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The Death & Life of John F. Donovan

Original title: The Death and Life of John F. Donovan
2019 · 2 h 3 min
Directed by Xavier Dolan · Canada · Canadian Cinema
Drama

Where to watch in the United States: Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Free: YouTube Free, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads, Tubi TV, Amazon MX Player · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home. Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDB; availability changes.

Cast

Kit Harington Natalie Portman Jacob Tremblay Susan Sarandon Kathy Bates Ben Schnetzer

Credits

Written by: Xavier Dolan

Plot

A decade after the death of an American TV star, a young actor reminisces about the written correspondence he once shared with the former, as well as the impact those letters had on both their lives.

Sinekatalog’s take

An ambitious drama told through letters between a child and a famous actor, wrapped in themes of fame and secrecy. It is visually lush and emotionally raw, but the shifting structure can feel overstuffed. Best for admirers of heartfelt, stylised melodrama.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

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Ratings

IMDb: 6.1 / 10 (8,428 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes: 19%
Metacritic: 28/100
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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