Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Child in Time

  • TV Movie
  • 20172017
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 22m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
4.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,810
276
Kelly Macdonald, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Beatrice White in The Child in Time (2017)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:03
1 Video
99+ Photos
Drama
The life of a children's book author is turned upside down when his daughter goes missing.The life of a children's book author is turned upside down when his daughter goes missing.The life of a children's book author is turned upside down when his daughter goes missing.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
4.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,810
276
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Julian Farino
    • Writers
      • Ian McEwan(based on the novel by)
      • Stephen Butchard
    • Stars
      • Benedict Cumberbatch
      • Kelly Macdonald
      • Stephen Campbell Moore
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Julian Farino
    • Writers
      • Ian McEwan(based on the novel by)
      • Stephen Butchard
    • Stars
      • Benedict Cumberbatch
      • Kelly Macdonald
      • Stephen Campbell Moore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 46User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews

    Videos1

    The Child in Time
    Trailer 2:03
    The Child in Time

    Photos142

    Benedict Cumberbatch at an event for The Child in Time (2017)
    Stephen Campbell Moore in The Child in Time (2017)
    Benedict Cumberbatch in The Child in Time (2017)
    Kelly Macdonald in The Child in Time (2017)
    The Child in Time (2017)
    Saskia Reeves and Stephen Campbell Moore in The Child in Time (2017)
    Geraldine Alexander, Richard Durden, and Benedict Cumberbatch in The Child in Time (2017)
    Stephen Campbell Moore in The Child in Time (2017)
    Kelly Macdonald and Benedict Cumberbatch in The Child in Time (2017)
    The Child in Time (2017)
    Stephen Campbell Moore in The Child in Time (2017)
    Stephen Campbell Moore in The Child in Time (2017)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Benedict Cumberbatch
    Benedict Cumberbatch
    • Stephen Lewis
    Kelly Macdonald
    Kelly Macdonald
    • Julie
    Stephen Campbell Moore
    Stephen Campbell Moore
    • Charles
    Saskia Reeves
    Saskia Reeves
    • Thelma
    Andrea Hall
    Andrea Hall
    • Policewoman
    Jim Creighton
    • Male Neighbour
    Beatrice White
    • Kate
    Rosa-Marie Lewis
    • Shop Assistant
    Franc Ashman
    • Lydia Webb
    Anna Madeley
    Anna Madeley
    • Rachel Murray
    John Hopkins
    John Hopkins
    • Home Secretary
    Elliot Levey
    Elliot Levey
    • Prime Minister
    Lucy Liemann
    Lucy Liemann
    • Joanna Buckley
    Natasha Brown
    • Stephen's Young Mother
    Laurence Spellman
    Laurence Spellman
    • Greg Ellis
    Richard Durden
    Richard Durden
    • Stephen's Father
    Geraldine Alexander
    Geraldine Alexander
    • Stephen's Mother
    Gerard Monaco
    Gerard Monaco
    • Estate Agent
    • Director
      • Julian Farino
    • Writers
      • Ian McEwan(based on the novel by)
      • Stephen Butchard
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Little Favour
    7.0
    Little Favour
    Wreckers
    5.8
    Wreckers
    Patrick Melrose
    8.0
    Patrick Melrose
    Brexit
    7.0
    Brexit
    Third Star
    7.3
    Third Star
    Parade's End
    7.5
    Parade's End
    Hawking
    7.4
    Hawking
    Hamlet
    8.5
    Hamlet
    The Last Enemy
    7.0
    The Last Enemy
    Painted with Words
    7.9
    Painted with Words
    Great British Theatre
    8.3
    Great British Theatre
    The Fifth Estate
    6.2
    The Fifth Estate

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For this film, Benedict Cumberbatch wore clothes of his own wardrobe.
    • Quotes

      Male Neighbour: Oh, I hope you don't mind me saying, but you're telling the world you're not at home. Your note. People see your note and they'll know you're out.

      Stephen Lewis: People?

      Male Neighbour: Well, I'm just saying. Why advertise you're out?

      Stephen Lewis: Fucking because. Dick.

