Lion

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2:21

Lion

PG-13

2016

2h 1m

Drama

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

268 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty-five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.

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Critics Consensus

Lion's undeniably uplifting story and talented cast make it a moving journey that transcends the typical cliches of its genre.

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Christy Lemire

What the Flick?!

06/06/2018

7.8/10

The beginning is harrowing and the end is heartbreaking.

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Alonso Duralde

What the Flick?!

06/06/2018

6.5/10

I don't think I've ever seen a movie that's this much about the experience of adoption and the relation between adoptive parents and adopted children...it's a rich subject that we don't see much in film.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

04/01/2017

1-5 stars

Despite its wavering focus from its fascinating lead to his white supporting actors, this is an inspiring story about one young man's search for identity

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Jul 20

4/5

The feature film debut of award-winning commercial director Garth Davis, is a love letter instead of a power ballad that delivers genuine emotional heft all on its own, without the need to manufacture it for the sake of a movie.

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JD Duran

InSession Film

08/20/2024

A-

Lion is a film that will rip your heart out, but in all the best ways possible.

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Denise Pieniazek

A Sala Llena (Argentina)

01/14/2024

6/10

The story of the film begins in 1986, and some time later, after several events, an indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple. From here it is inevitable not to establish a point of contact with the 2005 film "Va, vis et deviens".

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Chaz K

3d

was an OK film, but it seems like the brother died because Saroo wandered off. They make no mention of that.

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Kaylen W

@JustKay234 Jan 31

One of the greatest movies I've ever seen. Perfect.

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Josh W

@josh.wilson_za_uk Dec 26

Seeing Lion as someone who was adopted myself, it hit me in a way no other film could. The sense of being uprooted, of loving your adoptive family while still carrying that quiet, persistent longing for your birth family, is so raw and real here. Sunny Pawar’s portrayal of young Saroo is heartbreakingly innocent and Dev Patel as the adult shows the ache of searching for identity without ever losing gratitude for the life he was given. Nicole Kidman and David Wenham feel like the adoptive parents anyone would be lucky to have, full of love and patience. Watching the film, I felt both comforted and unsettled, reminded of the duality of adoption: the joy and the loss, the belonging and the questions that never fully go away. It’s one of those rare films that doesn’t just tell a story, it makes you feel it deep in your bones.

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Damien S

Nov 27

Possibly the most stunning and heartbreaking and engaging story of the century. Bought the book after watching the movie.

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Mike P.

@BubbaMovieMan Jul 23

Amazing…one of the best movies I have ever seen.

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Es K

@Kennedy914 May 20

Lion struck a chord with me, not because I had experienced life as an orphan, but because my own mother had left our family when I was very young. We were the fortunate ones, as she eventually returned, but she was never truly happy. I spent most of my life trying to gauge her emotions, fearing that she might leave us again. Fortunately, she remained with our family, but her emotional distance and deep-seated longing for something more were always apparent. Ultimately, we all desire the same thing that Saroo did - to be loved and understood by our mothers.

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Lion: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty-five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.

Director: Garth Davis
Producer: Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Angie Fielder
Screenwriter: Luke Davies
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: See-Saw Films, Aquarius Films, Sunstar Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Material|Some Sensuality)
Genre: Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $51.7M
Runtime: 2h 1m

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