Oscar-winning British World War 2 thriller is on TV this Easter weekend | Films | Entertainment

For almost 30 years, the codebreakers at Bletchley Park kept their crucial contribution to the Allied war effort secret until declassification.

Among the cryptographers who cracked Nazi Germany’s Enigma code during World War 2 was Alan Turing.

Appointed team leader by Winston Churchill, he was provided the £100,000 construction cost for a deciphering machine called Christopher.

The British mathematician was played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2014 biopic The Imitation Game, which is on TV this Easter weekend.

The biographical thriller boasts an impressive cast including Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, Rory Kinnear and Charles Dance.

Despite criticism for historical inaccuracies, the film was critically acclaimed and grossed over $233 million on a $14 million budget. Nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, the modern classic won Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Imitation Game is on BBC Two at 10pm this Easter Sunday and will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer for a limited time afterwards.