---
title: "I Am Legend"
year: 2007
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/i-am-legend"
fi1m_id: "i-am-legend"
imdb_id: "tt0480249"
tmdb_id: 6479
wikidata_id: "Q212689"
fi1m_score: 65
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 14
published: "2026-10-05T04:59:25.878249+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T04:59:35.906696+00:00"
region: "HR"
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."
---

# I Am Legend (2007)

Directed by Francis Lawrence · 1h 41m · Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller

## Identity

I Am Legend

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/i-am-legend
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** i-am-legend
- **IMDb ID:** tt0480249
- **TMDB ID:** 6479
- **Wikidata ID:** Q212689
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480249/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/6479, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q212689

**Fi1m score: 65** · Critics 60 from 14 reviews

*In a sentence:* Will Smith and the dog could have used another hour alone

> Will Smith is persuasive company in *I Am Legend*, and deserted Manhattan gives his isolation weight. The creatures and hurried storytelling are much less convincing, leaving a decent science-fiction thriller for those drawn to lonely-survivor stories.

## Synopsis

Robert Neville (Will Smith) lives in a deserted Manhattan, with a dog for company and creatures to fear. He tries to keep himself together as isolation begins to wear him down. The opening follows him through a New York emptied of people, where familiar streets offer none of their usual human contact. Zoe Neville (Salli Richardson) and Marley Neville (Willow Smith) also feature in his story. Neville has to survive the dangers around him while maintaining a life alone, with his bond with the dog providing the companionship the city no longer offers.

## Review

Francis Lawrence’s *I Am Legend* is worth considering for Will Smith and its deserted Manhattan, though we would not choose it for the creatures. It attempts something harder than simply keeping a survivor in danger: making the hours he spends alone worth watching. For a substantial stretch, it manages that through an actor whose company remains welcome even when his character is unravelling. The horror is much less dependable, and the hurried storytelling eventually weakens the interest that the loneliness has earned.

Robert Neville gives Will Smith little human company to work with, which turns out to be an advantage for the performance. His warmth and humour make the isolation more painful, because we can see what this man would bring to a conversation if anyone were there. The scenes with his dog moved us more than we expected. He makes that companionship feel necessary to getting through another day, and the film takes it seriously without needing a second actor to explain its importance.

Andrew Lesnie’s cinematography makes deserted Manhattan a reason to keep watching in its own right. There is enough familiar city left for the lack of people to be disturbing; we do not need a creature appearing to understand what has gone wrong. Naomi Shohan’s production design is effective at making this somewhere a person has to live, despite the emptiness. The streets give Neville’s isolation a scale that his performance can then make personal.

The computer-generated creatures are a serious problem. Their artificiality makes them difficult to fear, particularly after the city has established such a persuasive sense of a real place emptied of people. Francis Lawrence can create unease, but the shocks keep interrupting it, asking us to jump when we had been willing to sit and worry. The more attention the film asks us to pay the creatures, the harder their shortcomings become to ignore.

Akiva Goldsman and Mark Protosevich’s screenplay struggles to connect its study of isolation to the action surrounding it. We want the danger to deepen our understanding of Neville, but too often it merely stops us spending time with him. Wayne Wahrman’s editing cannot disguise how awkwardly those demands fit together, and the increasingly rushed pace gives the story less room just when it needs more. At 101 minutes, the film is not long; it still manages to feel as though it has left important work unfinished.

James Newton Howard’s score supplies feeling that Will Smith has already made clear. In the scenes with the dog, we need no encouragement to recognise how much the companionship matters. A science-fiction thriller can earn its tension by showing how unfamiliar conditions change ordinary behaviour. This one has enough to observe in a man deprived of company without repeatedly hurrying him towards another threat.

For anyone drawn to lonely-survivor stories, there is enough here to justify the evening, with reservations. We would have preferred more time in Neville’s company and fewer interruptions from the effects department. Choose it for the man and the dog, and be prepared to tolerate the creatures.

*Fi1m score 65, published 5 October 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is I Am Legend worth watching?**

*I Am Legend* is worth considering for fans of lonely-survivor stories, and we score it 65 out of 100. Will Smith and his bond with the dog make deserted Manhattan affecting company, but the artificial-looking creatures and hurried storytelling leave us wishing the film spent more time on his isolation.

**How long is I Am Legend, and what is it rated?**

*I Am Legend* runs 1h 41m. It is a drama and science fiction film.

**Where can I watch I Am Legend in Croatia?**

*I Am Legend* is streaming on Netflix in Croatia, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from HRK 3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is I Am Legend, and is it suitable for children?**

*I Am Legend* has a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children under 15, with creature threats, shocks and disturbing isolation making it a choice for older teenagers and adults. We find the empty city more unsettling than the computer-generated creatures; their artificial appearance weakens the fear, but does not make this a gentle survival story.

**How does I Am Legend compare to The Quiet Earth?**

*I Am Legend* offers creature-driven action alongside its loneliness, while [*The Quiet Earth*](https://film.one/film/the-quiet-earth) builds tension through empty streets and uneasy companionship. We favour *The Quiet Earth* for that quieter unease, though it becomes more ordinary when company arrives; *I Am Legend* suits those who want more action, but its effects are less persuasive than Will Smith.

**Is I Am Legend based on a true story or a book?**

*I Am Legend* is based on a novel by Richard Matheson, rather than a true story. No knowledge of the book is needed to follow Neville’s struggle with isolation and danger in deserted Manhattan; our reservations concern the film’s rushed storytelling and unconvincing creatures, rather than how faithfully it adapts its source.

