Overview
A powerful story of perseverance and brilliance in the face of adversity.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- uplifting
- warm
- inspirational
- inspirational movie night
- family viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a heartwarming, crowd-pleasing, and engaging correction to an overlooked chapter of space-race history, led by strong performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story centers on African-American women mathematicians whose calculations are essential to NASA missions but absent from the public mythology of the space race.
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson use mathematical and engineering ability to challenge racial and gender discrimination at NASA.
NASA's facilities and professional structures reflect the racial segregation and gender barriers of early 1960s America.
The film presents orbital calculations, workplace breakthroughs, and social progress in a warm, inspirational, broadly accessible register.
Films like Hidden Figures, and why
Erin Brockovich
shares a biographical historical drama focus on overlooked women whose professional brilliance challenges institutional sexism and social barriers
The Great Debaters
shares an uplifting true story of African American achievement confronting racism within a major American institution
42
shares a crowd pleasing historical drama about Black professionals overcoming segregation through expertise, determination, and collective support
The Right Stuff
shares a space race setting, human ingenuity, and accessible inspirational treatment of a major scientific achievement
Movie Details
- Director
- Theodore Melfi
- Release Date
- 2016-12-10
- Runtime
- 127 min
- Rating
- 8.0 / 10 (10692)
Cast
- Taraji P. Henson
- Octavia Spencer
- Janelle Monáe
- Kevin Costner
- Kirsten Dunst
- Jim Parsons
- Mahershala Ali
- Glen Powell
- Ariana Neal
- Saniyya Sidney
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hidden Figures about?
- Three brilliant African-American mathematicians challenge NASA’s barriers while helping launch America into the space age.
- What is Hidden Figures like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hidden Figures as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hidden Figures violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Hidden Figures.
- What did critics think of Hidden Figures?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a heartwarming, crowd-pleasing, and engaging correction to an overlooked chapter of space-race history, led by strong performances.
- Which films are like Hidden Figures?
- Films with a similar feel include Erin Brockovich, The Great Debaters, 42, and The Right Stuff.
- How long is Hidden Figures?
- Hidden Figures runs 127 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hidden Figures?
- In United States, Hidden Figures streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
