A rare achievement.

Rating: 9/10 (23 April 2012)

It's uncertain whether shows like Numbers would even exist, if not for this early Aronofsky picture that proved mathematics could be cinematically compelling.
A math genius is on the brink of discovering a mathematical theorem which governs the behavior of many things in the universe. Some shady characters want to use his knowledge to manipulate the stock market. The result is a gloomy, suspenseful thriller which succeeds by virtue of its unique visual style in presenting a compelling view of genius on the edge of madness while seducing the viewer into the main character's obsession with the potency of numbers. The idea of a hard-core science fiction movie in noir style with a low budget, a nobody cast and built around the subject of esoteric mathematics seems pretty outré. That is works this well is a genuine achievement.