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One Life

One Life

Save one life, save the world.

2023109 minPGMidcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Director
James Hawes
Starring
Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Lena Olin, Romola Garai

British stockbroker Nicholas Winton visits Czechoslovakia in the 1930s and forms plans to assist in the rescue of Jewish children before the onset of World War II, in an operation that came to be known as the Kindertransport.

Where to watch

Where can I watch One Life?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists One Life streaming on Pluto TV (free), Tubi (free) and Wonder Project via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about One Life?

One Life earns 7 badges, led by Top 5% of films and Universally Loved.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is One Life worth watching?

One Life's Midcredits score is the 96th percentile of all films, from 154K ratings across 6 sources. 87% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

96th percentile

Better received than 96% of films

94th percentile among Biography95th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)92nd
Approval (how many liked it)96th

76 /100

92nd percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Biography91st percentile among 2020s

Critics 69 · Audience 76

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

87% liked it

96th percentile of all films

94th percentile among Biography95th percentile among 2020s
87% rated it 7–1013% rated it 1–6

Critics 91% · Audience 98%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 2 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

98th percentile

154K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Biography98th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$1.7M
Domestic gross$5.7M
Worldwide gross$57M

90th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

An extraordinary true story told in a modest, straightforward way that moves audiences more through its real-life weight than through cinematic artistry.

Fans praised

  • Hopkins and Flynn give profoundly humane, understated performances
  • respectful tribute to an unsung hero without gratuitous violence
  • powerfully moving finale that honors the real-life TV reunion

Detractors panned

  • conventional, safe filmmaking with no visual or narrative daring
  • flat character development — tells the facts but doesn't explore inner lives
  • slow pacing and dull bureaucratic scenes drain tension

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Hopkins is universally praised for warmth and restraint; Flynn convincingly mirrors him; Bonham Carter a standout

EndingDivisive85

That's Life reunion scene is cathartic and satisfying; some feel it arrives after a dull build-up

Emotional impactDivisive80

final act provokes strong tears from most fans; detractors call it manipulative

Plot and storyDivisive60

story beats are predictable and conventionally structured; real-life urgency partly compensates

DialogueDivisive45

stilted, expository — tells rather than shows

Characters40

supporting figures are one-dimensional; Winton himself is politely outlined but psychologically unexplored

PacingDivisive40

slow start, rushed middle; momentum only builds in the final 30 minutes

OriginalityDivisive30

derivative of Schindler's List and countless WWII TV dramas

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is One Life like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
HopefulMelancholicCathartic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.WarmTender · 13% of films
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneThe film plays its material straight with deep sincerity and respect, avoiding irony or overt manipulation despite its emotional subject matter.
The rideThe film balances the tension of the rescue with the sorrow of the Holocaust backdrop, building to an emotionally cathartic reunion in the final act.
StructureThe film alternates between 1938-39 and 1988, using the older Winton's perspective to frame the past events, making it nonlinear with a frame story structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulCathartic · 6% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves viewers uplifted by Winton's quiet heroism and moved by the reunion, carrying a sense of inspiration and emotional release.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet 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).QuestRescue
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% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · 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%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe story is driven by Nicholas Winton's mission to rescue Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, fitting the quest archetype with a rescue subtype. No secondary archetype or specific plot type captures the narrative's central drive.

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 filmsSelfSacrificeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · 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%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · 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%

Morality

Sacrifice · 4% of filmsFamily bondsGuilt · 3% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on Winton's self-sacrifice to save children, the supportive bond with his mother, and his later guilt over those he could not rescue.
StanceThe film celebrates Winton's sacrifice and the collective effort to save lives, affirming the power of individual moral action against a backdrop of global horror.

The world

Early 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score
SettingPrague refugee camps and London homes, 1938-39, with a framing present-day in 1988

Content guide

Is One Life okay for kids?

PG

One Life is rated PG: “Rated PG for thematic material, smoking and some language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (29/100), sexual content at minimal (10/100), language at minimal (10/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (26/100) and frightening material at moderate (46/100). Overall it is heavier than 41% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 23 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandPG
  • JapanG
  • Brazil12
  • Czechia12+
  • FinlandK-12
  • Hong KongI
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands12
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO15
  • SingaporePG
  • SK12
  • Spain16
  • Sweden11
  • Taiwan0+
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 11% of all filmsHeavier than 41% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 31%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 15%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 15%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 47%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 70%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 70% of PG-rated films.

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 One Life have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in One Life?

Cast

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

Anthony Hopkins
as Nicky Winton
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.
Johnny Flynn
as Young Nicky Winton
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Lena Olin
as Grete Winton
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Romola Garai
as Doreen Warriner
Alex Sharp
as Trevor Chadwick
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Jonathan Pryce
as Martin Blake
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Helena Bonham Carter
as Babi Winton
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.
Juliana Moska
as Hana Hejdukova
Ziggy Heath
as Young Martin Blake
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Marthe Keller
as Betty Maxwell
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like One Life?

Movies like One Life include In Which We Serve (1942), The Railway Man (2013) and Resistance (2020). Of the 12 closest matches, half are films set during World War II, and most are biopics.

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

3 of these 12 share its praise for the ending. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with One Life?

2.8K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: biopic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.