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Lion
Lion
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Lion

Lion

2016
Drama
1h 58m
A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family. (imdb)

Lion

2016
Drama
1h 58m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 57.25% from 1785 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1810)
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Rated 24 Jan 2017
72
25th
The first half of this film is great -- visceral, tense, beautifully shot and edited. The second half is awkward, uneven, and fails to explore its characters enough. Mara and, shockingly, Patel are not given the time needed for us to invest in them or their relationship. Sure, the end result is emotionally charged, but that's only because Patel is that good and we can remember the powerful first half.
Rated 14 Dec 2017
90
63rd
I found this movie to be surprisingly moving. I can see why it got some award buzz when it did. Everything just feels so real in this. Not only the story, but the acting as well. Patel, Mara, and Kidman are all amazing and the supporting cast does really well too. I would even say Garth Davis' directing shined a couple of times, and the score is relaxing too. It's haunting, emotional, and most of all, real. Everything is just balanced out really well. I definitely recommend watching this
Rated 06 Feb 2017
83
70th
Poignant drama can't quite sustain itself during the very uncinematic mid-section Google tour, but a very strong first half (thanks largely to Pawar's beautiful performance as the young boy) provides the necessary framework to make the finale genuinely touching and moving. Beautiful use of Tasmanian locales and scenery, capped by wonderful performances from both Kidman and Wenham as the adoptive parents. Ultimately a little too simple and straightforward, but an interesting story well told.
Rated 31 Jan 2017
70
78th
A cut above the standard Weinstein Weepie. Rather than simply mining middle aged women's tears as if they were a precious mineral, Lion at least attempts to convey some themes, like memory, identity, class, etc... India is presented with a rich sense of place; certain shots/moments linger enough to evoke a sense of real spiritual yearning. Great child acting. There is more here than mere sentiment, although I do love that as well.
Rated 26 Feb 2017
70
65th
Pawar as the adorable kid who gets lost in India and Patel as the twenty-something Aussie who needs to find his birth mother make what could so easily have been tv movie of the week material very involving.
Rated 14 Feb 2017
65
64th
better than I expected, I guess. the major takeaway is that every adult in India is a child slaver and/or pedophile but they're too slow and lazy to catch a 4-year old child, making their existence one of constant suffering, much like Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown. anyway Nicole Kidman was ok I guess and congrats to Rooney Mara on collecting a paycheck for looking longingly at Dev Patel in his most fuckable role in years
Rated 04 Sep 2018
71
64th
Very well acted. The ending really brings this thing home and earns the tears. The middle act sort of loses steam, and there's some domestic drama that feels a little tacked on and unnecessary, though.
Rated 12 Aug 2017
71
49th
While a five-year-old steals the show, the host of other great performances against some beautiful photography and a poignant score move Lion past its often clumsy screenplay. The first third is wonderful, but the film slips in second with too many tortured souls for the screen. How do we know Saroo is struggling? His hair becomes unkempt and he rips things off the wall. Still, a more than impressive debut for Garth Davis and worth the watch for Sunny Pawar alone.
Rated 31 Jul 2017
70
56th
A rough middle of the film really puts an unfortunate dent in the strong beginning and powerful end. The whole middle of the film feels unnecessary and lessens the impact of the strong performances and tearjerker ending. It's not a bad movie, and granted I know little of the true story but much of it just seems too Hollywoodized. Not a favorite.
Rated 19 Mar 2017
70
45th
pelo Sunny Pawar
Rated 25 Feb 2017
57
43rd
It's melodrama and Oscar-bait, as others have said. It's a capable movie I suppose, and the performances are all ok, but it has a foregone conclusion from the beginning and is incredibly heavy-handed. Movies that hold my hand so much and tell me how to feel, like Lion, just come off as tawdry more than deeply felt. Compare Moonlight to this, and you can see the differences in a synergistic story made powerfully, and Lion which is rather by-the-numbers and follows an Oscars checklist of sorts.
Rated 25 Feb 2017
69
66th
While admittedly it does teeter on the brink of falling into melodrama and losing me in places, the emotion (and closure yourself as a viewer) you feel in that last sequence is just something else, more than making up for a few little flaws encountered throughout the journey. Great performances, especially Sunny Pawar, and another film this year that is typical Oscar bait but Oscar bait that's very well made.
