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Breakthrough

Breakthrough

Based On The Impossible True Story

2019116 minPGMidcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Director
Roxann Dawson
Starring
Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, Mike Colter

Tragedy strikes when a woman named Joyce's son falls through the ice on a frozen lake and is trapped underwater for over 15 minutes. After being rushed to the hospital, the 14-year-old boy continues to fight for his life as Joyce, her husband and their pastor stay by his bedside and pray for a miracle.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Breakthrough?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Breakthrough to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Breakthrough?

Breakthrough earns 6 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Box Office Hit.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Breakthrough worth watching?

Breakthrough's Midcredits score is the 65th percentile of all films, from 30K ratings across 6 sources. 59% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

65th percentile

Better received than 65% of films

44th percentile among Biography65th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)63rd
Approval (how many liked it)65th

65 /100

63rd percentile of all films

44th percentile among Biography63rd percentile among 2010s

Critics 46 · Audience 67

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

59% liked it

65th percentile of all films

42nd percentile among Biography65th percentile among 2010s
59% rated it 7–1041% rated it 1–6

Critics 60% · Audience 81%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 11 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

93rd percentile

30K ratings across platforms

82nd percentile among Biography93rd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$14M
Opening weekend$11M
Domestic gross$41M
Worldwide gross$50M

Returned 3.6× its budget — 89th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A faith-based true story with a committed lead performance that divides viewers on whether its emotional and religious intensity is moving or manipulative.

Fans praised

  • Chrissy Metz's emotionally gripping lead performance
  • Uplifting true story of faith and community
  • Powerful musical score and worship songs

Detractors panned

  • Heavy-handed religious propaganda and preachy tone
  • Overly melodramatic and schmaltzy direction
  • Poor writing with forced dialogue and bad-timed humor

What stands out

ActingDivisive70

Chrissy Metz carries the film; supporting cast uneven

Sound and musicDivisive65

Effective worship songs and score but cheap TV-movie cues

Emotional impactDivisive60

Pulls heartstrings but feels manipulative to many

Plot and storyDivisive45

Predictable story structure, rushed pacing, based on true events

CharactersDivisive40

Stock characters, shallow development, mother's character polarizing

DialogueDivisive35

Staged, forced, Hallmark-like writing

Pacing30

Overlong scenes, musical montages stall momentum

Originality20

Formulaic faith-based film, genre tropes

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 34 points higher than men.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 28 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Breakthrough like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseHopefulCathartic
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
TonePlayed completely straight as an earnest faith-based drama; the film means its prayers and tears sincerely.
The rideThe crisis of drowning creates early tension, followed by hope and a cathartic resolution.
StructureA conventional in-order telling: the accident, the hospital struggle, and the recovery, with a brief epilogue.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayYou carry away a belief in the power of faith and the possibility of renewed purpose after a brush with death.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe spine is a drowning and near-miraculous recovery that transforms the family, especially the mother's faith journey, and the boy's passage into maturity.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% (this title) · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsFaith · 3% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a mother's prayer for her son's life, exploring spiritual redemption and the power of faith.
StanceThe film affirms the power of faith and prayer, celebrating the mother's devotion.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalAmbientSupportive music · original score · Marcelo Zarvos
SettingA small Missouri town and hospital after a drowning accident
MusicAn emotional, hopeful score that underscores the spiritual and healing themes.

Content guide

Is Breakthrough okay for kids?

PG

Breakthrough is rated PG: “Rated PG for thematic content including peril” (MPAA). As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (26/100), sexual content at minimal (13/100), language at mild (28/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (9/100) and frightening material at moderate (39/100). Overall it is heavier than 29% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • UK12A
  • Germany12
  • Ireland12
  • Brazil10
  • Poland12
  • RO12
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 8% of all filmsHeavier than 29% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 26%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 23%
Profanity
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 52%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 16%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 55%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 55% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Breakthrough have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Breakthrough?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Chrissy Metz
as Joyce Smith
Josh Lucas
as Brian Smith
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Topher Grace
as Pastor Jason Noble
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mike Colter
as Tommy Shine
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Marcel Ruiz
as John Smith
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Sam Trammell
as Dr. Kent Sutterer
Dennis Haysbert
as Dr. Garrett
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Maddy Martin
as Abby Sutterer
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Isaac Kragten
as Josh
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Nikolas Dukic
as Rieger

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Breakthrough?

Movies like Breakthrough include Miracles from Heaven (2016), Nothing in Common (1986) and A Family Man (2016). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories of healing, and several are films about faith.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its character type: parent and child. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Breakthrough?

2.1K other films share the rarest tag below, up against: nature. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.