of Stephen Hawking, a brilliant theoretical physicist.
Redmayne shone as Stephen Hawking and won the Best Actor Academy Award.
Stephen Hawking works on a theory concerning the role of black holes in nature and earns recognition for his findings.
However, in the course of his study, he is diagnosed with a motor neuron disease that will leave him quite incapacitated in the coming years.
During his studies, he met and married Jane, who accepted him despite his illness.
While his career progresses despite his condition, will his marriage also blossom?
5. Erin Brockovich (2000)
- Cast: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Marg Helgenberger, Tracey Walter, Peter Coyote.
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Erin Brockovich is one of the movies like Hidden Figures because it is also based on actual events.
However, the difference is that the circumstances involve a series of legal battles rather than a show of mathematical or scientific prowess.
According to the storyline, Erin is a young mother of three who is initially involved in a personal injury case due to a road accident.
To get back her place in life after a car accident she experiences, Erin begs Ed Masry, who represents her, to take her on.
She became helpful in handling a very high profile that led to significant reforms.
6. Spotlight (2015)
- Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci
- IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Next on our lineup of movies like Hidden Figures is this piece that tows the path of investigative Journalism.
It is full of unexpected turns that provide a deeper perspective on how to get the truth from situations.
Like the characters in Hidden Figures who were pushed to the background, Spotlight is a story about a newspaper taking on a solid institution and succeeding.
The movie’s plot investigates claims that John Geoghan, a priest, sexually assaulted over 80 boys.
Walter “Robby” Robinson and some other journalists seek to uncover evidence and break open confidential records proving a cover-up of child molestation and abuse within the Church by speaking with the victims, who are the “Hidden Figures” in this case.
7. The Post (2017)
- Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys.
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Still, in line with investigations and Journalism, this stunning yet intriguing addition stands out among similar movies like Hidden Figures.
It earned favorable reviews from critics, who commended the acting and the references to Donald Trump and Richard Nixon’s terms in office.
This 2017 American socio-political thriller movie draws from the publication of The Pentagon Papers and The Washington Post.
It recounts the events surrounding The Washington Post journalists’ failed attempt to publish the controversial Pentagon Papers.
The papers were top-secret records that traced America’s participation in French Indochina and the Vietnam Wars back to the 1940s.
8. The Banker (2020)
- Cast: Anthony Mackie, Nicholas Hoult, Nia Long, Jessie T. Usher, Samuel L. Jackson
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Inspired by actual events, The Banker is among movies like Hidden Figures that appeal to folks who are die-hard lovers of black drama films about businesses in the 1960s.
The film featured a star-studded cast who played out the struggle for civil rights over land titles and property ownership.
The storyline is based on the real-life experiences of Joe Morris and Bernard Garrett, two businessmen who entered the real estate market intending to become wealthy and erase racial barriers simultaneously.
It is a compelling film, just like Hidden Figures, that amplifies a desire to be heard beyond the wall of ethnic background and skin color.
9. Freedom Writers (2007)
- Cast: Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey, Mario.
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Freedom Writers is directed by Richard LaGravenese and based on The Freedom Writers Diary, published in 1999, created by teacher Erin Gruwell and her students using actual diary entries from their own lives.
It shares a similar theme of race and ethnicity with Hidden Figures, and you will find it unique despite the various presence of ‘skin tones’ in the movie.
A new teacher is assigned to a group of racially diverse children who are thought to be unable to learn.
Even in the face of gang violence and mayhem, she displays a strong commitment and never gives up on her goal of encouraging her students to study for the future.
She gets results by making them keep journals and read books relevant to their lives.
10. Race (2016)
- Casting: Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, Carice van Houten, William Hurt.
- IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Next on this collection of movies like Hidden Figures is this captivating caption that captures a journey to the finish line and that of being seen in the spotlight as a black person.
It is based on the story of Jesse Owens, an athlete who has to compete for the title of the most outstanding track and field superstar in history and oppose Adolf Hitler’s Aryan supremacy.