Rated 18 Feb 2017
30
12th
The sort of movie where at the end a link to website is shown which you can visit and help THE CAUSE. There are a lot of brown children who need help, because they are lost. This movie is about such child, who gets exported to Australia, the grows up, google earths his home and gets reunited with his mom. The end.
Rated 05 Feb 2017
82
60th
Initial rendering of the childhood story is very touching. Later in the film it is worth it to see the horrors that they visit on Nicole Kidman's hair alone. Why does it seem like Dev Patel is the only 'Indian' actor in Hollywood?
Rated 04 Feb 2017
85
85th
While typically I would say that it's hard to justify an award nod to an actor who was only in about half of his movie, I can't deny the things that Dev Patel made me feel in this. For this to be Garth Davis' debut feature film, I believe, marks the outset of what will likely be a pretty brilliant career. It has its flaws, its holes, its moments of crossing the melodramatic line. But what it does do very well is interconnects what are basically two movies in one, to an emotion-driven crescendo.
Rated 03 Feb 2017
8
80th
A by-the-numbers you-better-get-your-hankies tearjerker, yes. But it's true, and it works pretty well.
Rated 02 Feb 2017
60
89th
Technology making the world a little less adventurous. Adopted Indian man living in Australia searching for the rural town where his biological mother lives, not by going there, but by using Google Earth. Is that a product placement or what?! Lovely teary eyed story, but I can't help but wish for the more old fashioned search where they actually go places and interact with people, instead of all this loneliness and isolation.
Rated 31 Jan 2017
55
29th
The first half of this is actually not bad, mainly because little Sunny Pawar is fun to watch, and the hostile hustle and bustle of Calcutta as seen through the eyes of a frightened child is vividly portrayed. But it's all downhill as soon as we meet the older, mopier Saroo and things become more and more generic and manipulative with each passing minute.
Rated 15 Jan 2017
76
78th
Very well-made and emotionally effective. We know where the movie is going but the journey is lovely.
Rated 01 Oct 2016
100
96th
A deeply touching story with strong performances by Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel. Many kleenex were needed with this one.
Rated 08 Sep 2018
55
47th
The story of the lost boy who finds his hometown and gets reconnected to his mother is truly moving. I admit I shed quite a few tears. Sunny Pawar is very cute, cast well and does emphasise the emotional charge of the story. Albeit all that, the middle section of the film was very disjointed, had shallow characters and poor character development, plus it felt like a leftist multiculturalist propaganda, without proper argumentation. Strong beginning, strong end, weak middle.
Rated 14 Aug 2018
75
47th
An absolutely gripping first act and gorgeous photography are what I'll remember from this film. It slackens, story-wise, in the middle, but it's still mostly a pleasure to watch, and the ending is great.
Rated 05 Apr 2018
85
72nd
:)
Rated 11 Mar 2018
89
91st
Beautiful movie. Good performances.There was some lag. I really liked the part where he is able to recognize the station from the map. The climax scene, where he walks along with his brother, made me cry.
Rated 03 Jan 2018
67
52nd
An excellent movie with a great heart. The second half could have perhaps been developed a bit more, but overall a very touching experience.
Rated 22 Dec 2017
75
54th
Lion drags a bit at times, but is mostly a captivating and emotionally-charged story portrayed effectively.
Rated 09 Oct 2017
85
67th
Beautiful. Made me cry. No disrespect to Dev P who was great but surprised (after reviews) 1. How long initial childhood section was & 2. Just how mesmerized + amused + terrified ("Yes...just what they want" !) I was by it? I could've watched 2 hrs+ of Sunny Pawar as young Saroo in all locales/situs!. ?Didn't warm to R Mara but then never have. All other cast were great & she didn't act badly or spoil film. | Overall: superb pic of amazing tale. ? it
Rated 01 Oct 2017
84
66th
A magnificent first half, detailing how young Saroo (Sunny Pawar) becomes separated from his family and ends up trying to survive on the streets of Calcutta, gives way to a less satisfying second half where the adult Saroo (Dev Patel), now living in Australia, uses Google Earth in a desperate attempt to track down his old home. Fine direction and cinematography overcome lapses in the script; an example of Weinstein Oscar bait which actually merited some of its plaudits.
