---
title: "Lion: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/lion/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/lion"
critics_score: 70
critics_reviews: 30
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."
---

# Lion (2016): what the critics said

Critics' score 70 from 30 reviews: 18 positive, 10 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics find Lion moving, with praise clustering around its performances and the early scenes of a lost child’s life in India. Sunny Pawar’s natural performance draws particularly consistent approval, while Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman receive strong notices for the adult drama. The reviews also value the child’s-eye-view cinematography and sensitive handling of poverty. For its admirers, Garth Davis gives a powerful true story enough restraint to earn its emotional impact.

The main reservation is the shift into adulthood: several critics find the second half repetitive, the relationships underwritten and the pacing less assured. Opinion spreads widely over how much these weaknesses matter, and whether the sentiment feels earned or imposed. The Financial Times is among the strongest dissenters, arguing that the piano-heavy score and star casting overwhelm the story’s finer details. Even several favourable reviews concede that the opening is more compelling than what follows.

## The Times — Kevin Maher

Rating ★★★★☆. 20 January 2017. 

A deeply empathetic performance from Dev Patel and an unflinching view of child poverty give the film a winning edge as a muscular tearjerker, with Nicole Kidman adding fascinating brittleness. Director Garth Davis layers in complexity without eliding difficult aspects.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/lion-klqp8mpp0)

## RogerEbert.com — Susan Wloszczyna

Rating 3.5/4. 24 November 2016. 

The film is an intelligent crowd-pleaser that mostly avoids blatant manipulation until the very end, where the emotional payoff is earned and deserved. It excels in the early sections through the natural performance of young Sunny Pawar and the boy's-eye-view cinematography.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lion-2016)

## Film Comment — Michael Sragow

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic praises the film's soulful retelling of a true story, highlighting its emotional depth, strong performances especially by Dev Patel, and its ability to convey a character's growth and reclamation of the past without artificiality.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-lion/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2016. Festival review. 

The film is a classy crowdpleaser driven by tremendously moving performances from Dev Patel and young Sunny Pawar as the separated boy turned adult searcher. It offers a sober, stirring contemplation of family, roots, identity and home.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lion-review-dev-patel-nicole-kidman-927423/)

## Empire — Dan Jolin

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2017. 

A triumphant directorial debut with an astonishing true story treated with a light artistic touch; deeply moving and intimate despite a weaker second half, with career-best work from Patel and impressive Kidman.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/lion-review/)

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2016. Festival review. 

Dev Patel soars in this tearjerker that earns its emotions through the true story of an adopted boy using Google Earth to find his roots. The film delivers heartfelt impact from its unlikely real-life narrative.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/lion-review-nicole-kidman-dev-patel-tiff-2016-1201725548/)

## Radio Times — Damon Wise

Rating 4/5. 

The gripping depiction of the young boy's fate on the streets of India makes for an affecting true story with shades of Slumdog Millionaire; the payoff is less cinematic than the setup.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ho84zh/lion/)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2016. Festival review. 

Garth Davis turns the astonishing true story into a dignified, authentic and highly moving crowd-pleaser with knockout performances, elegant camerawork and a sensitive script.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/lion-toronto-review/5109328.article)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 2017. 

The film is an affecting debut from Garth Davis that emotionally snares the viewer with its story of a lost child, despite some pacing issues and an overbearing score. It highlights strong performances from Dev Patel and especially Nicole Kidman.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jan/22/lion-review-dev-patel-nicole-kidman)

## The New York Times — A.O. Scott

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 November 2016. 

Garth Davis’s unabashedly tear-jerking movie has the scary, wondrous feeling of a fairy tale in its first part, conveying the Dickensian dimensions of the boy’s situation with minimal dialogue and graceful editing. The later Google Earth search takes an emotional toll but underscores the story’s themes of loss and reconnection.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/24/movies/lion-review-dev-patel.html)

## The Telegraph — Tim Robey

Rating 4/5. 19 January 2017. 

The true story rips the viewer to pieces with its emotional power and Dev Patel's brave performance, while Nicole Kidman delivers a sterling supporting turn. Director Garth Davis makes a smart, restrained debut by letting the mapping sequences carry the emotion.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/lion-review-nicole-kidmans-oscar-contender-will-rip-you-to-piece/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 November 2016. 

A real-life fairy tale with an irresistible story line that warms the heart, helped by strong casting especially young Sunny Pawar. Director Davis seems more at home visually in India than in Australia, and the film works well at times in keeping viewers interested despite the known conclusion.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-lion-review-20161119-story.html)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 January 2017. 

The first half is vivid and powerful with stunning visuals and a captivating child performance; the second half weakens with some wishy-washy elements but still features admirable moments and strong acting from Kidman and Patel.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/lion-film-review-one-lost-boy-and-his-long-and-eventful-journey-home-a3445556.html)

## The AV Club — Esther Zuckerman

Rating B-. 23 November 2016. 

