---
title: "Bob Marley: One Love"
year: 2024
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/bob-marley-one-love"
fi1m_id: "bob-marley-one-love"
imdb_id: "tt8521778"
tmdb_id: 802219
wikidata_id: "Q112341432"
fi1m_score: 48
critics_score: 45
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:01.227045+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green · 1h 44m · MPA PG-13 · Music, History, Drama

## Identity

Bob Marley: One Love

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/bob-marley-one-love
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** bob-marley-one-love
- **IMDb ID:** tt8521778
- **TMDB ID:** 802219
- **Wikidata ID:** Q112341432
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8521778/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/802219, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112341432

**Fi1m score: 48** · Critics 45 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* Every song is present and correct; the man who wrote them has been asked to wait outside

> Kingsley Ben-Adir gets the walk, the voice and the stage, and Lashana Lynch gives the marriage what fire it has. Around them, four screenwriters and the Marley family have built a biopic that lists the achievements and hides the man.

## Synopsis

Kingston, 1976. Jamaica is split between two political parties and their gunmen, and Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) has agreed to play a free concert meant to calm the city. Two nights before it, men with guns come to his house on Hope Road, wounding him and his wife Rita (Lashana Lynch). He plays anyway, then takes his band to London, where Island Records boss Chris Blackwell (James Norton) gives him time to record what becomes *Exodus*. Around him are Tyrone Downie (Tosin Cole), manager Don Taylor (Anthony Welsh) and Cindy Breakspeare (Umi Myers), whose presence Rita is asked to accept. Rita Marley and Cedella Marley are among the producers; four writers, including director Reinaldo Marcus Green, share the script.

## Review

Reinaldo Marcus Green’s film about Bob Marley covers a couple of years in the late 1970s, from a shooting at the singer’s house in Kingston to the making of *Exodus* in London. Rita Marley and Cedella Marley are among the producers, and four screenwriters are credited: Frank E. Flowers, Zach Baylin, Green and Terence Winter. That is a lot of hands and a good deal of family, and it shows. It is a list of the things Marley did, set to the songs he wrote, and the man doing them stays out of reach for 104 minutes.

It starts well. Kingston in 1976 has two parties and a lot of guns, Marley has agreed to play a free concert for peace, and gunmen come to the house two nights before it. Green stages the attack quickly and without music, and the concert that follows, with Marley wounded and singing anyway, is the best sequence here. Robert Elswit shoots it at night, hot light on the stage and the crowd a dark mass beyond, and Kingsley Ben-Adir moves through the songs like a man who has decided the bullet is somebody else’s problem. We sat forward for this, and a film that had opened like a thriller seemed about to become one.

It does not. In London the film settles into the recording studio, which is where music biopics go to die. Somebody plays a bass line, somebody else looks up, and a song we all know is born in front of us as if by accident. Pamela Martin and Nick Houy cut the years together as montage, a chorus over a tour, a verse over a newspaper, and Kris Bowers’s score sits under the records without getting in their way. We were bored by the second studio scene, and then cross about being bored, because these are some of the best songs anyone made in that decade and the film treats them as a checklist.

Ben-Adir has done the work. He has the walk, the swaying shoulders, the accent that softens for Rita and hardens for money men, and on stage he is convincing enough that we stopped comparing. What he has not been given is a scene in which Marley is wrong about something. The script allows him a temper twice, once at his manager Don Taylor (Anthony Welsh) and once at the world, and both times it hurries him back to serenity. A man several people here have good reason to be angry with appears as a prophet with a football.

Lashana Lynch is the reason to stay. Her Rita has been shot at, moved countries and watched her husband’s girlfriend (Umi Myers, as Cindy Breakspeare) arrive, and Lynch plays it as pressure building rather than a list of grievances. When she lets go, in a row we will not describe, it is the one scene in which two people say what they actually think, and it moved us more than the rest of the picture put together. Then the film cuts to the next song.

