The Children Act
2017 · Movie · R · 105 min · ★ 6.6 · 68% critics
During a painful marriage crisis, a respected judge is forced to make an urgent decision about whether a seriously ill teenager should receive a life-saving blood transfusion when his family refuses treatment for religious reasons. As the case grows more personal, the ruling tests her sense of duty, compassion, and the boundaries of her private life.
Based on The Children Act
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Watch free on Tubi — also streaming on Netflix.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 2017
- Release date
- 2018-08-01
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Max quality
- UHD
- Critic score
- 68/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.6/10 (652 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a serious, discussion-starting drama about law, faith, and personal boundaries, with a restrained tone like Worth; Not for you if you need fast pacing, clear closure, or lighter viewing.
Pros: thought-provoking moral dilemma; strong performances; emotionally affecting moments | Cons: slow pace; uneven tension; thin character depth
Themes
- based on novel or book
- marriage crisis
- law and ethics
- young boy
- lawyer
- illness
- religiosity
- jehovah's witness
Cast & crew
Emma Thompson
as Fiona Maye
Stanley Tucci
as Jack Maye
Fionn Whitehead
as Adam Henry
Jason Watkins
as Nigel Pauling
Anthony Calf
as Mark Berner
Paul Jesson
as Humphrey
Ben Chaplin
as Kevin Henry
Eileen Walsh
as Naomi Henry
Reena Lalbihari
as Samaira
Dominic Carter
as Roger
Directed by Richard Eyre