Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - 5/5

This is a movie that starts off fairly normal, gets weird and surreal in the middle, and then somehow manages to resolve in a surprisingly simple and straightforward ending. Jim Carrey is at his best and delivers an amazing, moving performance, and Kate Winslet has a lot of chemistry with him. Since many of the special effects were achieved in-camera and with precision editing, it still holds up after 14 years. Like all good sci-fi, it manages to be simultaneously high-concept and personally relatable. It’s a modern classic for good reason, and a must-see film fans.

Closest Comparison: It’s like Requiem for a Dream, but with hopeful realism in place of gritty despair.

Setting: Modern
Tone: Drama
Plot: Sci-fi

Hidden Figures (2017) - 4/5

This is a heartwarming family-based movie about three black women overcoming racism and sexism at NASA in the 1960's. The mathy-parts are stylized so anyone watching who doesn't understand the higher math being used won't be lost. Unfortunately, there's not enough of that math on-screen for those who do understand it, and the little they reference directly is hit-or-miss for accuracy. It will likely appeal more to fans of NASA, anti-racism, and John Glenn than fans of mathematics. The story is well told and the actors have some really good chemistry. It's a really good version of what you would expect to get from the trailers.