Jesse Owens, an aspiring athlete, eventually achieved national prominence for breaking multiple records through dedication and hard work.
He, however, must fight racism at a higher level by racing to prove to the world that he is the best in what he does.
11. I Am Not Your Negro (2017)
- Narrator: Samuel L. Jackson
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
I Am Not Your Negro is a classic and social commentary film essay directed by Raoul Peck that mainly explores race and racism.
The movie draws heavily from James Baldwin’s unfinished work, “Remember This House,” and is a must-watch for fans who like a hint of history and documentaries now and then.
The film takes viewers on a trip through black history, bridging the Civil Rights movement’s past and present.
Following its efforts to foster widespread awareness of race, it received the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary and was listed for the 89th Academy Awards’ Best Documentary Feature.
12. The Big Sick (2017)
- Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher.
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
The Big Sick is another delight among movies like Hidden Figures because It explores serious issues like immigration, family dynamics, and identity.
It earned more than $42 million at the US box office while only spending $5 million in the budget, making it a financial success.
In the story, Emily, an American graduate, and Pakistani comedian Kumail become close after meeting at one of his stand-up performances.
Kumail is unsure if his conventional Muslim parents would accept his American partner.
13. Radioactive (2019)
- Starring: Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Aneurin Barnard, Anya Taylor-Joy.
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
The 2019 British biopic drama film, Radioactive was written by Jack Thorne and was directed by Marjane Satrapi.
If you were drawn to the science appeal in Hidden Figures, you would appreciate Radioactive, which is among the movies like Hidden Figures, is definitely for you.
Despite the loss of her husband, Marie Curie’s dedication to research remains unbroken.
She continued her research to understand radioactive materials in a lab and how they can be used.
Over time, she must choose whether to save lives through her profession or end them.
14. Fences (2016)
- Cast: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, Saniyya Sidney.
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Fences is a fun watch filled with Hollywood superstars based on an August Wilson play that won the Pulitzer Prize.
The film is crammed with dialogue, setting the mood for a powerful and evident plot.
Troy Maxson experienced setbacks in his ambition of playing professional baseball in the big leagues because he was considered too old.
At the time, blacks were beginning to be allowed to play. Feeling resentful for his wasted chance, Troy recreates the figurative “Fences” he had been restricted to when he destroys his son’s shot at a career by not allowing him to speak with a college football recruiter.
15. Marshall (2017)
- Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, James Cromwell.
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
American biographical legal drama Marshall was released in 2017, directed by Reginald Hudlin, and written by Michael and Jacob Koskoff.
The movie, which made $10 million against a $12 million budget, was well-received by critics, having Chadwick Boseman at the center of the praises for his performance.
As an attorney representing the NAACP, Thurgood Marshall faces one of his most challenging obstacles: vindicating Joseph Spell, a Black chauffeur accused of sexual assault and attempted murder.
To clear Joseph from all charges, He must work with a local Jewish attorney named Sam Friedman in dealing with opinions that accuse Spell of crimes that are racist and pro-government.
16. The Secret Life Of Bees (2008)
- Cast: Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Bettany.
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
The secret life of Bees is a great addition for fans of black female-led historical drama movies.
It is a work of fiction written by American author Sue Monk Kidd and focuses on the multiracial environment of the American South during the civil rights movement.
The storyline opens up with 14-year-old Lily, who leads a boring life and is constantly reminded of the loss of her mother.
She flees with Rosaleen, her nanny, to South Carolina with hopes of leaving her lonely life behind and ultimately coming to terms with her mother’s past.
17. Hell or High Water (2016)
- Cast: Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham.
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Hell or High water is last on our list of movies like Hidden Figures. This excellently performed movie was one of 2016’s most fascinating films.
It is slightly different from Hidden Figures but still emphasizes the characters’ urge to stay out of the shadows.
To stop the bank from seizing their family ranch, Toby, a divorced father, and his brother plot a series of thefts.
Toby is driven into this vice because he wants to improve his son’s life. However, their final heist clashes with a lawyer who isn’t willing to give in easily.
