The Imitation Game
Stream
Rent & Buy
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 Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.
What critics thought
Critics broadly admired The Imitation Game as a handsomely mounted prestige biopic, with Cumberbatch's performance drawing near-universal praise — but the film's glossy, formula-driven approach and numerous departures from historical fact drew sharp criticism, particularly for softening Turing's sexuality and inventing dramatic conflicts that never happened. The gap between warm popular reception and the more skeptical critical middle ground is real, and the historical complaints are substantive enough to be taken seriously.
“too formulaic, too efficient at simply whisking you through and making sure you've clocked the diversity message”
Catherine Shoard·The Guardian
“a film about a human calculator which feels ... a little too calculated”
Tim Robey·The Telegraph
“Historically, The Imitation Game is as much of a garbled mess as a heap of unbroken code”
Alex von Tunzelmann·The Guardian
“movie is undeniably strong in its sense of a bright light burned out too soon, and the often undignified fate of those who dare to chafe at society's established norms”
Scott Foundas·Variety
Accolades
Genres
Biography, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Morten TyldumDirector
Benedict CumberbatchAlan Turing
Keira KnightleyJoan Clarke
Matthew GoodeHugh Alexander
Rory KinnearDetective Robert Nock
Allen LeechJohn Cairncross
Matthew BeardPeter Hilton
Charles DanceCommander Denniston
Mark StrongStewart Menzies
James NorthcoteJack Good
Tom Goodman-HillSergeant Staehl
Steven WaddingtonSuperintendent Smith
Alexandre DesplatComposer
Graham MooreWriter
Óscar FauraCinematographyThe Imitation Game
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 Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.
What critics thought
Critics broadly admired The Imitation Game as a handsomely mounted prestige biopic, with Cumberbatch's performance drawing near-universal praise — but the film's glossy, formula-driven approach and numerous departures from historical fact drew sharp criticism, particularly for softening Turing's sexuality and inventing dramatic conflicts that never happened. The gap between warm popular reception and the more skeptical critical middle ground is real, and the historical complaints are substantive enough to be taken seriously.
“too formulaic, too efficient at simply whisking you through and making sure you've clocked the diversity message”
Catherine Shoard·The Guardian
“a film about a human calculator which feels ... a little too calculated”
Tim Robey·The Telegraph
“Historically, The Imitation Game is as much of a garbled mess as a heap of unbroken code”
Alex von Tunzelmann·The Guardian
“movie is undeniably strong in its sense of a bright light burned out too soon, and the often undignified fate of those who dare to chafe at society's established norms”
Scott Foundas·Variety
Accolades
Genres
Biography, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Morten TyldumDirectorBenedict CumberbatchAlan TuringKeira KnightleyJoan ClarkeMatthew GoodeHugh AlexanderRory KinnearDetective Robert NockAllen LeechJohn CairncrossMatthew BeardPeter HiltonCharles DanceCommander DennistonMark StrongStewart MenziesJames NorthcoteJack GoodTom Goodman-HillSergeant StaehlSteven WaddingtonSuperintendent SmithAlexandre DesplatComposerGraham MooreWriterÓscar FauraCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy