London broker Nicholas “Nicky” Winton helps rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia in a race against time before the Nazi occupation closes the borders. Fifty years later, he’s still haunted by the fate of those he wasn’t able to bring to safety.

For in-depth thoughts on One Life, please see my colleague Cody Allen’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Decal Releasing brings One Life to Blu-Ray with a pretty strong 1080p video presentation. The image is crisp and clean with the environments throughout the decades saturating the screen. Flesh tones are natural with a significant amount of detail such as age lines present in close-ups. The presentation allows for a notable amount of depth on display, especially in some key interiors. The period production design and clothing provide perfectly clear textural details. Black levels are decently deep with no serious instances of overwhelming digital noise. There is some light banding and other minor digital quirks that keep the transfer from being the best version of itself. Nevertheless, this is a good release from the label.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a straightforward and satisfactory DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that captures this narrative without a hiccup. Dialogue is the focus of the film, and it always comes through clearly without being drowned out by any competing sounds. The emotional score flows through the speakers with crisp fidelity. Not many moments add texture to the low end, but what is present is appreciated. Environmental sounds of the world wake up the surround speakers in an effective way. Ambient sounds are gently placed in the rear channels for a fully three-dimensional experience. The audio track delivers everything that is asked of it. Optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Behind The Scenes: A minute-and-a-half-long overview of the story featuring interviews with the cast and creative team.

Stories From The Heart: A minute-and-a-half-long appreciation piece for the real-life hero.

That’s Life: A minute-and-a-half-long look at the creation of the television broadcast sequence.

Final Thoughts

One Life is a sturdy drama that tells this incredible story with the gravitas necessary to feel the impact of what was accomplished. The approach to this material is familiar, but nothing is executed carelessly. The triumph of this endeavor is the performances of Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn. Each performance captures the emotional toil undertaken by this heroic man. The finale especially is sure to leave you in a puddle of tears. Decal Releasing has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a few brief supplemental features. If you appreciate a good historical drama, this will serve you well. Recommended

One Life is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Decal Releasing has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.