The rest get costumes rather than parts. James Norton’s Chris Blackwell is a sympathetic man in linen. Tosin Cole’s Tyrone Downie and Aston Barrett Jr.’s Family Man Barrett stand at the edges and rarely get a scene. Anna B. Sheppard’s clothes, the denim and knitted tams and football shirts, are right, and Chris Lowe’s house on Hope Road, all open doors and people on the stairs, is the film’s most believable place. The flashbacks to a boy in a burning cane field are its least believable, and they keep coming back.

Green and Baylin made *King Richard* together in 2021, another authorised family portrait, and it let its hero be exhausting, vain and occasionally right. This one is more frightened of its subject. Nobody here lacks sincerity, but meaning to honour a man is not the same as showing him to us.

If you want the songs, they are here and sung with care; watch at home with the volume up and let the montages pass. If you want to know why the man on the posters mattered, the film assumes you already do.

*Fi1m score 48, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find Bob Marley: One Love a cautious, conventional biopic that treats its subject as a saint and skirts the harder questions about his politics, his faith and his marriage. The word that recurs is sanitised. Nearly everyone agrees the film comes closest to life in the concert and recording scenes, and most credit Kingsley Ben-Adir with a committed central performance, with Lashana Lynch’s Rita the other point of praise.

The spread is narrow: no review is positive, and the argument is only over how far the performances redeem the material. The Telegraph, Time Out and HeyUGuys think they nearly do. The Times and Total Film go the other way, finding the lead half-hearted or a matter of careful mimicry rather than presence. Deadline and Film Stories note a promising opening in 1970s Jamaican politics that the film abandons for standard studio-and-stadium montage. Nobody thinks it explains the man.

## Straight answers

**Is Bob Marley: One Love worth watching?**

*Bob Marley: One Love* is worth watching only if you want the songs sung well and can put up with a biopic that lists Marley's achievements and hides the man; we scored it 48. Kingsley Ben-Adir gets the walk and the stage, and Lashana Lynch's Rita is the reason to stay. The London studio scenes are where the film goes flat.

**How long is Bob Marley: One Love, and what is it rated?**

*Bob Marley: One Love* runs 1h 44m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a music and history film.

**Where can I watch Bob Marley: One Love in the US?**

*Bob Marley: One Love* is streaming on Paramount+, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $4.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Bob Marley: One Love, and is it suitable for children?**

*Bob Marley: One Love* carries a 12A certificate in the UK, and the hardest moment comes early, when gunmen attack the Marley house on Hope Road and wound Bob and Rita. It is staged quickly and without music, and it is not dwelt on. After that the film is talk, songs and a marriage under strain, so older children should be fine; the very young may simply be bored.

**How does Bob Marley: One Love compare to Control?**

*Bob Marley: One Love* is the more cautious film beside [*Control*](https://film.one/film/control), and the lesser one. Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis biopic is willing to show its subject as difficult and still make him worth caring about, while the Marley film, produced by his family, hurries him back to serenity whenever he threatens to be wrong. Pick *Control* for a portrait, *One Love* for the songs.

**What should I watch after Bob Marley: One Love?**

After *Bob Marley: One Love*, try [*The Harder They Come*](https://film.one/film/the-harder-they-come) (1972, Fi1m 80): Jimmy Cliff in the Kingston this film keeps tidying up, with the rough edges left on. Then [*Marley*](https://film.one/film/marley) (2012, Fi1m 77): Kevin Macdonald’s documentary asks the questions the biopic declines to, and gets some answers; and [*Control*](https://film.one/film/control) (2007, Fi1m 80): Anton Corbijn’s Ian Curtis film shows how a music biopic can be unflattering and still tender.

