A young maths genius sees logic thwarted by one truly baffling equation: love. Teenage maths prodigy Nathan (Asa Butterfield) struggles when it comes to building relationships with other people, not least with his mother, Julie (Sally Hawkins). In a world difficult to comprehend, he finds comfort in numbers. And when Nathan is taken under the wing of unconventional and anarchic teacher, Mr. Humphreys (Rafe Spall), the pair forge an unusual friendship.

• X+Y is a 2014 British comedy-drama film directed by Morgan Matthews starring Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, and Sally Hawkins. The film, inspired by Beautiful Young Minds, focuses on a teenage English mathematics prodigy named Nathan (Asa Butterfield) who has difficulty understanding people, but finds comfort in numbers. When he is chosen to represent Great Britain at the International Mathematical Olympiad, Nathan embarks on a journey in which he faces unexpected challenges, such as understanding the nature of love. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September 2014. The European premiere was at the BFI London Film Festival on 13 October 2014, and the UK cinema release was on 13 March 2015.*

X + Y Reviews

“Take the story of a young maths prodigy, add three notable performances, subtract any of the by-the-numbers mawkishness you might expect, and the result is X+Y, a small gem of a Brit flick.” – Mirror