

Real Genius
Directed by Martha CoolidgeAn uptight teenage prodigy enters a top engineering college, but feels awkward among the freewheeling students. When a professor aims to turn their laser project into a military weapon, he and his offbeat roommate plot to ruin the plan.
Real Genius Ratings & Reviews
- Charles LondonApril 2, 2025My impression of Val Kilmer has always been that of a sometimes-misunderstood artistic genius with an eccentric dash of irreverence, traveling through life off-road. In this movie he plays a young scientific genius with exuberant doses of eccentricity and irreverence, blazing his trail in a very amusing film. It exhibits the talents that would launch Kilmer's remarkable career. RIP Val.
- fastnoidMay 17, 2025This was a really great 80s comedy. Lots of funny dialogue and Val Kilmer is really fun. There's not really anything groundbreaking here -- it's going to hit most of the beats you'd expect from a comedy of this era that takes place at a university, and workmanlike camera work and direction -- but I still find it to be a very enjoyable watch, like familiar comfort food you can count on when you want something familiar.
Real Genius Trivia
Real Genius was released on August 7, 1985.
Real Genius was directed by Martha Coolidge.
Real Genius has a runtime of 1h 45m.
Real Genius was produced by Brian Grazer.
An uptight teenage prodigy enters a top engineering college, but feels awkward among the freewheeling students. When a professor aims to turn their laser project into a military weapon, he and his offbeat roommate plot to ruin the plan.
The key characters in Real Genius are Chris Knight (Val Kilmer), Mitch Taylor (Gabriel Jarret), Jordan (Michelle Meyrink).
Real Genius is rated PG.
Real Genius is a Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction film.
Real Genius has an audience rating of 8.2 out of 10.
Real Genius had a budget of $8M.
Real Genius has made $13M at the box office.

















