Reception
As of October 2021 it holds an approval rating of 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10; the consensus states: "Predictable and sentimental, yet thoroughly agreeable, One Chance is an unapologetic crowd-pleaser that achieves its admittedly modest goals." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 49 out of 100 based on reviews from 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote "Like Slumdog Millionaire, it's a film in which a British TV show has a starring role, and perhaps in the future every small-screen franchise product will get its own movie deal. But happy endings can be illusory in this business. Ken Loach should now be drafted in to tell the story of Steve Brookstein, who won The X-Factor in 2004 but went back to singing on P&O Ferries and in branches of Caffè Nero." Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com wrote "This workmanlike underdog tale from director David Frankel is winning nonetheless, mostly thanks to an irresistible lead performance from James Corden". Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times stated, "The appealing Mr. Corden manages the not insignificant task of maintaining interest in a story whose climax has already been passed around on YouTube. The real Mr. Potts supplies his singing voice in moments that are distractingly dubbed. “One Chance” is a slick, salesmanlike package." Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent wrote "Potts, played as a "lovely big fatty" by James Corden, has a fatalistic approach to life. But, as you'd expect from the director of The Devil Wears Prada, the film doesn't go in for gritty Ken Loach-like realism in its portrayal of South Wales."
Anthony Kaufman of Screen International wrote "One could fault the filmmaking team for employing such likeable archetypes and polished elements, from its smooth production values to its formulaic structure. But ultimately, the movie accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do as a feel-good entertainment. One Chance doesn't blow its opportunity." Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post wrote "There's never really terribly much at stake here, except the success of one chubby nerd with dreams of nailing Puccini's “Nessun dorma.” But maybe that dream is enough." Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph wrote "the film mainly exists for one reason: it's a star vehicle tailored for James Corden. Watching [him] lip-synch to Nessun Dorma is an instant litmus test for how you'll respond to this. Only a blocked nose could fail to detect an unavoidable whiff of cheese, but the script is sparkier than you might expect for something written by Justin Zackham, and Corden barrels into the role with guts, at least."
Complimenting the cinematography, Scott Foundas of Variety wrote "Bright, widescreen lensing by Florian Ballhaus has the effect of giving everything a picture-postcard sheen, even the supposedly soul-crushing Port Talbot steelworks." David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter admitted that "It provides a picture-postcardy centerpiece, with splendid views of the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco courtesy of Frankel's regular cinematographer Florian Ballhaus. But the Italian interlude strikes some minor false notes, and the film works best on home ground."
Francesca Rudkin of The New Zealand Herald wrote "If you're hoping for more spine-tingling moments such as Nessun Dorma, you may be disappointed. The famous audition is the one and only truly affecting scene; as eyewatering as watching it on YouTube for the first time." Nigel Andrews of Financial Times wrote "James Corden is robustly likeable and, when needed, emotionally flibbertigibbet. Unimaginable that anyone could play the role better. By contrast the casting of Julie Billy Elliot Walters as Paul's go-for-it mum merely proves that the makers' imagination didn't stretch far, elsewhere, beyond the typecasting Rolodex." Zeba Blay of Digital Spy wrote "One Chance avoids some of the pitfalls of the genre by having a funny if calculable script, a great supporting cast, and a very strong and engaging lead in Corden. If you need more out of your reality television star biopics, it would be better to go elsewhere." R. Kurt Oselund of Slant Magazine wrote "In One Chance, like Prada before it, Frankel crams his story with predictable developments, yet he matches his subject in spirit, pushing something into the spotlight that, however unlikely, elicits irresistible glee."
