The churn of Netflix content makes it almost inevitable that occasionally disparate films and TV shows will share similar titles. It's definitely less common for two different movies with the exact same title to hit the service at roughly the same time. But that's what happened in late 2023: One movie called Lion arrived on the service on November 21, followed by another film called Lion just a week later.
Understandably, this has caused some confusion among viewers who aren't sure whether they want to see an animated romp about a talking lizard advising fifth-graders in Florida, or an Indian action blockbuster that riffs on the David Cronenberg film. A history of violence. Luckily, we've put together this handy guide to tell these two Lions apart, and figure out which ones Lion suits you.
Leo vs Leo: Animal Kindness
Image: Netflix
Both films feature many computer-generated animals. If you want to see those animals talking, giving advice and advocating for themselves, it's completely animated Lion is the best choice: Adam Sandler plays the titular iguana, a fifth-grade pet who experiences a mortality crisis when he learns that he is in fact 74 years old and may be at the end of his lifespan.
Leo plans to escape and see more of the world passing him by, hoping to take advantage of a new classroom initiative that requires each student to take him home for the weekend. Instead, he helps each kid in the class through their one-on-one interactions — a neat structure that freshens up the film when it threatens to turn formulaic.
It turns out that despite Leo's sheltered existence (he can't even do basic addition and subtraction because that's a second-grade class and not a fifth-grade class), a lifetime of teaching has given him a surprising amount of wisdom, and the kids love his gentle but honest (and, in Sandler's vocal tradition, slightly mushy) accompaniment. It's all surprisingly sweet.
However, if you prefer kindness towards animals pursued with cruelty towards humans, then Parthi (Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, known professionally as simply Vijay), the live-action hero Lion, will work better for you. Parthi runs a popular café and also works in animal welfare. Early in the film, he subdues a (computer-generated) hyena terrorizing his town, using his suspiciously agile physical skills while refusing to kill the animal. He calms the beast down, and before long he is practically sniffing it and encouraging his young daughter to do the same.
Later in the film, Parthi shows no such mercy when his family and employee are threatened by a gang of criminals – which in turn attracts the attention of some other criminals, who are convinced that Parthi is actually Leo, the presumed deceased scion of their boss. Perhaps needless to say, Parthi doesn't shoot them with a tranquilizer and then adopt them. Fans of slick action (perhaps especially those disappointed by the recent John Woo film Silent Night?) will appreciate the sheer volume and variety of violent things he does instead.
Lion vs. Lion: Animal Chaos
Image: Seven Screen Studio/Netflix
While both films encourage animal kindness, they also indulge the fundamental desire to see animals run amok. You can tell the American Lion by the grandeur of the children's birthday party shown: One of the great comic set pieces is a party for a spoiled fifth grader who teaches iguana Leo to connect with her classmates. However, she learns this lesson too late to bring back her party, which consists of a number of exotic animals that are eventually released, running wild through the grounds and ultimately heading for their freedom.
Robert Smigel, the Saturday evening live And Late Night with Conan O'Brien veteran who came up with this animated film has a keen ability to zoom in on what's funny about animals without making them cute or sentimental, previously showcased in his short-lived TV Funhouse show and his most famous comedy creation, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. In other words, you can tell that his sympathies lie with these creatures, who are often more immediately sympathetic than their human counterparts, without the film laying it on too thick.
The Indian Lion, in both its friendliness and its chaos, tends to use animals more as CG props. That CG hyena spends way more time growling and demolishing with Parthi in an extended action sequence than he spends as his friend. When the hyena returns to the story, let's just say it's not for cozying up on the couch. This is all to say that if you're up for some real mayhem with a generous amount of blood and teeth-gnashing, go for the live-action(ish) Lion. But if you want the animal cruelty to be righteous and well-motivated (and to make all the elementary school-age kids in your house laugh), the fully animated one might be a better bet. (This depends on whether the elementary school students in your household are gorehounds.)
