Bob Marley: One Love review – a sanitised take on an icon

The current music biopic boom continues with Bob Marley: One Love, the officially sanctioned biopic of one of the most influential artists of all time. Kingsley Ben-Adir (Barbie, One Night In Miami) plays Marley during a two year period in the late seventies, overcoming adversity to become a symbol for peace in his home country of Jamaica. 

The religious, political, and artistic influence Marley has to this day cannot be understated, and so it’s in many ways disappointing to see director Reinaldo Marcus Green take the same careful approach to his subject that he did with King Richard. Any rough edges are smoothed over, which is a problem when talking about a legendary activist. His fight for liberation is watered down by a mundane script, reducing him to a stoic figure who speaks in trailer lines. Equally, the effects of an attempt on his life are never explored, along with the illness that would eventually lead to his death aged just 36. 

To his credit, Ben-Adir’s performance keeps the whole thing from being a disaster. The British actor doesn’t especially look like Marley, but his performance creates a presence that feels authentic. Equally, Lashana Lynch is compelling as his wife Rita, with emotion uplifting a role that, like her co-star, feels desperately undercooked. As is always the case with music biopics, the music is highlighted above the people, and although it’s Marley’s voice in all the performance scenes, Ben-Adir captures the electricity of his performance brilliantly.  

One Love is the perfect sample of what audiences love and critics hate about officially sanctioned biopics. Marley’s status as an icon is rightly celebrated, as is his artistry, meaning this will receive a warm reception to hard core fans. However, the absence of the grittier elements of his legacy means this isn’t the whole story. 

Bob Marley: One Love is in cinemas now