Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A socially awkward teenage math prodigy finds new confidence and new friendships when he lands a spot on the British squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad.
X+Y is a quietly affecting British drama anchored by a remarkable lead performance from Asa Butterfield as the autistic maths prodigy Nathan. The acting across the board is strong — Rafe Spall is particularly memorable as his MS-afflicted teacher — elevating what is otherwise a fairly familiar coming-of-age framework. The cinematography is competent and occasionally beautiful (especially the Taiwan sequences) but rarely distinctive. The plot follows a predictable arc of social isolation giving way to connection, with the maths competition providing structure rather than real dramatic tension. Novelty is moderate: the autism-meets-mathematics-competition setting is specific enough to feel fresh, and the film avoids many genre clichés, but it doesn't reinvent anything. The ending is warm and earned without being especially surprising.