Breathe (2017) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

68%

Tomatometer

168 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

After contracting polio at the age of 28, Robin Cavendish is confined to a bed and given only months to live. With help from his wife Diana and her twin brothers, and the groundbreaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall, Cavendish emerges from the hospital ward and devotes the rest of his life to helping fellow patients and the disabled.

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Breathe

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Critics Consensus

Strong performances from Breathe's well-matched leads help add an edge to a biopic that takes a decidedly heartwarming approach to its real-life story.

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Critics Reviews

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

It's an eerily skilful performance by Garfield, making it easy to imagine that he really is trying to master the art of speech by regulating his flow of available air.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 29, 2017

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David Stratton

The Australian

Robin's story is certainly a tale of near-triumph over adversity, and the director manages to keep cheap sentimentality at bay. In many ways this is a very English story about intestinal fortitude and the stiff upper lip.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 29, 2017

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Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

The producer of Breathe, Jonathan Cavendish, is the son of the incredible couple whose story is immortalised in the movie, giving it a weighty, personal connection that transcends some empty exercise in virtue.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 20, 2017

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Paul Emmanuel Enicola

Movie-Blogger.com

A moving film that examines the effects of a debilitating illness to the afflicted and their families, as well as the physical and emotional strains that come with it.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 31, 2024

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Tori Brazier

Flickering Myth

Breathe will bring a lump to the throat with its passionate but un-showy telling of two individuals who sought to change the status quo.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 25, 2021

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Richard Crouse

Breathe doesn't have the gravitas of The Theory of Everything - it spends too much time trying to wring all the emotion out of the story like tears from a sponge - but it does have compassion and heart.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 1, 2021

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Audience Reviews

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Leah K How does this movie not have a higher rating?!? The acting is fantastic, the story is amazing along with the message. And it's a true story!! I watched this years ago and still think about it. It's a total tearjerker. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Valerie R Loved it. Beautifully acted. Meaningful. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/06/24 Full Review Lorena S Very emotional. Liked the story and movie Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/09/23 Full Review Audience Member The power of love has changed everything in this world for the better. Technology would have never advanced to an idea without it. Quality of life would never have the chance to improve without it. This film is evidence of all of these things. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review isla s I thought this was a brilliant film - a sad story, hard to watch in parts but ultimately a story of humanity, of hope in disability and, perhaps slightly more cheesily, a story of love and family.Its an interesting and in some ways uplifting story and the performances were really good, especially Andrew Garfield, Tom Hollander and Stephen Mangan. Its based on a true story and this made the film all the more interesting to me. I found it intriguing and I respect the Cavendish family for how they coped with what they faced. It made me wonder about the future in terms of technical abilities to help the severley disabled.This is a film definitely worth seeing - the story seemed well handled, its a thought provoking watch with some great performances, so I recommend it. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Loved every minute of it. Emotional, yet sprinkled with humor is what made this stand out from other movies based on real life people with disabilities. Andrew Garfield is amazing even with limited body movement, his performance manages to reach the audience immensely. Claire Foy's performance feels noteworthy as well. Andy Serkis does a great job in one of the best directorial debuts I've seen. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Andy Serkis Director Andrew Garfield Robin Cavendish Claire Foy Diana Cavendish Stephen Mangan Dr. Clement Aitken Hugh Bonneville Teddy Hall

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Breathe (2017)

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Synopsis After contracting polio at the age of 28, Robin Cavendish is confined to a bed and given only months to live. With help from his wife Diana and her twin brothers, and the groundbreaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall, Cavendish emerges from the hospital ward and devotes the rest of his life to helping fellow patients and the disabled.

Director: Andy Serkis
Producer: Jonathan Cavendish
Screenwriter: William Nicholson
Distributor: Bleecker Street Media
Production Co: Embankment Films, Imaginarium Productions, British Film Institute (BFI), BBC Film, Silver Reel
Rating: PG-13 (Some Bloody Medical Images|Mature Thematic Material)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 13, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 2, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $489.4K
Runtime: 1h 57m