### Reviews we read (21)

- **The Telegraph** (60/100, inferred): A predictable biopic that lacks originality and oomph, but is elevated by Kingsley Ben-Adir’s gorgeous, vibrant performance as Marley that captures his musicality and charisma. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/bob-marley-one-love-review-kingsley-ben-adir/)
- **Time Out**, Ian Freer (3/5): The film mixes authentic elements with broad, clichéd biopic tropes resembling Bohemian Rhapsody, often leaning into the trite despite sincere intentions. It is redeemed by strong central performances from Ben-Adir and Lynch, plus the music, which stands out above the surrounding material. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bob-marley-one-love-2024)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (3/2/2): The critic finds it an ultra-conventional jukebox biopic that prioritizes celebrating the music over exploring the man, resulting in hagiography that buffs away rough edges. Ben-Adir's performance is solid but feels like cosplay, with the film leaning into generic structure and avoiding controversy. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/bob-marley-one-love)
- **Radio Times**, James Mottram (2/5): This misfiring biopic offers a superficial tribute that talks about Marley's achievements rather than dramatizing them, relying on clichés in music use and montages. Strong performances from Ben-Adir and Lynch provide some highlights amid the corny elements and miscasting. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ugay4i/bob-marley-one-love/)
- **Screen Daily** (40/100, inferred): The biopic struggles to locate the man behind the legend despite a likeable central performance and a focused narrative on a key period leading to Exodus. It lionizes rather than illuminates, glossing over details with melodramatic flashbacks and failing to deliver sharp insights into the music or life. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/bob-marley-one-love-review/5190315.article)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (40/100, inferred): The authorised biopic is a ploddingly solemn and reverent account that serves up the hits but skirts big questions about Marley’s life. It lacks euphoria and feels unrelaxed and sanctified despite some strong musical moments. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/feb/08/bob-marley-one-love-review-reverential-biopic-of-reggae-superstar-struggles-to-stir-it-up)
- **The Times** (2/5): An incurious and lethargic biopic of flimsy vignettes that fails to stir things up, with a half-hearted lead performance; the music is the only standout element in an uninspired portrait. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/bob-marley-one-love-review-film-biopic-kingsley-ben-adir-7cfxp37l7)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (35/100, inferred): The film is a hollow, simplistic biopic that fails to dramatize Marley’s life or relationships in any meaningful depth, resulting in hagiography; it comes alive only in the musical sequences and performances. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-bob-marley-one-love-is-a-hollow-music-biopic.html)
- **Empire**: The critic sees a solid, sincere but cautious and by-the-numbers biography that sheds little new light on the icon. It is elevated by Ben-Adir's excellent, believable performance as Marley that captures his presence and stage persona. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bob-marley-one-love/)
- **Evening Standard**, Hamish MacBain: The critic calls it a highly sanitised, cliché-riddled airbrushing that removes all complexity and depth from Marley's life, presenting a saintly, one-dimensional version. Strong music and some performances cannot compensate for the historical flattening and biopic tropes. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/bob-marley-one-love-biopic-kingsley-benadir-movie-review-b1138923.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Katie Walsh: The biopic relies on familiar tropes and fails to capture the essence of Marley despite strong performances from Ben-Adir and Lynch; it over-promises and under-delivers on cultural and political depth. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-02-14/bob-marley-one-love-review-kingsley-ben-adir-lashana-lynch)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Lovia Gyarkye: The biopic is stunted and never truly soars despite strong lead performances; it acknowledges Marley’s role as a peace broker and his Rastafarian beliefs but shies away from deeper engagement with political violence, colonialism, and the full complexity of his life and relationships. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/bob-marley-one-love-review-kingsley-ben-adir-1235819235/)
- **The Independent**: The critic views it as yet another conventional, watered-down celebrity biopic that respectfully argues for Marley's genius without embodying it or capturing the liberating power of his music. Ben-Adir's controlled performance is magnetic but lacks intuition and fire. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/bob-marley-movie-review-b2492828.html)
- **The i Paper**, Geoffrey Macnab: The critic finds it a frustratingly sketchy biopic that leaps through Marley's life without meaningful detail or insight into his Rastafarianism, marriage or politics. Strong casting is wasted as characters like Rita and Blackwell remain underdeveloped. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/bob-marley-one-love-review-2903886)
- **The New York Times**, Amy Nicholson: The critic finds the biopic patchy and unsatisfying, lauding a simplistic image of Marley as a cool lifestyle hero rather than delving into his complexities. Ben-Adir's performance is a fine simulacrum but the film doesn't attempt deeper grappling. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/14/movies/bob-marley-one-love-review.html)
- **Total Film**, Neil Smith: The critic finds the reverential homage sorely lacking the great man's blazing charisma, remaining glum and listless despite terrific music. Ben-Adir's diligent mimicry of patois and movements amounts to icon cosplay rather than an alchemical performance. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/bob-marley-one-love-review/)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman: The film turns into a haphazard '70s hang-out movie that misses the catharsis of Marley's rise; Ben-Adir inhabits the role well but the story lacks compelling structure and slides into hero worship. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/bob-marley-one-love-review-kingsley-ben-adir-1235900434/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Linda Marric (3/5): It's a serviceable biopic with thrilling performances and compelling music, but doesn't reinvent the wheel. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/bob-marley-one-love-review/)
- **Collider**, Nate Richard (4/10): The film is an uninspired and boring biopic that relies on every cliché of the genre, is overly sanitized, and fails to explore Marley as a person beyond surface-level traits. Strong lead performances from Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch keep it watchable but cannot overcome the generic script and lack of new insight. [Read](https://collider.com/bob-marley-one-love-review/)
- **Deadline**, Damon Wise (40/100, inferred): The film starts with promise in its depiction of 1970s Jamaican politics and an electrifying opening but soon falls into standard music-biopic clichés around recording sessions and fame. Concert scenes stand out for intensity and Ben-Adir’s performance is strong, yet the film never fully captures Marley as a true original rebel. [Read](https://deadline.com/2024/02/bob-marley-one-love-review-biopic-reggae-icon-kingsley-ben-adir-reinaldo-marcus-green-1235818736/)
- **Film Stories**, James Harvey: The critic finds it a conventional biopic that starts strong as a political thriller but settles into standard fare; praises the performances of Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/bob-marley-one-love-review-a-searing-political-thriller-weighed-down-by-a-biopic/)

