When you think of Hollywood movies, you may not immediately think of an engineer. But, some of film’s biggest blockbusters feature intrepid engineers at the helm of our cinematic adventures. In fact, engineering characters have played major roles in scripts throughout the ages and perhaps more so now than ever. Here are five movies that feature engineering characters.

The Imitation Game (2014)

A rousing biopic, The Imitation Game tells the story of Alan Turing, a brilliant British mathematician and scientist who is largely considered the father of artificial intelligence. The Imitation Game was praised for its outstanding performances, writing, and emotionally complex scenes. In the film, Turing is enlisted by newly established British intelligence agency Mi6 to employ engineering, math, and cryptanalysis skills to design a machine that will crack ENIGMA, the Nazi code creator. The film also dives into the personal life of Turing and the secrets he had to keep regarding his own homosexuality.

Hidden Figures (2016)

Hidden Figures is based on a book by the same name and tells the previously untold story of three African American women who worked for NASA during the Space Race: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and aerospace engineer, Mary Jackson. In the film, the brilliant trio work together to navigate social, racial, and gender challenges on earth while simultaneously undertaking the challenging work of sending astronaut John Glenn into space.

Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar pays such close attention to detail that former engineers from NASA have praised the film for its portrayal of engineering and space exploration. In this edge-of-your-seat space adventure, Earth’s future is bleak. Hoping to find a habitable planet, a group of astronauts travel through a wormhole to seek salvation for the future of humanity. Kip Thorn, a theoretical physicist, served as the scientific consultant and executive producer for the film and worked with a team of engineers and designers to depict the wormhole and rotating black hole.

No Highway in the Sky (1951)

A Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Dietrich classic, No Highway in the Sky, depicts aeronautical engineer Theodore Honey (Stewart) who is sent to investigate an airline crash. En route to the crash, Stewart’s character theorizes the structural failure was caused by metal fatigue. Realizing he is traveling on a similar aircraft, Honey diverts the plane, and finds he has to defend his sanity and his engineering predictions.

Iron Man (2008)

Tony Stark is the ultimate engineer and superhero as Iron Man in Marvel’s universe. Described as a boy genius, Stark enrolls at MIT at age 15 to study electrical engineering and subsequently earns master’s degrees in engineering and physics. The son of a wealthy industrialist, Stark soon builds up a financial empire of his own. When terrorists kidnap him, Stark builds an armored suit, capable of supersonic flight, and escapes. With his uniquely designed suit, Stark dedicates his life to fighting crime and terrorism in America.

These are just a few movies that feature engineering characters in the lead, but there are many more playing supportive characters throughout some of Hollywood’s highest grossing hits.

Have you seen any of these classics? Do you have other favorites? Have movies featuring engineers impacted you? Tell us in the comments …