    • Connections
      Featured in Minty Comedic Arts: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Good Son (2020)

    User reviews46

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    It's a puzzlement...
    ...In that, after finally getting around to seeing it last night, being unsure as to whether I disliked 'The Child in Time' or not. It does have some good things and it's to me nowhere near as bad as some of the reviews have said. However, considering the cast and the subject matter, 'The Child in Time' could have been so much better and it is easy to understand why the reaction to it was mostly mixed to negative.

    As well as having talented actors on board (Benedict Cumberbatch has rarely disappointed me, even in lesser projects where he tended to be one of the better assets of them) and that it touches on the very sensitive and daring subjects of a missing child and nervous breakdowns, 'The Child in Time' is also adapted from wonderful source material from Ian McEwan. Talking briefly about how it fares as an adaptation, 'The Child in Time' underwhelms, the book has much more depth, more consistent emotional and harrowing impact and the storytelling has far more clarity. As has been said many times by me, adaptations deserve to be judged on their own terms, on that front it's to me neither great or terrible, the unevenness of it makes it a tough one to rate and review.

    Starting with 'The Child in Time's' good things, where it fares most strongly is the acting, which is mostly very good with a couple of exceptions (Elliot Levey doesn't register in a heavy-handed and underwritten character that could easily have been cut out entirely). Benedict Cumberbatch gives a performance of true understated poignancy and honesty, a truly courageous role to take on and he does it justice with one really feeling his anguish and pain. Likewise with Kelly MacDonald, who in her emotional scenes wrenches the gut and heart without being overwrought and she also charms. The two have terrific chemistry together and succeed in portraying the emotional toll of one of the worst situations ever for a parent. Stephen Campbell Moore is touching in a more difficult role than one thinks and the bravery of his performance is equal to those of Cumberbatch and MacDonald. Saskia Reeves is a sympathetic presence.

    Apart from some jumpy editing where transitions seemed rushed and sudden, 'The Child in Time' looks good, especially in the beautiful and suitably bleak locations. Had no problem with the photography like some did, which is slick and matches the thought processes of the characters very well, as an epileptic who can be sensitive to the technique used. there are films and television shows that overuse and abuse it far more. The music score is haunting and soothing.

    There are elements that work well in the story. It starts off very well, starting off in a tense and affecting way. The outcome of Charles' story, the scene in the school and the eulogy were particularly emotionally powerful moments and while it was not focused on enough the main story resonates and is handled sympathetically. Cumberbatch, MacDonald and their chemistry have a lot to thank for this.

    However, much of the story execution could have been much better. Not enough time is devoted to the missing child story, which was the most interesting and well done part, and focuses too much on elements that are nowhere near as interesting or well developed. Charles' subplot had its moments, like the interplay between him and Stephen, but should have gone into more depth and not been as confused. More problematic were the pub/time, prime minister and the Child Education committee elements, the first made no sense whatsoever and was severely under-developed, the second was pretty pointless and underwritten and the third felt shoe-horned in and it felt disconcerting that for a Child Education committee it seemed they had their own interests at heart and not the children's.

    Writing had its moments, like the eulogy scene, but tended to be stilted and contrived. Structurally it was pretty scattershot where the back and forth was not always as clear as it ought to have been and it often felt like the writers didn't know what its primary focus was. The middle third, which was where things started to fall apart, drags.

    Apart from Stephen, Julie and Charles, the characters are either thinly sketched or superfluous. Really do have to agree with everybody who said that the near-universally panned ending is a huge let-down, far too abrupt, tacked on, rushed and left too many things unresolved (especially when it had a lot of strands that were crying out for resolution). In fact the whole thing felt incomplete.

    Overall, uneven and difficult to rate and review, didn't know what to make of it. Applaud anything that takes on difficult subjects that need more awareness, but 'The Child in Time' would have benefited from trying to take on less and doing more with its primary issues. 5/10 (my mixed feelings rating). Bethany Cox
    helpful•54
    11
    • TheLittleSongbird
    • Oct 20, 2017

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 1, 2018 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (United Kingdom)
      • Twelve Town (United Kingdom)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Niños en el tiempo
    • Filming locations
      • England, UK
    • Production companies
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
      • Masterpiece
      • SunnyMarch
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $39,221
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 22 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Kelly Macdonald, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Beatrice White in The Child in Time (2017)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Child in Time (2017) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.