## Details

- **Director:** Reinaldo Marcus Green
- **Director:** Reinaldo Marcus Green
- **Screenplay:** Zach Baylin, Frank E. Flowers, Terence Winter, Reinaldo Marcus Green
- **Cinematography:** Robert Elswit
- **Editor:** Nick Houy, Pamela Martin
- **Music:** Kris Bowers
- **Production design:** Chris Lowe
- **Costume design:** Anna B. Sheppard
- **Producer:** Rita Marley, Cedella Marley, Robert Teitel
- **Cast:** Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley; Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley; James Norton as Chris Blackwell; Tosin Cole as Tyrone Downie; Umi Myers as Cindy Breakspeare; Anthony Welsh as Don Taylor; Nia Ashi as Teen Rita Marley; Aston Barrett Jr. as Family Man Barrett
- **Runtime:** 1h 44m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 14 February 2024
- **Genres:** Music, History, Drama
- **Budget:** $70 million
- **Box office:** $181 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajw425Kuvtw

## Where to watch in the US

- Paramount+: streaming
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $4.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HU, ID, IE, IN, IT, JP, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Harder They Come* (1972), Fi1m 80: Jimmy Cliff in the Kingston this film keeps tidying up, with the rough edges left on. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-harder-they-come.md)
- *Marley* (2012), Fi1m 77: Kevin Macdonald’s documentary asks the questions the biopic declines to, and gets some answers. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/marley.md)
- *Rockers* (1978): Reggae musicians playing themselves in a loose Kingston caper; the music sounds like it lives there.
- *Control* (2007), Fi1m 80: Anton Corbijn’s Ian Curtis film shows how a music biopic can be unflattering and still tender. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/control.md)
- *Love & Mercy* (2014): Brian Wilson in the studio, and for once the recording scenes are the point rather than the padding.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/bob-marley-one-love