Not only did Benedict Cumberbatch nail his performance in The Imitation Game (directed by Morten Tyldum and released in 2014), but the film itself was well written, historically accurate, and quite suspenseful.

Because it was based on a true story, it was quite intense. The amount that I learned from this movie at least tripled my knowledge about what truly happened during World War II. Never had I heard about Alan Turing or the Turing Machine. Nobody told me that he was considered the father of computer science and that the computers we use today are just improved Turing machines. Because Turing’s accomplishments were kept secret for thirty years after the war, he received little recognition until recently.

The movie really pulled on my heart strings. Of course, war is always a tear jerker, but on top of that, seeing the “hero” of the movie constantly bullied was tough. Turing’s life was a complete mess, mainly due to society’s unaccepting view of homosexuals. It was interesting to see how Turing used his machine to really escape from people and emotions. His machine became his life. He named it Christopher and treated it like his kid, investing every minute into it.

I thought it was unbelievable that the machine and everything that occurred at Bletchley Park remained undercover for thirty years. At the end of the movie, it was disheartening to see everything related to Christopher burned. After years of endless work, all that was left was ashes.

I watched The Imitation Game per my dad’s request, but ended up loving it. The film had quite an impact on me and was more intense than I expected. I had to wait for a while after the movie ended to take in everything I had just watched because I couldn’t believe it was real. The Imitation Game is definitely a must see.