Lion

Play trailer

2:21

Lion

PG-13

2016

2h 1m

Drama

Biography

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

267 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.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Christy Lemire

What the Flick?!

06/06/2018

7.8/10

The beginning is harrowing and the end is heartbreaking.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

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

Go to Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

07/20/2025

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.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

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".

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Kim M

@Kmurphy54 Jun 9

The cast is outstanding. The story line could have taken an overused direction but it did not, making this much more interesting. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. The ending is a combination of joy and sadness. This is based on a true story. The filming in India is something Ameriicans rarely seeand is a treat. This is a wonderful movie and I highly recommend it.

See more

Matthew W.

@Mattrocks704 Apr 28

The “ok” review for an “ok” movie i would have rather do a growing up montage than jump straight to 20 years later. Great acting though

See more

Muhammad J

@RT22740050 Apr 16

The acting. the writing and the direction- All was flawless, I just didnt understand the unnecessary intimacy scenes between saru and his girl. That felt a bit extra and filler for the film.

See more

Kurt J

@RT89673864 Apr 14

Absolutely bad everything….actors did what they could so can’t really blame them. I know this movie is 10 years old and just viewed this on Netflix and created an account on Rotten Tomatoes just to leave this review. DO NOT WATCH if you have more than one brain cell. You’ve been warned.

See more

Leonardo S

@LeoShinozaki Mar 17

A story of strenght and resilience. Travelling through India and Australia is magnetical, also understanding the diversity of the two life that Saroo lives!

See more

moon S

@moon90 Mar 11

"was an OK film, but it seems like the brother died because Saroo wandered off. They make no mention of that" ...no wonder audience reviews get ignored, how can you be THAT blatantly ignorant. this film was beautiful and true, a real look into what it's like for an adoptive family, i cant imagine what they didnt say with the other adopted brother, they only showed us a mere fragment of their lives. wonderful story

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Garth Davis

Director

Dev Patel

Saroo Brierley

Rooney Mara

Lucy

David Wenham

John Brierley

Nicole Kidman

Sue Brierley

Abhishek Bharate

Guddu

I'm Not Ashamed

22%

82%

I'm Not Ashamed

Watchlist

TRAILER

for I'm Not Ashamed

Sully

85%

84%

Sully

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sully

Brian Banks

64%

97%

Brian Banks

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Brian Banks

The Glass Castle

53%

70%

The Glass Castle

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Glass Castle

Brain on Fire

13%

67%

Brain on Fire

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Brain on Fire

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Las Vegas Film Critics: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Takes 5 Awards

Lion, Night of the Living Dead, The Salesman, and More on Netflix and Amazon Prime This Week

How Family-Friendly are The Fate of the Furious and The Lost City of Z?

Most Inspiring Movies

24:28

Lion: Trailer 1

2:21

View more videos

View more photos

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