One Child

:

Season 1
Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 2 out of 9
Watch Now

Where To Watch

Stream On
Buy on
Stream On

Critic Reviews

  1. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
    Dec 8, 2014
    83
    There’s a considerable amount of restraint in the story’s telling.... Precisely because of its unflinching grimness, One Child is one of the most successful critiques of a broken system.
  2. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Dec 5, 2014
    80
    This isn't an easy movie to watch, but even at its most bleak, the scenes between the long-estranged mother and daughter are beyond poignant as they find common purpose.
  3. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Nancy DeWolf Smith
    Dec 4, 2014
    70
    Mei’s dogged and often clumsy efforts to bring the truth to light ought to seem laughably naive. Yet the more we grasp the enormity of what she is up against--a relentless apparatus of which every citizen of China is aware--the harder we root for Mei and her tiny Chinese family.
  5. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Hillary Busis
    Nov 26, 2014
    67
    Scenes of Mei trying to reconnect with her past has a few clever touches.... But it also has enough clunky dialogue, poor production values, and sluggish pacing to alienate viewers, too. [5 Dec 2014, p.77]
    All this critic's reviews
  6. Variety
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Dec 3, 2014
    60
    If it’s a flawed exploration of the old nature-vs.-nurture debate, the players and Mei’s predicament consistently make it interesting.
  7. The Detroit News
    Reviewed by: Tom Long
    Dec 5, 2014
    58
    One Child spends too much time running in place--which may reflect China’s inert bureaucracy, but falls short of riveting viewing.
  8. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Dec 1, 2014
    50
    While the miniseries is sometimes compelling and belatedly rises closer to its potential in the final third of the second night, it’s a sad case of great talent being wasted on badly handled material.
  9. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Chris Cabin
    Dec 2, 2014
    38
    For all its clear outrage, One Child presents absolutely zero challenging ideas of what to do in reaction to these sort of crimes against humanity, other than to ostensibly deal with it.
  10. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    Dec 5, 2014
    30
    Both the writing and the directing fall short in One Child, leaving good actors to work with material that’s mostly not there and viewers reminded of the fact that good intentions are not always enough.

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Most Shared TV Season of 2014

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 1 more rating

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. baoboa
    Feb 15, 2015
    0
    Well, first of all, the whole premise for the program is dead wrong. The idea that in China you're only allowed to have one child is not basedWell, first of all, the whole premise for the program is dead wrong. The idea that in China you're only allowed to have one child is not based on any reality. The fact is, you can have more than one child, in fact, you can have as many as you choose. I have a friend in China that has 2 young kids. He also has 3 sisters. His wife has a brother. His parents both have brothers and sisters. They aren't rich and they aren't living on some remote island farm. In fact, they live in Guangdong - the same region as this movie takes place. His parents are from Guangzhou, the very same city in this fabricated story.

    Its nothing but more cliche typical China bashing.

    There is far more complexity to the reality of the situation in China today than this program would have viewers believing (as is evident in the reviews). The freedom available to Chinese citizens today, the peaceful prosperity and quality of life (etc.) is something we in the west should take note of and learn from. Take a look at what is happening in our own backyards before pointing fingers I say. Perhaps start with the government sanctioned-legal, pre-teen American slave-farming industry? Yeah, no tv studio wants to touch that one huh.

    I gave it a "0" because its fake and in being fake a bad story with absolutely no true life redeeming quality whatsoever.    … Full Review »
  2. Pinktourmalin
    Feb 27, 2016
    8
    Good story, well acted but detracted from by ridiculous portrayal of hotels peopled by western couples with their new Chinese baby. TheGood story, well acted but detracted from by ridiculous portrayal of hotels peopled by western couples with their new Chinese baby. The prison is immaculate, not even a smear on the glass booths or prison walls, in stark contrast to the dirt and rubbish filmed everywhere else. It is a pity the prejudices of ignorance detract from the entertainment… Full Review »
  3. retrdsecretary
    Dec 7, 2014
    9
    I am always fascinated by shows produced by Sundance. Some I won't watch. This one I did because of the title and I was saddened because ofI am always fascinated by shows produced by Sundance. Some I won't watch. This one I did because of the title and I was saddened because of the stark reality of it. Well written, the acting is really great and with the ongoing unrest in China really worth watching but so sad. Thank you Sundance for keeping us on our toes. I just had to immediately watch a lovely Hallmark Christmas movie afterwards to make me feel balanced.… Full Review »