Netflix's new #1 movie is the perfect follow-up to Oppenheimer

Einstein and the Bomb
(Image credit: Netflix)

As Oppenheimer continues on its path to sweep awards season, a new Netflix documentary could provide the perfect follow-up viewing.

Einstein and the Bomb is a docu-drama about the physicist and his role in creating the atom bomb that combines dramatic scenes with archive footage and uses Albert Einstein's real-life speeches, letters, and interviews to script his dialogue. Aidan McCardle portrays the scientist in these dramatized moments. 

Kicking off in 1933 when Einstein had to flee Germany and take refuge in the UK, the film follows "the little known story of Einstein’s English hideaway. A time and place that will be a turning point in his life, between Europe and the US, between pacifism and aggression and a moment that will ultimately define his relationship with the most powerful of all inventions – the atom bomb."

The film was released last Friday (February 16) and, since then, has been racing up the Netflix charts. Per FlixPatrol, Einstein and the Bomb is currently the number one movie worldwide on Netflix, beating new rom-com Players and other popular releases that have recently arrived on the streamer like Despicable Me 3, Gran Turismo, and Jurassic World Dominion.

Of course, Einstein also appears in Oppenheimer, the historical drama directed by Christopher Nolan and released last summer. He's played by Tom Conti in the movie, alongside a stacked ensemble cast led by Cillian Murphy that also includes Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., and Matt Damon.

If you've already watched Einstein and the Bomb, fill out your watch list with our picks of the other best Netflix documentaries on the streamer. 

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.