Real Genius

Real Genius (1985) is a science-fiction comedy directed by Martha Coolidge — stream it online on iFILM. Fifteen-year-old prodigy Mitch arrives at a prestigious university and gets paired with Chris Knight, played by Val Kilmer at his most effortlessly funny. Chris has long since stopped caring about impressing anyone, which turns out to be its own kind of genius.

The two work on a high-powered laser for a faculty research project, unaware that their professor is quietly selling the results to the military for use as a weapon. When they figure it out, the payback they engineer is both technically brilliant and gloriously ridiculous.

Kilmer carries the film with a lightness that holds up well — Chris Knight is one of his underrated performances, full of wit without a single wasted gesture. Stream Real Genius (1985) online on iFILM.