Engineers are among the most educated people in the world, who are usually very busy but are still known for their social skills that are often lacking in their highly educated peers.
You might have noticed that many of the movies about engineers are comedies, aimed at showing how nerdy, socially awkward people can still have a life, have friends, have fun, and look good.
If you are an engineer yourself, you’ll love the 15 best movies about engineers on this list, with a little bit of a twist, but a very good balance of comedy, drama, and science fiction.
The list of The 15 Best Movies of all Time About engineers will bring you lots of laughs, with titles like “Thank You for Smoking”, “Moneyball”, “The Big Bang Theory”, “The Producers”, “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen”, “The Hudsucker Proxy”, “The Truman Show”, “Office Space”, and many more.
Before counting down on the list, you may want to check our previous list of the best pandemic and outbreak movies of all time.
1. The Martian | 2015 | 8 IMDB
This movie is a testimony of willpower and a powerful demonstration of a common trope in engineering: problem-solving. It’s a very good movie that I recommend to everyone, but especially engineers.
The martian is the type of movie that only engineers could love. The main character, an astronaut named Mark Watney, is left on Mars after his team thought he was dead. He has to survive and find a way to get back to Earth. The movie is a story of problem solving and determinism.
2. Apollo 13 | 1995 | 7 IMDB
This movie is a must-see for all engineers. It’s based on a real event and depicts very realistically how engineers overcome technical difficulties. It’s a good movie that I’ve seen many times.
This is one of the best movies for engineers. It depicts well the process of problem-solving.
3. Terminator 2 | 1991 | 8 IMDB
Based on the second part of the Terminator franchise, this movie is a good example of an engineer’s dream. The main character, a T-800, is the perfect example of the type of engineer that engineers want to be.
T-800 is a machine that is sent back in time to protect a boy from a dangerous group of people. The boy grows up to be a leader in a technology company that creates a new artificial intelligence that becomes a threat to the world.
This movie is a good example of how engineering can be applied in a useful way.
4. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | 1982 | 7.4 IMDB
It’s a good movie for engineers and it’s also a good children’s movie. It’s a story about a boy and an alien. The alien gets stuck on Earth and it’s up to the boy to help him get back home.
This is a good movie for kids and it’s also very good for engineers because it shows a lot of interesting uses of engineering.
5. The Matrix | 1999 | 7.7 IMDB
This movie is a classic that everyone should watch. It’s about a man that wakes up to find out that the world is not what he thinks it is. He learns that he and the rest of the humans are living in virtual reality and he has to learn to fight against AI.
The movie depicts a dystopic future and shows the importance of questioning the reality around us. It’s a good movie for engineers because it shows what can happen if we don’t question the reality we live in.
6. Limitless | 2011 | 7 IMDB
This movie is about a man that takes a pill that makes him use 100% of his brain. He then becomes a genius and he becomes capable of doing amazing things.
This movie is a good example of how engineering skills are useful.
7. Frankenstein | 1931 | 7.6 IMDB
This is an old film, but it is my favorite horror movie of all time. The dark colors are an added bonus. It is a story of the power of science and the good and evil that it can bring.
The main character, Dr. Frankenstein, is a great example of an engineer that is willing to do what it takes to achieve his goals. This movie is a really good example of the conflict between science and religion.
8. A Space Odyssey | 2001 | 8.3 IMDB
This movie is a classic of science fiction. It is a story of human evolution that spans more than one million years. It is about how humans came into existence, developed intelligence, created technology, and eventually ventured into space.
This movie is a must-watch for any engineer because it is a very good example of how engineers can change the world.
The movie is based on a book by the same name. The book was written by Arthur C. Clarke.
9. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior | 1981 | 8.3 IMDB
This is a classic action movie that I enjoyed a lot. The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic world where society has collapsed. The main character, Mad Max, is a loner who only cares about survival. The movie is about his journey to help a group of people who are being attacked by another group of people.
This movie is a good demonstration of how violence can be used to solve problems. It’s not a great movie, but I recommend it to anyone who likes action movies.
10. The Fifth Element | 1997 | 7 IMDB
This is a classic sci-fi action movie. The main character, Korben Dallas, is a taxi driver who gets involved in a conflict between the aliens and the super-powered creatures. The movie demonstrates how humans can be motivated by money. It’s a good movie that demonstrates the conflict between the need to do something for money, and the need to help people.
I think that the main lesson of the movie is that people should do what they “feel is right”. It’s a good movie that I recommend to everybody, but especially engineers.
11. Back to the Future | 1985 | 8.5 IMDB
This is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. The movie is about a teenager, Marty McFly, who travels in time with the help of his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown. The movie demonstrates how time travel can be used to change the past in order to fix the future. It’s a good movie that I recommend to everyone, especially engineers.
The lesson of the movie is to never give up. It’s a great movie that I recommend to everyone, but especially engineers.
13. Blade Runner | 1982 | 8.2 IMDB
This is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. The movie is about a detective who hunts rogue androids. The movie demonstrates how artificial intelligence can develop a conscience. It’s a good movie that I recommend to everyone, especially engineers.
The lesson of the movie is that artificial intelligence can develop a conscience. It’s a great movie that I recommend to everyone, but especially engineers.
14. Wall-E | 2008 | 7.8 IMDB
This is a classic animated movie. The main character, Wall-E, is a robot who lives on a garbage-filled planet. He meets a robot named EVE and they start a journey to clean the planet. The movie is a good demonstration of how robots can clean the earth. It’s a good movie that I recommend to everyone, especially engineers.
The lesson of the movie is that robots can clean the earth. It’s a great movie that I recommend to everyone, but especially engineers.
15. The Avengers | 2012 | 7.8 IMDB
This is a classic superhero movie. The main character, Tony Stark, is a superhero who builds a team of superheroes to fight an alien invasion. The movie is a good demonstration of how a group of people can be motivated to solve a problem. It’s a good movie that I recommend to everyone, but especially engineers.
That was our today’s list of 15 movies for engineers. Have you watched any of the movies on the list already, what do you think about the movie? We would love to know your thoughts!