Lion (2016)
The search begins
A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 24 November 2016 |
| Genre | Drama |
| Director | Garth Davis |
| Starring | Dev Patel, Rooney Mara and David Wenham |
| Runtime | 118 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.3/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 85% · Metacritic 69/100 · TMDB users 8.0/10 |
Where to watch Lion
Lion is streaming on Netflix ($19.99 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Netflix is $19.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 1 November 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent Lion on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and FlixFling. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Lion in 44 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Antigua & Barbuda | Prime Video |
| Argentina | Prime Video $5199 ARS |
| Bahamas | Prime Video |
| Barbados | Prime Video |
| Belize | Prime Video |
| Bermuda | Prime Video |
| Bolivia | Prime Video |
| Brazil | Prime Video R$19.90 |
| Chile | Prime Video $6490 CLP |
| Colombia | Prime Video $24900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Prime Video |
| Cuba | Prime Video |
| Denmark | Prime Video 69 kr DKK, Viaplay 159 kr DKK, Max 129 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Prime Video |
| Ecuador | Prime Video $5.99 |
| El Salvador | Prime Video |
| Finland | Prime Video €6.99, Viaplay €13.99, Max €11.99 |
| Gibraltar | Prime Video |
| Guatemala | Prime Video |
| Guernsey | Prime Video |
| Guyana | Prime Video |
| Honduras | Prime Video |
| India | Prime Video ₹299 |
| Ireland | Prime Video €6.99 |
| Italy | Prime Video €4.99 |
| Jamaica | Prime Video |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Mexico | Prime Video $99 MXN |
| Nicaragua | Prime Video |
| Norway | Prime Video 79 kr NOK, Viaplay 169 kr NOK, Max 149 kr NOK |
| Panama | Prime Video $5.99 |
| Paraguay | Prime Video |
| Peru | Prime Video S/25.90 |
| San Marino | Prime Video |
| Singapore | Netflix $15.98 SGD |
| South Korea | Wavve ₩10900, Watcha, Tving ₩10900 |
| St. Lucia | Prime Video |
| Sweden | Prime Video 69 kr SEK, Viaplay 169 kr SEK, Max 149 kr SEK |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Prime Video |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Prime Video |
| United Kingdom | Prime Video £8.99 GBP |
| Uruguay | Prime Video $U249 |
| Vatican City | Prime Video |
| Venezuela | Prime Video |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Garth Davis directs a 2016 drama that hinges on a single, devastating question: what does it cost to remember who you were? It runs 118 minutes, a duration that feels both too short for the journey and too long for the silence. The film trusts the audience to sit with the weight of a life split in two. It is not a mystery about where someone is, but a study of who someone becomes when the map is gone. Dev Patel carries the emotional gravity with a stillness that makes the search feel less like an adventure and more like an excavation.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes lists an 85% positive score as of October 2024. Metacritic assigns a 69, which it categorizes as generally favorable. The consensus highlights the uplifting story and talented cast. Brian Truitt of USA Today called the finale "manipulative" but "totally worth it." Salman Rushdie praised the "authenticity and truth" of the Indian first half. Anthony Lane of The New Yorker found the second half "a slow and muted affair.
How it did with audiences
Lion cost $12 million and took in $140.9 million worldwide. In Australia, it opened at number one with $3.18 million, the biggest debut ever for an Australian indie film. It eventually grossed $29.6 million there, becoming the fifth highest-grossing Australian film of all time. On TMDB, users rate it 8 out of 10. The numbers say people cared.
Awards
Lion took home 14 awards from 19 nominations. At the 89th Academy Awards, it earned 6 nods, including Best Picture, but left empty-handed. The BAFTAs proved more generous, handing it wins for Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. Australia’s AACTAs were less stingy, awarding it all 12 nominations. It swept the room, which is nice, but the Oscars didn’t see it that way.
What came next for the cast
Dev Patel moved from Chappie to Hotel Mumbai. Nicole Kidman stepped away from The Others for Aquaman. David Wenham left the Lord of the Rings behind for Marvel’s Iron Fist. These are not cause and effect, just what happened next. The credits do not explain the pivot, they just record it.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Lion.
Sources
- Lion on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q23013699 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Lion (2016 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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