**What should I watch after I Am Legend?**

After *I Am Legend*, try [*The Quiet Earth*](https://film.one/film/the-quiet-earth) (1985, Fi1m 78): Empty streets and uneasy companionship give this survival story its tension. Then [*The Girl with All the Gifts*](https://film.one/film/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts) (2016, Fi1m 75): For another outbreak thriller interested in the people behind the threat; and [*WALL·E*](https://film.one/film/walle) (2008, Fi1m 92): Patient observation and a lonely routine make an abandoned world feel inhabited.

### Reviews we read (14)

- **The AV Club**, Tasha Robinson (B): Robinson finds the film absorbing but uneven, with its two halves clumsily joined and its action standard. She praises the haunting first hour, especially its portrait of Will Smith coping with isolation in an empty Manhattan. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/i-am-legend-1798203530)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3/4): Ebert finds the film effective but limited, rather than a fully realized adaptation. He singles out its striking visual atmosphere as a strength. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-am-legend-2007)
- **Screen Daily**, John Hazelton (71/100, inferred): The visible text presents the film as a darkly intense sci-fi horror drama, but the critic’s full verdict is behind the paywall. It praises Francis Lawrence’s direction, comparing its flair favorably with his work on *Constantine*. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/i-am-legend/4036198.article)
- **Empire**, Dan Jolin (3/5): Jolin finds the film an effective, thoughtful drama by day but a clumsy horror spectacle after dark. He praises Will Smith’s performance and the evocative, empty New York while criticizing the creatures’ poor CGI. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/legend-review/)
- **Time Out**, Nigel Floyd (3/5): The review gives a measured verdict on the remake. It singles out Will Smith’s star power and abundant CGI as commercially sensible ingredients. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/i-am-legend)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (3/5): The review finds the film a valiant but ultimately disappointing adaptation, with its final act undermining the tension. It praises Will Smith’s performance and the moody, eerily beautiful cinematography of deserted Manhattan. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/i-am-legend-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Carina Chocano (55/100, inferred): Chocano finds the film slick, adrenaline-fueled fun but less compelling when it slows down or leans on its superhuman hero. She praises the opening’s vivid, post-apocalyptic Manhattan while criticizing the later supporting characters as boring and less lovable than the dog. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-dec-14-et-legend14-story.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (55/100, inferred): Honeycutt finds the film emotionally effective but uneven, caught between speculative fiction and horror, with a finale that may not convince. He particularly praises Will Smith’s extraordinary performance as a man unraveling under isolation. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/i-am-legend-will-smith-review-159247/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (2/4): Schager finds the film atmospheric but ultimately undermined by its flawed execution. He praises the deserted New York imagery while faulting the computer-generated creatures and the wayward third act. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/i-am-legend/)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (50/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film effective but irksome, with its atmosphere undermined by cheap horror shocks. He praises the haunting, desolate images of New York City and singles out Will Smith’s performance with his dog as especially powerful. [Read](https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/i-am-legend-1200554095/)
- **Den of Geek**, Martin (3/5): The review recommends the film as a sensory experience but finds its story incomplete and its ending unsatisfying. It especially praises the striking, atmospheric depiction of an abandoned New York City. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/i-am-legend-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Alex Fletcher (60/100, inferred): The review finds the film an entertaining but clunky blockbuster that never fully explores its bigger ideas. It praises Will Smith’s warmth and humor while faulting the CGI creatures and intrusive action sequences. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a81980/i-am-legend/)
- **Paste**, Tim Basham (60/100, inferred): Basham finds the film entertaining but says it falls short of its potential. He praises Smith’s performance and the evocative, deserted New York City, while faulting the creature effects and rushed ending. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/will-smith/i-am-legend)
- **Eye for Film**, Paul Griffiths (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film gripping and accomplished for much of its runtime, but says the final third undermines it. He praises the desolate Manhattan imagery and Smith’s compelling performance, while condemning the ending’s political and religious message. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/i-am-legend-film-review-by-paul-griffiths)

## Details

- **Director:** Francis Lawrence
- **Director:** Francis Lawrence
- **Screenplay:** Akiva Goldsman, Mark Protosevich
- **Novel:** Richard Matheson
- **Cinematography:** Andrew Lesnie
- **Editor:** Wayne Wahrman
- **Music:** James Newton Howard
- **Production design:** Naomi Shohan
- **Costume design:** Michael Kaplan
- **Producer:** James Lassiter, Neal H. Moritz, David Heyman
- **Cast:** Will Smith as Robert Neville; Alice Braga as Anna Montez; Charlie Tahan as Ethan; Dash Mihok as Alpha Male; Salli Richardson as Zoe Neville; Willow Smith as Marley Neville; Emma Thompson as Dr. Alice Krippin; Darrell Foster as Mike - Military Escort
- **Runtime:** 1h 41m
- **Release (Croatia):** 11 January 2008
- **Genres:** Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
- **Budget:** $150 million
- **Box office:** $585 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFNPNT_4Qww

## Where to watch in Croatia

- Netflix: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: rent HRK 3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy HRK 9.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Last Man on Earth* (1964): Another lonely survivor, with more emphasis on routine than spectacle.
- *The Quiet Earth* (1985), Fi1m 78: Empty streets and uneasy companionship give this survival story its tension. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-quiet-earth.md)
- *The Girl with All the Gifts* (2016), Fi1m 75: For another outbreak thriller interested in the people behind the threat. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts.md)
- *The Night Eats the World* (2018): A quieter account of isolation, with survival reduced to daily chores.
- *WALL·E* (2008), Fi1m 92: Patient observation and a lonely routine make an abandoned world feel inhabited. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/walle.md)

---
© 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/i-am-legend