Movie · 2016 · Drama, History · 1h 48m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 2.3/10 (67.9K ratings)
What does it take to prove the impossible?
Overview
Growing up poor in Madras, India, Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar earns admittance to Cambridge University during WWI, where he becomes a pioneer in mathematical theories with the guidance of his professor, G.H. Hardy.
Ratings
Curator score: 2.3/10
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
Metacritic: 56
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Matt Brown
Production
Animus Films, Pressman Film, Kreo Films, Xeitgeist Entertainment Group, American Entertainment Investors, Cayenne Pepper Productions
Cast
Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones, Devika Bhise, Stephen Fry, Kevin McNally, Jeremy Northam, Anthony Calf, Pádraic Delaney, Shazad Latif, Roger Narayan, Arundathi Nag, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Richard Johnson, Raghuvir Joshi, Malcolm Sinclair, San Shella, Richard Cunningham, Thomas Bewley, Pip Barclay
Where to watch
AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now
Curator Review
Verdict
A respectful, earnest biographical drama with a strong central performance and an appealing mentor-student dynamic, but it stays close to standard prestige-biopic beats and never fully conveys the thrill of Ramanujan’s ideas. It’s worth watching if you’re drawn to inspirational true stories, academic rivalry, or Dev Patel’s warmth; less so if you want a deeply cinematic or intellectually vivid math film.
Best for
viewers who like inspirational true stories
fans of academic and mentor-student dramas
people interested in Indian history and diaspora stories
audiences who enjoy restrained prestige biopics
Dev Patel fans
Skip if
you want a highly stylized or formally inventive film
you need the mathematics to be made clearly accessible
you’re tired of conventional rise-and-overcome biopic structure
you prefer faster-paced drama or bigger emotional swings
Overview
The Man Who Knew Infinity is a polished, sincere biopic that benefits enormously from Dev Patel’s intelligence and quiet intensity. The film’s best material comes from the relationship between Ramanujan and Hardy, which gives the story a human shape beyond the usual “great mind” template.
Worth noting
What it does less well is translate mathematical genius into dramatic excitement. The movie often gestures at wonder without fully dramatizing the work itself, so the emotional stakes can feel more conventional than the subject deserves.
Bottom line
Even so, it remains a thoughtful, accessible portrait of ambition, class, and recognition. If you respond to stories about mentorship, perseverance, and the cost of being ahead of your time, this is an easy recommendation; if you need more cinematic spark, it may feel dutiful rather than revelatory.
Top Letterboxd reviews
citizenmac (2.5★) · 382 likes
You know it's a biopic when the hero starts shivering uncontrollably at some point.
pilot 🌀 (3★) · 289 likes
me acting like i knew what they were talking about and not like i was just staring at dev the whole time
Seanzie Wonzie (0.5★) · 192 likes
I normally don't like math movies. When I see a movie about a subject I am deep into, it can be deeply rewarding to see it portrayed with care and spirit (which is why I love Whiplash so much). But at this point I just can't believe that math can be portrayed well in a film. Maybe if it's only barely related, like in "It's My Turn" where Jill Clayburgh delivers a totally accurate performance of someone explaining the Snake… more I normally don't like math movies. When I see a movie about a subject I am deep into, it can be deeply rewarding to see it portrayed with care and spirit (which is why I love Whiplash so much). But at this point I just can't believe that math can be portrayed well in a film. Maybe if it's only barely related, like in "It's My Turn" where Jill Clayburgh delivers a totally accurate performance of someone explaining the Snake… more
annya 🦇 (3★) · 95 likes
dev patel making me appreciate mathematicians... he's too powerful
William Cooper (1★) · 89 likes
If I were to compile a list of the most boring films ever made, this would be right smack at the top of the list.