Rated 12 Sep 2017
88
83rd
Lion is a very sobering film with fantastic performances all across the board, except for perhaps Nicole Kidman, who came off unnatural and insincere. The journey is emotional and heart-wrenching, the characters are well-developed, and it's a story someone could get attached to rapidly. Garth Davis's impressive debut is something of an illuminating experience that should be required viewing for everyone.
Rated 09 Sep 2017
85
99th
Wow. What a movie. Captivating and full of emotion. The little kid Pawar stole the show. He is amazing! Admitting that the first part is way, way better and the movie kind of falls through a little bit in the second part, it is still a great movie to watch. 85/100.
Rated 06 Aug 2017
56
35th
Unashamedly melodramatic and sappy, its saving grace is in the real story it's depicting. This is all the more apparent once it leaves India.
Rated 23 Jul 2017
88
88th
Lion isn't the smoothest ride, but it's certainly emotional
Rated 21 Jul 2017
69
73rd
While it still sort of feels like an intentional tear jerker it is, in the end, extremely beautiful and well acted.
Rated 19 Jul 2017
60
52nd
Feels like a TV movie, but with better performances.
Rated 07 Jul 2017
83
89th
This movie packs a punch. The movie's final sequence is nothing short of transcendent; I rank it among the most powerful scenes ever put to film. The story is tight, and I feel they do a good job of steadily building the tension without veering too drastically into extraneous subplots. That this movie did not win anything at the Academy Awards is a discredit to that institution. Don't watch this with a first date unless you don't mind them seeing you cry, because there is an 80% chance of tears.
Rated 01 May 2017
74
50th
An amazing emotional journey.
Rated 30 Apr 2017
65
65th
Entertainment: 3.5/4 Beautiful cinematography; decent acting; a little slow at times. Spirit: 2/3: Compassionate adoption (from a woman's future vision), Patience with one another. Sustainability: 1/3: HIghlighting the problem of orphaned and street children in India.
Rated 25 Apr 2017
3
65th
Very emotional and at times a bit over dramatized, but the still engaging story and the very good performances from Patel in particular, brings this home and make it for a good watch. *Good
Rated 16 Apr 2017
90
59th
Very sad
Rated 14 Apr 2017
12
55th
W3E1P1S1V1M2A2R1. I am struck by how much mood plays into appreciation of movies of this ilk, infecting one's opinion of every detail--whether the acting seems contrived or genuine, whether the music is touching or sappy, whether the plot is slow and dull or "subtle" and mysterious, etc. It makes ranking systems hard for these movies. The delta between this and Moonlight may not actually have been so great. But it came off as good but overwrought--trying to be nifty but really pretty rote.
Rated 16 Mar 2017
75
82nd
Have you heard of this new program, Google Earth?
Rated 12 Mar 2017
89
85th
drags a bit at times, but I cannot think of a humanbeing who wont cry at the end
Rated 11 Mar 2017
80
84th
Oscar bait. Its a bit slow at times, but is made to test your tear channels
Rated 26 Feb 2017
78
69th
The scenes as a little boy in India were beautifully shot and Sunny Pawar did such a fantastic job that they added a much-needed weight to the flashbacks later in the film, as the Google searching and under-developed relationship with the American girlfriend did not match those early scenes.
Rated 22 Feb 2017
60
27th
based on amazing true story.
Rated 22 Feb 2017
31
15th
White people sure are great, huh? You know what else is great? Google. And who invented that? FUCKIN' WHITE PEOPLE!
Rated 19 Feb 2017
90
93rd
A 2 part structure with the first part being 50 minutes of conventional tragedy that is hard to watch without adding much. But it is somewhat necessary in order to set up the last hour which is an amazing and truly moving drama based on amazing acting and supported by lovely visuals and a beautiful piano score.
Rated 13 Feb 2017
78
63rd
A bit sappy and expository, but not too much so. Incredible story, pretty good movie.