The film struggles to balance young Saroo’s harrowing journey with the adult’s displacement, leading to whiplash and underdeveloped relationships. Strong child performance and some effective early scenes stand out amid the structural issues.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/lion-doesn-t-quite-make-its-true-story-roar-1798189699)

## Slant Magazine — Matt Brennan

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 23 November 2016. 

Lion is an imperfect but moving melodrama that juxtaposes two worlds and identities through fitful glimpses and strong child performance, though structure and pacing faults limit its power. It gestures toward nuance in transnational identities.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/lion/)

## Little White Lies — David Jenkins

Rating 3/3/2. 20 January 2017. 

The first half impresses with its visual fluency, sensitive handling of poverty and dynamic editing; the second half descends into sentimental melodrama and mannered performances from the adult cast.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/lion)

## The i Paper — Matthew Turner

Rating ★★★. 20 January 2017. 

A handsomely made drama with a moving true story, strong performances from Patel and Kidman, and gorgeous cinematography, but the script stretches thin material too far in the second half, making it tiresome and lacking depth.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/lion-review-42400)

## Time Out — Dave Calhoun

Rating 3/5. 16 January 2017. 

The first half powerfully depicts young Saroo's fear and dislocation in Kolkata with memorable cinematography; the second half feels underdeveloped with loose ends in the script and relationships.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/lion)

## Variety

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2016. Festival review. 

Davis has a terrific cast led by charismatic newcomers Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel, with sensitivity in the script and elegant, deeply empathetic direction heightened by gorgeous cinematography. The narrative lacks suspense as a portrait of persistence, paradoxically suggesting the protagonist went decades without thinking much about his mother until technology enabled the search.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/toronto-film-review-dev-patel-in-lion-1201857404/)

## Financial Times — Nigel Andrews

Rating 2. 19 January 2017. 

The soapy and sentimental treatment turns a strong true story into a mush of a movie, lathered with rolling piano music and star casting that swamps fine detail. Only Dev Patel retains dignity amid the schmaltz.

[Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/c1646952-de48-11e6-9d7c-be108f1c1dce)

## The Independent

Rating ★★★☆☆. 19 January 2017. 

The early India-set scenes are the strongest and very moving, with praise for the child actor and director's energy; the film becomes manipulative, predictable and glib later on, lacking depth despite being based on a true story.

[Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/film-reviews-roundup-lion-split-goodfellas-rerelease-a7533176.html)

## Den of Geek — Edward Douglas

Rating 4.5/5. 23 November 2016. 

The review calls the film one of the year's best, an emotional journey that moves viewers to tears through its story of home and family, commending the direction, acting by Dev Patel and others, and beautiful cinematography.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/lion-review/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2016. 

The critic calls the film an emotional powerhouse of a true story with all the elements of a hit. They single out the standout natural performance by young Sunny Pawar, Nicole Kidman’s warm turn, and Garth Davis’ masterful direction that avoids cheap sentimentality.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2016/11/lion-review-dev-patel-nicole-kidman-video-1201862372/)

## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 February 2017. 

The film merits praise for refusing to romanticize or exploit the child's dilemma, emphasizing human connection and help in times of need. It effectively uses memories and ambiguity to drive the story of loss and reunion.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/lion-2016-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze)

## Consequence

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 8 December 2016. 

The review highlights the film's strong performances from both young and adult versions of the lead character and its realistic approach to the true story. It singles out the assured direction and the cathartic final moments for praise while noting its conventional narrative.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2016/12/film-review-lion/)

## HeyUGuys — Luke Channell

Rating 3/5. 18 October 2016. Festival review. 

The film avoids excessive sentimentality through its immersive narrative and strong performances by Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel. It suffers from a meandering middle section and underwritten characters but is buoyed by sensitive direction and emotional payoff.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/lion-review/)

## The Skinny — Michelle Devereaux

Rating 3/5. 16 January 2017. 

The critic describes it as an old-fashioned crowd-pleaser that delivers pure emotional catharsis through its feel-good reunion story and blend of intimate scenes with geographic scale, while noting it avoids deep political critique.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/lion)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating C. 23 November 2016. 

The review finds the film structurally awkward and emotionally distant despite strong elements in its first half. It singles out Dev Patel's lead performance and the harrowing depiction of the child's journey for praise while criticizing the repetitive adult section and overall lack of urgency.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/lion-review-dev-patel/)

## The Playlist — Kevin Jagernauth

Rating C. 21 November 2016. Festival review. 

The film gives surface treatment to complex ideas about identity and home, resulting in perfunctory emotions rather than palpable ones. It features strong work from young Sunny Pawar and cinematographer Greig Fraser but overall feels safe and neatly told.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/lion-starring-dev-patel-nicole-kidman-rooney-mara-glosses-emotional-topography-review-20161121/)

## Paste — Andy Crump

Rating 6.7. 2 December 2016. 

The critic notes that the film effectively tugs at heartstrings in its first half through authentic storytelling but falters in the repetitive and less compelling second half. It praises the young actor Sunny Pawar's section and the organic emotional power of the material while faulting the adult drama's redundancy.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/lion/lion)

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