One Life
Bleecker Street | Release Date: March 15, 2024 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
10
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeJan 10, 2024
While Winton’s achievements and his dedication were remarkable, the film-making here is less so. There’s little to set One Life apart from the very crowded field of films exploring equally laudable tales of second world war heroism. Read full review
60
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyJan 5, 2024
A great actor shouldn’t only be judged on what they can do with a masterful script, but also on how they can take a lesser work and still let it soar. Anthony Hopkins has achieved this with grace in One Life, a somewhat thin, reductively sentimental retelling of the life of British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton, which its star has empowered with raw, much-needed complexity. Read full review
60
EmpireKelechi EhenuloDec 20, 2023
The over-familiar story-beats and safe execution stop this from reaching its full potential — but Hopkins and Flynn shine, providing a moving portrayal of Winton’s life. Read full review
60
Time OutIan FreerNov 15, 2023
Held back by a more conservative aesthetic and emotional approach, One Life comes nowhere near the power and veracity of Steven Spielberg’s film. But it does have an ace in the hole in Anthony Hopkins, whose performance delivers a subtle but profound gut-punch. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinSep 11, 2023
In some ways, it’s one of Hopkins’ best performances from the last few years, beautifully underplayed, eschewing mannerisms or silly accents. It’s just a shame the film itself, directed by James Hawes, with a script by Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake, is a bit worthy and diagrammatic. Read full review
60
Screen DailyNikki BaughanSep 10, 2023
This is an undeniably moving story, and Winson — who died in 2015 aged 106 — a man worth honouring, but One Life comes across as an orchestrated tearjerker. Read full review
60
The GuardianBenjamin LeeSep 10, 2023
It’s in the scenes from the late 80s, which slowly start to take centre stage, that the film finds more original footing, exploring with nuance the realities of living with the weight of doing so much yet thinking of it as so little. Read full review
58
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodSep 10, 2023
For the most part, One Life is chronicling very familiar WW II territory. It’s not difficult to prompt genuine tension from these horrific events, but Hawes’ depiction of them is simply too conservative. Read full review
50
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergMar 14, 2024
In trying to capture this almost stoic modesty, the film, directed by James Hawes, falls into a dramaturgical trap. Read full review
40
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Radheyan SimonpillaiMar 14, 2024
Throughout it all, Winton remains a cypher. There’s no curiosity here about him or the people he dedicated his time to. There’s no emotional journey to help us understand him and the stubborn modesty that made him so reluctant to share his story. Read full review
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