The film is a biographical war film based on the biography of mathematical scientist, cryptanalyst and computer pioneer Alan Turing; a key figure in cracking the codes of Nazi Germany's Enigma machine.
His exploits helped the Allies win World War II. Turing was later criminally prosecuted for homosexuality.
The film follows Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and his team of code breakers in their race against time.
The film was well received by professional critics and audiences alike. However, some theatrical licenses are somewhat controversial.
Turing, for example, was described by his peers as an "eccentric" and "mad" man, yet he had a great sense of humour and was considered "nice".
Cumberbatch's performance is very reminiscent of his character in Sherlock, a talented actor despite his difficulties with social interaction.
In the film Alan Turing (played by Alex Lawther as a teenager and Benedict Cumberbatch as an adult) says he named his decoder "Christopher", named after Christopher Morecomb (played by Jack Bannon) after his first love. This was a licence taken by the film's script.
The real machine was called "Bombe". Christopher died of tuberculosis at the age of 18 and it is believed that his friendship with Turing inspired his work in cryptography.
It is also believed that Turing's work on artificial intelligence grew out of his obsession to bring Christopher back. As such, this name is considered to have great relevance in the film.