Rated 10 Feb 2017
82
95th
Lion is beautiful and moving, and its excellence in performances and craft make this true story come to life in a very real way.
Rated 05 Feb 2017
70
67th
The emotion comes through, especially in the first half of the film and in the ending. There's parts in the middle that don't work quite as well. They're not bad or anything, just not as compelling, compared with the other parts. There's nothing especially incredible about the filmmaking, but the film looks nice and it just lets the strength of the story carry it. Good performances all around. So, yeah, definitely worth seeing just for the story itself.
Rated 02 Feb 2017
5
42nd
I'm not sure being Australian and the absolute flogging of a marketing campaign, 'Lion' has received over here has corrupted me but this movie is just so BY THE BOOKS. Feel good story and capable acting (Sunny Pawar is great) sets it's foregone conclusion of a legacy as a daytime cable network movie that will pass the time.
Rated 31 Jan 2017
82
84th
While it does want your tears, it isn't completely overt about it. Great performances all around. Flashbacks get used a bit too much and the relationship between the main character and his girlfriend is very weird but other than that it's a fantastic film
Rated 29 Jan 2017
75
73rd
First of all, kudos to Dev Patel. Don't know if I've heard a better Australian accent from a non-Australian. In fact, the entire cast is wonderful here. The film is definitely a tear-jerker but it doesn't force anything. I read that there was a conscious decision to film this in a linear way; whilst I agree that the "flashback" is an over-used plot device, I think this film would have benefited from it.
Rated 19 Jan 2017
100
90th
Most of the parts of this movie work really well both independently and together. There's a bit too much google maps-ing - it's not too interesting to watch, but forgivable. Strong performances overall, glimpses of fantastic cinematography and a really good balance of tone for my taste. Just short of Slumdog Millionaire.
Rated 12 Jan 2017
70
72nd
Lion is a gripping, moving, inspiring film that's high in heart and relatively low in content. While there are moments of sexuality, tension and sometimes troubling family relations, the movie's characters find themselves and each other. And, in so doing, they inspire those who watch their stories unfold--especially Saroo's lionhearted journey. (pluggedin.com)
Rated 11 Jan 2017
65
36th
The portion of the film telling the origin story is wonderfully shot and thorough. The landscapes are beautiful and the child acting was basically flawless. Unfortunately everything after the time jump is fragmented and clunky storytelling with a bunch of stale characters who are never fleshed out. The ending is emotional enough, but again is ruined by some awful Sia song. Worth it, but feel free to leave half-way.
Rated 07 Jan 2017
82
53rd
Pretty decent tearjerker with a great first hour or so!
Rated 03 Jan 2017
6
54th
Dev Patel doesn't appear until nearly an hour into Lion - but when he does his strong, soulful, Oscar-buzzed performance cuts deep.
Rated 02 Jan 2017
90
93rd
If this doesn't grab your heart and wring it out, you're as cold-blooded as they come.
Rated 17 Dec 2016
69
53rd
Less sappy and predictable than the marketing made it out to be.
Rated 21 Oct 2024
6
43rd
An amazing story which is a told well but lacks impact in the middle section.
Rated 14 Apr 2024
58
60th
Thematically this movie is about sense of belonging and rediscovering what was lost. It's common to say that the first half is more interesting because of how it plays with childish naivety existing within depravity, but everything in the second half is still thematically consistent and serves the purpose of landing on its ending with some degree of emotional highs. But I feel that the emotional highs of that ending rely more on the first half than the second, which often feels very tacky.
Rated 01 Jul 2023
68
45th
It’s sad but there isn’t enough depth to it. I guess the “foggy memory” technique used in the second part of the film damages the impression it’s supposed to make, and kind of bridles the sadness that otherwise could flow a river out of viewer’s eyes. A decent movie however.
Rated 10 Dec 2022
80
88th
What a cute and sad movie at the same time. Really gets under your skin and you hope so badly that the guy will find his mom and brother, his roots. Beautiful movie.
Rated 23 Aug 2022
79
44th
The acting and shooting is quite good, but the story loses its focus to the point you just want them to get to the end already.
Rated 06 Aug 2021
75
59th
?????????????????????????????I'm the same.
