Watching a genius at work is always a thrilling ride. Whether they are using their talents for good or evil, the truly gifted among us make gripping material for the big (or small) screen.
So this month we are celebrating the smart people! We’ve picked movies and TV shows all about those beautiful minds who go through life plotting, scheming and solving mysteries.
This Gizmodo Movie Night is brought to you by Stan, who are bringing you the hottest new TV shows the same day as the US, like Billions, Imposters and UnREAL. Sign up to Stan today for a free 30-day trial so you don’t miss out!
From tech billionaires to scorned lovers, here are the best dramas about geniuses to stream on Stan right now:
Better Call Saul
How do you follow a global sensation like Breaking Bad?
Well, Better Call Saul certainly managed to break the curse of TV spin-offs with its tale of Saul Goodman’s life before Walter White.
This prequel follows Saul when he was still known as con-man-turned-lawyer Jimmy McGill. It achieves the almost-impossible task of giving fans exactly what they wanted from a Breaking Bad spin-off, while still standing on its own two feet creatively.
Stan: Better Call Saul is the prequel to the award-winning series Breaking Bad, set six years before Saul Goodman became Walter White’s lawyer.
Doctor Foster
Doctor Foster caused quite a stir when it originally aired on the BBC, becoming the UK’s highest-rated new drama.
Suranne Jones plays GP Gemma Foster, whose perfect family life is torn apart when she discovers her husband is having an affair with a much younger woman.
That’s just the beginning as this story of betrayal and revenge plays out in remarkable style.
Gemma meticulously investigates her husband’s infidelity and plots how to get even – with shocking consequences.
Stan: A trusted GP sees her charmed life explode when she suspects her husband of an affair.
The Social Network
Have we ever needed a more timely reminder of how Facebook came to be?
David Fincher’s Oscar-winning biopic charts Mark Zuckerberg’s rise from awkward Harvard student to Facebook founder – and all the legal dramas that ensued in the site’s formative years (some things never change).
Sharp storytelling, memorable performances and a captivating soundtrack (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won an Academy Award for Best Original Score) result in a tense, atmospheric two hours which give us a fascinating insight into how we all ended up surrendering our lives to ‘The Facebook’.
Stan: The film focuses on the evolution of Facebook, the online social network created in 2004 on the Harvard campus, and how overnight success and wealth changed the lives of the classmates who created it.
Sherlock
Widely acclaimed as a modern masterpiece, this much-hyped series brings the classic Sherlock Holmes stories into the present day with a superstar cast featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
Sherlock’s uncanny talent for solving crimes stays true to the original detective material, while effortlessly introducing a 21-century spin full of twists and turns to keep viewers on their toes.
But listing all the things that make the series so epic, as well as its subsequent award wins, just wouldn’t do it justice – you’ll be binge-watching all four seasons before you know it.
Stan: Sherlock Holmes was always a modern man – it’s the world that got old. Now he’s back as he should be: edgy, contemporary, difficult and dangerous.
Angels and Demons
Remember when The Da Vinci Code was pretty much the biggest thing in the world? Ah, simpler times.
Angels and Demons is the sequel to that controversial movie, which in turn was adapted from the series of best-selling Dan Brown novels.
The credits read like a who’s who of Hollywood, with Tom Hanks starring, Ron Howard directing and Hans Zimmer composing.
Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon, a genius professor who finds himself trying to solve a series of ancient mysteries.
Ridiculous? Quite possibly. A classic blockbuster? Absolutely.
Stan: Robert Langdon tries to solve a murder and unravel a plot by an ancient group, the Illuminati, to blow up the Vatican during a papal conclave.
Gifted
Mary is an intellectually gifted 7-year-old being raised by her uncle Frank, who is determined to let her enjoy a normal childhood.
That is easier said than done with Mary’s grandmother Evelyn pushing for her to become a mathematics prodigy.
What Gifted lacks in originality it makes up for with plenty of heart and charm, as well as a change of pace for Captain America star Chris Evans.
Gifted starts streaming on Stan from May 25.