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Creation

Creation

Faith evolves.

2009108 minPG-13Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Director
Jon Amiel
Starring
Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Martha West, Guy Henry

A psychological, heart-wrenching love story that provides a unique and inside look at Charles Darwin. Torn between faith and science, he struggles to finish his legendary book "On the Origin of Species," which goes on to become the foundation for evolutionary biology.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Creation?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Creation streaming on Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Creation?

Creation earns 5 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Creation worth watching?

Creation's Midcredits score is the 65th percentile of all films, from 21K ratings across 6 sources. 61% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

65th percentile

Better received than 65% of films

43rd percentile among Biography62nd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)60th
Approval (how many liked it)67th

64 /100

60th percentile of all films

40th percentile among Biography60th percentile among 2000s

Critics 51 · Audience 66

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.8 — solid but not unanimous.

61% liked it

67th percentile of all films

46th percentile among Biography65th percentile among 2000s
61% rated it 7–1039% rated it 1–6

Critics 47% · Audience 49%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

86th percentile

21K ratings across platforms

70th percentile among Biography79th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 8% in 30 days

Box office

Budget£10M

In British pound, not converted to dollars.

Opening weekend$53K
Domestic gross$341K
Worldwide gross$2.1M

44th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a family drama centered on Darwin's grief over his daughter's death and his marital conflict, not a thorough exploration of evolution.

Fans praised

  • Bettany and Connelly's deeply felt performances as the Darwins
  • Humanizes Darwin's personal struggle with grief and faith
  • Provocative, evenhanded treatment of the science-vs-religion debate

Detractors panned

  • Focuses on dreary domestic melodrama instead of Darwin's scientific journey
  • Boring, ponderous script with pseudo-hallucinatory sequences
  • Historically inaccurate portrayal of Darwin as delusional and at war with God

What stands out

ActingDivisive82

Bettany and Connelly praised as superb; detractors find performances wasted

Cinematography70

Beautiful period detail and nature observation scenes

Atmosphere70

Evocative Victorian setting and Gothic mood

Emotional impactDivisive60

Moving but manipulative; critics call it maudlin

CharactersDivisive55

Darwin portrayed as tortured but historically inaccurate to some

DialogueDivisive50

Some thought-provoking lines but also clunky overexplanation

Plot and storyDivisive40

Clunky, unfocused merging of grief and science; too much family melodrama

PacingDivisive40

First half strong, then repetitive and drawn-out death sequence

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Creation like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats Darwin's personal and scientific turmoil with grave seriousness, never undercutting the emotional weight.
The rideThe film sustains a quiet, conflicted tension throughout, with the emotional weight concentrated in the middle as Darwin's doubts and hallucinations intensify.
StructureThe film uses flashbacks and temporal jumps to show Darwin's memories and visions alongside his present-day struggle.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you pondering the clash between faith and science while also feeling the emotional weight of Darwin's personal losses.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeDarwin's journey from grief and inner conflict to completing his theory is a story of healing and reconciliation between faith and science.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFaithSociety
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% (this title) · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9% (this title): Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% (this title) · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Society

Faith · 3% of filmsPurpose · 9% of filmsMarriage · 2% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the tension between religious belief and scientific truth, and how that tension strains Darwin's sense of purpose and his marriage.
StanceThe film questions the clash between faith and science without settling on a verdict, focusing on Darwin's personal struggle as a lens for a wider societal tension.

The world

19th centuryDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Christopher Young
SettingDarwin's English country home, with flashbacks to the Beagle voyage
MusicThe score underscores the emotional gravity of Darwin's internal conflict.

Content guide

Is Creation okay for kids?

PG-13

Creation is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some intense thematic material” (MPAA). As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at mild (22/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • UKPG
  • Canada14A
  • FranceTP
  • IrelandPG
  • Brazil10
  • Sweden11
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (5 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (30 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Creation have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Creation?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Paul Bettany
as Charles Darwin
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jennifer Connelly
as Emma Darwin
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Martha West
as Annie Darwin
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Guy Henry
as Technician
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Jeremy Northam
as Reverend Innes
Toby Jones
as Thomas Huxley
Benedict Cumberbatch
as Joseph Hooker
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jim Carter
as Parslow
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Robert Glenister
as Dr. Holland
Ian Mercer
as Goodman
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Creation?

Movies like Creation include Iris (2001), Colette (2018) and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by John Collee, and most are biopics.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its world: academia. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Creation?

2.2K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: scientist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.