The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game is a 2014 American biographical thriller film directed by Morten Tyldum and written by Graham Moore, based on the 1983 biography Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges. The film's title quotes the name of the game cryptanalyst Alan Turing proposed for answering the question "Can machines think?", in his 1950 seminal paper "Computing Machinery and Intelligence". The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing, who decrypted German intelligence messages for the British government during World War II. Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, and Mark Strong appear in supporting roles.

Following its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 29, 2014, The Imitation Game was released theatrically in the United States by The Weinstein Company on November 14. It grossed over $233 million worldwide on a $14 million production budget, making it the highest-grossing independent film of 2014. The film received critical acclaim but faced significant criticism for its historical inaccuracies, including depicting several events that had never taken place in real life. It received eight nominations at the 87th Academy Awards (including Best Picture), winning for Best Adapted Screenplay. It also received five nominations at the Golden Globes, three at the SAG Awards and nine at the BAFTAs. Cumberbatch and Knightley's highly acclaimed performances were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively at each award.

Plot

In 1951, mathematician Alan Turing is questioned by police after an apparent home break-in, and he talks of his work at Bletchley Park during WWII.

In 1928, Turing, constantly bullied at boarding school, befriends Christopher Morcom, who sparks his interest in cryptography. Turing's romantic interest is frustrated when Christopher dies of tuberculosis.