Genius (2016) is a captivating biographical drama directed by Michael Grandage and written by John Logan, based on A. Scott Berg’s National Book Award-winning biography Max Perkins: Editor of Genius. The film offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of literature, focusing on the complex and often turbulent relationship between legendary editor Max Perkins and his most celebrated author, Thomas Wolfe. With stellar performances from Jude Law, Colin Firth, and Nicole Kidman, Genius explores the intersection of genius and madness, creativity and discipline, providing a thoughtful and poignant look at the literary world.

Set in the 1920s and 1930s, the film primarily centers on the life of Max Perkins (Colin Firth), a senior editor at Scribner’s, one of the most prestigious publishing houses in New York. Perkins is responsible for discovering some of the most iconic American writers of the 20th century, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. However, the film’s focus is on his relationship with Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law), a passionate and wild young author whose raw talent is matched only by his uncontrollable behavior. Wolfe’s debut novel, Look Homeward, Angel, is a brilliant but unwieldy manuscript, and it is Perkins who takes on the monumental task of editing and shaping it into a work worthy of publication.