One Life

2011

1h 25m

Documentary

List

90%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Stories from the animal kingdom celebrate the diversity of life on Earth.

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libby f

I enjoyed this very much. The overall narrative and message of the documentary that all life is connected is beautifully displayed throughout the movie. It shows a selection of animals in different themes of survival, from finding food to mating. The images are stunning, and the music is delightfully matched to the imagery. The narration is calm and interesting. However, I do take some stars off because of the sound effects. There were some squeaks, squeals, clicks, and so on that felt artificial and contrived.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

A superb documentary with some breathtaking shots. A must watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Audience Member

Incredible cinematography of animals/insects around the world and their strange eating and/or mating habits. The absolute best nature movie I've ever seen! Incredible! How did they get the camera in the drops of water captured in leaves to watch the tadpole eat! And the pebble frog fall into the water. Marvelous!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/11/23

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Audience Member

As an unabashed fan of nature documentaries, I was utterly entranced by this BBC Earth production, focusing on natures' never ending battle for survival. If one looked hard enough they could maybe find flaws. The animal stories seemed connected only in the vaguest sense, and Daniel Craig lacks the natural narration charm of Sir David Attenborough. But that's not the point of nature documentaries. If you are a fan of the format, then you'll find yourself watching capuchin monkeys utilizing tools (or trying to) and Grebes doing a mesmerizing love dance on the surface of the water. Also, the usual mix of cute elephants, dolphins and frogs. It's educational, and a more than worthy entry into the pantheon of nature documentaries.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

A little wonder of a nature documentary, beautifully filmed and composed. Following a large variety of animals, some well known, some very obscure, through different stages of life: from the care for the offspring to the struggle for food or the search for mates. While we only get short glimpses into their respective lives, what we see and learn still fills us with a sense of wonder, leaving us in awe of the beauty of nature. Thankfully, the narration is limited to the very basic information, never gets preachy or too lyrical. Very well done. Impressive and memorable.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Audience Member

One of the best documentary on animals and their survival. Amazing cinematography.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Michael Gunton

Director

Martha Holmes

Director

Daniel Craig

Narrator

Michael Gunton

Writer

Martha Holmes

Writer

Martin Pope

Producer

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Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

A visually gorgeous, at times astonishing screen experience.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 22, 2013

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Kyle Smith

New York Post

Nature films don't come any more spectacular than the BBC's "One Life."

Rated: 3/4

Feb 22, 2013

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Nicolas Rapold

New York Times

A typically eye-catching, years-in-the-making chronicle of animal life that is tainted by the urge to anthropomorphize.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 20, 2013

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Amanda Gilroy

PopMatters

Even if we can understand that the future of our planet depends on a multi-species sharing economy, the film doesn't always match up what it says with what it shows.

Rated: 6/10

Dec 9, 2013

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: B

Feb 18, 2013

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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

The camera work on this nature documentary is so staggering that it really is worth seeing on a very big screen.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 16, 2011

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Synopsis

Stories from the animal kingdom celebrate the diversity of life on Earth.

Director: Michael Gunton, Martha Holmes
Screenwriter: Michael Gunton, Martha Holmes
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2013
Runtime: 1h 25m