Real Genius
A teenage laser prodigy and his irreverent genius roommate turn scientific ingenuity into a weapon against institutional overreach.
Overview
A group of brilliant young minds turns their academic prowess into a series of hilarious pranks and a fight against military exploitation.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- hopeful
- lazy weekend
- nostalgic movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film enjoyable and warm-hearted, praising its optimistic sympathy for intelligent outsiders while noting that its script and college tropes are uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mitch, Chris, Jordan, and their friends combine advanced scientific ability with emotional vulnerability, eccentricity, and playful social lives.
Professor Hathaway redirects the students' high-powered laser project toward military use without their informed consent.
The students use elaborate technical ingenuity and comic retaliation to challenge their professor and the institution supporting him.
The central project involves developing a powerful laser, making laboratory technology and its destructive potential recurring sources of wonder and humor.
Films like Real Genius, and why
WarGames
shared teen comedy, eccentric ensemble, campus setting, and optimistic rebellion against authority
The Manhattan Project
shared 1980s youth comedy, outsider camaraderie, institutional conflict, and technological intrigue
The Sure Thing
shared college comedy, romantic subplot, playful pranks, and youthful anti-authoritarian energy
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
shared science fiction comedy, inventive technology, warm humor, and optimistic humanism
Movie Details
- Director
- Martha Coolidge
- Release Date
- 1985-08-07
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (524)
Cast
- Val Kilmer
- Gabriel Jarret
- Michelle Meyrink
- William Atherton
- Robert Prescott
- Louis Giambalvo
- Jon Gries
- Ed Lauter
- Stacy Peralta
- Daniel Ades
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV, BBC America, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- 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 Real Genius about?
- A teenage laser prodigy and his irreverent genius roommate turn scientific ingenuity into a weapon against institutional overreach.
- What is Real Genius like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Real Genius as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Real Genius violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Real Genius.
- What did critics think of Real Genius?
- Critics generally found the film enjoyable and warm-hearted, praising its optimistic sympathy for intelligent outsiders while noting that its script and college tropes are uneven.
- Which films are like Real Genius?
- Films with a similar feel include WarGames, The Manhattan Project, The Sure Thing, and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.
- How long is Real Genius?
- Real Genius runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Real Genius?
- In United States, Real Genius streams on YouTube TV, BBC America, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