Rated 30 Apr 2021
86
46th
beautiful movie. but shattered my heart.
Rated 13 Dec 2020
76
79th
Not sure how I missed this one when it as released as I often try to rent Best Picture nominees. A friend recommended it and it turned out to be a good flick. Based on a real story, though I suppose dramatized a bit. I kind of wish the entire original group had helped him look instead of him looking on his own. The India scenes far eclipsed the Australia scenes, perhaps because they are so foreign to me.
Rated 28 Sep 2020
70
75th
Much better than I anticipated, perhaps a consequence of the very low bar that has been set for Australian films over the past few decades? In any case, this is a remarkable true story that is made to work on screen mainly due to Patel's performance (he really nails the Aussie accent!). Pawar is also very good (i.e. adorable). No doubt it is overly sentimental in parts, but as a story of lives lost and found again, it works well.
Rated 23 Aug 2020
61
23rd
It starts of well, with good performances and a setting that is interesting to watch. The middle is where the film lost me as it becomes a very generic, typical Hollywood 'based on a true story' type film. Very flat and cliché characters, bad writing, boring and intellectually insulting. The ending scene is good and did cause me to cry, although I don't think the film itself earned this. There are worse films and the beginning and ending of the film ALMOST make it worth watching. But not really
Rated 21 Mar 2020
83
57th
Çok güzel hele india sonrası çok damar Corona günleri @istanbulnwthaliye
Rated 11 Dec 2019
54
10th
There's a really interesting story at the heart of Lion. What it doesn't understand is which parts of the story are actually interesting.
Rated 08 Jul 2019
72
61st
It can veer on the overly melodramatic at times, but Lion's simultaneously grounded and ethereal feel and its excellent first half make it stand out among other films with its general narrative arc.
Rated 16 Jan 2019
77
18th
I don't tend to mind slow movies but the middle to end of Lion was a little much even for me.
Rated 01 Oct 2018
78
58th
78.33.
Rated 16 Jul 2018
79
66th
In two minds about this one. I found the young child stuff at the start a bit corny and manipulative. The adoption section with the Aussie parents and two brothers started off some interesting psychology. The Dev Patel section was alright, but mainly due to what Rooney Mara brought to it, not the introspection or research bits. Then the ending was so heartwarming you couldn't help but smile and cry. Overall the parts are quite disjointed and maybe not worthy of all the praise it's been getting.
Rated 27 Jun 2018
50
39th
Great start, great end but the middle hour was soooo boring.
Rated 30 May 2018
87
79th
83.50+.72+2.50 = 86.72.
Rated 14 Mar 2018
97
96th
great movie. surprised me
Rated 06 Oct 2017
29
15th
Zzzz... and boooo!
Rated 05 Aug 2017
70
47th
Solidly acted with a decently interesting story, but I didn't find it much more than solid. Feels like there are dozens of such films a year and I'm not sure Lion set itself apart.
Rated 20 Mar 2017
50
37th
This is an ok drama, but the story lack a bit of conflict between characters because although the circumstances on which the boy was alone where incredible it moved along without major surprises. This is a very cliché based on a truth story drama blockbuster.
Rated 08 Mar 2017
3
41st
I'm ambivalent about this movie. The parts that were shot in India are by far the better: the story is stronger and the filming makes me taste and smell India and long to return there. The brooding youngster in Australia (played by Patel) is not a very interesting character though, but Kidman saves that part of the film.
Rated 25 Feb 2017
41
18th
Presumo que agora a Nicole Kidman está relegada a papéis de mães. Humph.
Rated 19 Feb 2017
90
87th
Great movie that is emotional all the way through. The acting was amazing, from both the children and the adults. The first part does go on a long time but it is necessary and works well. The story may be too simple with the second half dragging on slightly, but with that said, I loved it all the way through.
Rated 05 Feb 2017
55
26th
just another movie that in a couple of years will be forgotten.
Rated 07 Jan 2017
40
38th
It really does feel like a movie based on a Vanity Fair article. It's a 90 minute story in a 120 minute film. And it's further proof that the only thing anyone has ever used Google Earth for is to look at their house.

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