Sudoku in movies
The popular puzzle Sudoku is an integral part of todays world and also appears in movies again and again as an element to emphasize characters, plot elements or moods.
Are there any movies featuring Sudoku? ↥
Yes, Sudoku has also become an established visual tool that stands for intelligence and analytical thinking. Here we present movies, short films and series in which Sudoku is a topic or appears on the sidelines.
Movies ↥
In movies, Sudoku is often used as a stylistic device to illustrate certain characteristics of characters. Let’s see what use of Sudoku coming soon in cinema.
Live Twice, Love Once (2019) ↥
The Spanish film “Live Twice, Love Once” (original title: “Vivir dos veces”) tells the story of Emilio, a widowed retired math professor suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. When he realizes that he remembers less and less, he wants to find his childhood sweetheart Margarita. His daughter Julia and granddaughter Blanca help him. During the course of the film, they also find Margarita, but she has dementia and does not recognize Emilio. At the end of the film, Emilio and Margarita meet again in a nursing home. Due to their illnesses, they no longer recognize each other, but they are attracted to each other again.
Emilio, who has been interested in magic squares since his youth, regularly solves Sudoku puzzles from the daily newspaper in his favorite café, which also belong to the category of magic squares. One day, he couldn’t solve the Sudoku and suspected an error, which he first complained about by phone and then in writing to the newspaper publisher. This was also the reason for a medical examination, during which Alzheimer’s was diagnosed. Later in the film, he can be seen solving Sudoku puzzles.
Escape Room (2019) ↥
This movie is a thriller with horror elements. It is about six strangers who are invited to an escape room. At first it seems to be a harmless game of puzzles, but soon they realize that the rooms contain deadly traps. Each of them was invited for a specific reason, and only by working together as a team, each playing to their strengths, can they overcome the deadly traps and escape.
Zoey Davis is a shy physics student who also enjoys solving Sudoku. This skill helps her to solve the puzzles in the escape rooms by recognizing patterns that remain hidden from others.
Fantastic Movie (2007) ↥
This film parodies more than 20 well-known films and pop culture phenomena, including “The Da Vinci Code”, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, TV series, music videos and celebrities. The story is about four orphans who, after an epic adventure in a chocolate factory, find themselves in a magical world reminiscent of Narnia. In this world, the four of them must fight the evil “White Witch”. In doing so, they experience many crazy situations and meet companions and opponents who don’t give them a moment’s rest.
In this film, there is a scene where the character Peter draws a Sudoku with pee in the snow and solves it to prove that he is not as brainless as his companions think and can also contribute to the solution. This scene serves as a humorous element that underlines the absurdity and exaggerated style of the film.
TV series ↥
Sudoku is also popularly used as a stylistic device in TV series to illustrate certain characteristics of characters, similar to its use in movies.
The Mentalist ↥
The American crime series “The Mentalist” was produced between 2008 and 2015. It centers on mentalist/memory artist Patrick Jane (played by Simon Baker), who radically changes his life after a personal tragedy – the murders of his wife and daughter. Instead of continuing to perform stage shows as a clairvoyant, he now works as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), using his mental abilities and knowledge to help solve crimes.
In “Mentalist” Season 2, Episode 14, “Blood in, Blood out”, CBI agent Kimball Cho is confronted with his gang past. His former best friend David Seung has been murdered. Cho has not had contact with the milieu for 13 years. He has a guilty conscience and investigates unofficially with Patrick Jane. The trail initially leads to his old gang. But Jane suspects the culprit at David Seung’s last place of work. David had turned his back on his criminal environment. That was ultimately the reason for his death.
In one scene, Patrick Jane is seen sitting on a couch solving a Sudoku puzzle. This scene highlights Patrick Jane’s extraordinary mental abilities.
Bosch ↥
Produced by Amazon Studios, the crime series Bosch is based on the novels by Michael Connelly. It centers on Harry Bosch (played by Titus Welliver), a cynical but highly dedicated detective in the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department). The series ran from 2014 to 2021 and is characterized by its realistic, dark style. The focus is on authentic police work, avoiding exaggerated action scenes and gimmicks. In 2022, a spin-off entitled “Bosch: Legacy” was also released.
In the fourth episode of Bosch’s sixth season, entitled “Part of the Deal”, Harry Bosch finds out that there is more to Alicia Kent’s story than initially meets the eye. The mother of the murdered Daisy Clayton provides new information that finally advances the investigation into her daughter’s unsolved murder.
During a time-consuming wiretap, Detective Johnson solves a Sudoku. The Sudoku is meant to illustrate that police work sometimes requires time and patience.
The Simpsons ↥
The Simpsons is one of the most famous and longest-running animated series in the world. It has been on air since 1989 and has achieved cult status. The series is set in the fictional city of Springfield, where the Simpson family lives their everyday lives. The family consists of: Homer (lazy, impulsive father), Marge (reasonable mother with blue hair), Bart (cheeky, rebellious son), Lisa (clever, idealistic daughter) and Maggie (silent baby with occasional moments of surprise). The series combines satire, comedy and social criticism and presents a quirky sense of humor that makes fun of everything and everyone.
In the 18th season of The Simpsons, in the fifth episode entitled “G.I. Homer”, Homer joins the army reserves. He is inspired to do so by an advertising campaign in a video game. The requirements are initially simple, but military life is harder than expected. During a maneuver, Homer is hunted by his comrades after wreaking havoc.
While Moe is in his bar solving a sudoku, but failing miserably because he doesn’t really understand the rules, Homer bursts in and asks Moe to hide him. Here, sudoku shows the rather simple mentality of the characters.
Short films ↥
In contrast to films and series, short films are usually not made for entertainment, but rather for artistic expression or as work samples by students. There are several short films with the title “Sudoku”, but unfortunately little information can be found about them. Therefore, we will limit it to a small selection here.
Sudoku (2021) ↥
The short film Sudoku by Ray Baker from 2021 is about a man who wants to solve a Sudoku puzzle and comes across a typo. This mistake leads to funny and creepy moments. The short film is a mixture of comedy and horror film and shows the well-known style of Ray Baker, who likes to experiment with different techniques.
The short film can be seen on Youtube: Youtube: "Sudoku" by Ray Baker
Sudoku (2012) ↥
Another short film from 2012 was written, directed and produced by Josemari Martínez. The film stars Lara Loher and Josemari Martínez in this Spanish-language mystery short. The plot revolves around a couple whose relationship is put to the test by a mysterious event related to a Sudoku puzzle.
The film was produced in Spain and released on January 28, 2012.
Conclusion ↥
Sudoku is a versatile element in movies and series, both in terms of action and symbolism. Producers/screenwriters use Sudoku to give viewers a deeper insight into the psyche and life situation of the characters. In this way, viewers can also learn something about themselves, as they also learn about the inner conflicts of the characters.
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