Leo versus Leo: musical intermezzos
Big-budget Indian blockbusters are more likely to fully engage with pop music and musical sensibilities than their American counterparts. (Recall that the Marvel Cinematic Universe's idea of a big, bold, outside-the-box musical moment includes snippets of Fleetwood Mac, played like needle drops in Guardians of the universe movies.)
By those standards, the live-action Lion is relatively subdued, in that it only features one large-scale song and dance number, which takes place relatively late in the film during a flashback. However, it does feature some descriptive theme song-style songs over crucial scenes, essentially assuming the voices of characters even if they don't literally sing or dance on screen. While this is not the Lion that's actually about fifth graders. You can easily imagine American children that age endlessly singing the English lyrics: “Badass.”
The animated one Lion shouldn't really have the element of surprise on its side: Disney has led American audiences to believe for decades that virtually all animated films would be at least semi-musical. Furthermore, Sandler was initially known for doing silly songs Saturday evening live, while Smigel has written his share of memorable songs. (He has a writing credit on the Dunkaccino ad from Jack and Jill.)
Still animated LionThe song's entire score feels unexpected, perhaps because it often features a minor key, Broadway-deep melancholy, and a lack of hit-single bombast. Netflix has conveniently put the entire soundtrack into one supercut, so if you want an example of an uptempo (but still scary!) song, there's one that's around three minutes long.
Later, around 10:50, you can listen to “When I Was Ten,” which is especially easy to imagine as performed by a school theater ensemble. (It works better in the context of the full film.) So if you're looking for upbeat catchiness, and maybe a soundtrack for the gym while you work on the bag or pump the iron, the non-animated Lion will get you started. If you want a stronger emotional connection (and yes, some funny lyrics), go for Smigel. And if you'd rather just listen to the above loop of Al Pacino rapping about coffee… you're me?!
Leo vs. Leo: Cinematic Universes
You wouldn't necessarily know this by looking at it, but the Indian would Lion is the third film in what fans' Lokesh cinematic universe, named after writer-director Lokesh Kanagaraj. Leo and his siblings films, Kaithi And Vikram, don't follow the same storyline, but they are set in the same world, with an ongoing clash between law enforcement and brutal drug cartels. (The title character in Vikram makes a vocal cameo Lion.)
Sequels to all three films are planned, and it wouldn't be shocking to see even more character crossovers. The American LionAdam Sandler's Happy Madison branding, meanwhile, comes from Adam Sandler's production company – not a cinematic universe per se. But Happy Madison movies sometimes contain references and Easter eggs related to the past Sandman companies. Lionfor example, contains a bobblehead of the character Chubbs Happy Gilmorethe bicycle helmet Hubie Halloweenand the usual cast of Sandler regulars in voiceover roles: Nick Swardson plays another class animal, Rob Schneider is the principal, and a bunch of newer ones SNL people (Heidi Gardner, Cecily Strong, Paul Brittain and Chris Kattan) round out the cast.
To be honest, neither film's vague connections to other films are likely to have much of a net effect on which film you watch. That said, keep in mind that if you want to spend a few hours in a universe without Rob Schneider but absolutely insist on watching a 2023 movie called Lionthe Lokesh Cinematic Universe is your only option.
Leo vs Leo: Life Lessons
Image: Netflix
Leo the Lizard gives 10-year-olds instructions in a sweet, grumpy way on how to be a better friend, control your individuality and talk about your problems. Leo, the possible ex-gangster and hyena tamer, offers lessons that may be a little harder to parse. Early on he communicates to his children the absolutely unacceptable nature of murder, but I don't think it's a spoiler to say that he's actually very, very good at murdering, and the film is very, very good at placing characters in situations. where bloody stabbings and shootings are the only defense available.
Look, it really depends on the area where you need life advice, but the lizard may have an edge when it comes to everyday occurrences.
Leo vs Leo: Duration
A Lion is 164 minutes and the other is 102 minutes. In the interest of avoiding the big ongoing-time debate Since the ease of streaming has increased, I can only conclude that you should watch them both.