Netflix: Did you like Oppenheimer? This new film about Einstein follows Christopher Nolan’s biopic

Using archival audio recordings and writings of Einstein himself, Einstein and the Bomb explores the famous scientist’s role in the history of the creation of the atomic bomb.

This new Netflix drama documentary follows one of the most famous and influential physicists in history – briefly seen in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, played by Tom Conte. In the Oscar-nominated film, Einstein is among those who mentored J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who played a central role in the development of atomic weapons.

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What exactly was the role of Albert Einstein in the creation of the atomic bomb, and how did the world’s most famous scientist regret his participation? So many questions that this documentary by Anthony Phillipson explores.

In reality, Oppenheimer and Einstein probably only met a few times—their relationship was described as “sincere and difficult”—and ultimately Einstein’s contributions to Oppenheimer’s work were theoretical and indirect. However, the fundamentals of Einstein’s work undoubtedly influenced the understanding of physics for all scientists.

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The film traces key moments in the life and career of Einstein (who appears in both archival footage and as Aidan McArdle), from his refugee status in England to his early ideas, which ultimately lead to his theory of relativity. It also reveals how the fear of a pacifist scientist who believed that Nazi Germany was developing its own atomic weapons led him to write a letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, inadvertently triggering the arms race that would lead to the creation of the bomb.

“I made a big mistake in my life– says Einstein in the film. “If I had known that the Germans would not be able to produce an atomic bomb, I would not have participated in the opening of Pandora’s box.“

Einstein and the Bomb is currently available on Netflix.