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Only I...

201696 minMidcredits score: 85th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Director
Rodny Paulson
Starring
Brendan Fehr, Hunt Block, Dillon Casey, Shanda Bezic

An ambitious young man chases his dream of becoming a professional mixed martial arts fighter.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Only I...?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Only I... on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Reception

Is Only I... worth watching?

Only I...'s Midcredits score is the 85th percentile of all films, from 27 ratings (very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional). 63% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

85th percentile

Better received than 85% of films

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

92nd percentile among Action85th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)96th
Approval (how many liked it)70th

79 /100

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

96th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Action96th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

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

Approval

How many liked it

63% liked it

70th percentile of all films

80th percentile among Action70th percentile among 2010s
63% rated it 7–1037% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

13th percentile

27 ratings across platforms

7th percentile among Action17th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 43% in 30 days

Box office

BudgetCA$1.1M

In Canadian dollar, not converted to dollars.

Watch experience

What is Only I... like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a story that moves you and leaves an ache.

It leaves you bittersweet.

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Realistic
  • Urban
  • Domestic
  • Institutional

Style

  • Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
  • Romantic

Themes

  • Purpose
  • Ambition

What it asks of you

  • Even-paced
  • Engaged
  • Affecting
  • Resolved

The answer rests on this: Feelings

  • Hopeful
  • Tense

The answer rests on this: How it leaves you

  • Bittersweet
  • Wistful

Story

  • Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.
what the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Moving and bittersweet.

Heaviest: late
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its underdog sports drama straight, treating the struggles and relationships with earnest seriousness.
The rideInitial hope from new beginnings and training shifts to tension during competition, with a shoulder injury bringing a heavier reevaluation late in the story.
StructureThe synopsis follows a conventional beginning (dead-end life), middle (training and competing), and end (injury and reevaluation) in chronological order.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

Why it leaves you this wayThe disheartening battle suggests a mix of satisfaction and loss, leaving a reflective longing for what might have been.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous 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).
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% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% (this title) · 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%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Underdog triumph: Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).

3% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

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

Why this archetypeOrion leaves a dead-end life to train as an MMA fighter under a legendary coach, aiming to rise through the independent circuit, which fits an underdog rise; a shoulder injury then forces him to reconsider his path, adding a rebirth element.

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% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · 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% · 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%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsAmbition · 7% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeOrion's search for a calling beyond dead-end jobs drives the story, with his drive to train and compete as a secondary motivator.
StanceThe film presents Orion's personal battle for purpose and balance without celebrating or condemning the outcome, simply observing his struggle.

The world

Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Jeff Rogers
Settingcontemporary American city, MMA training gym and diner

Cast and crew

Who is in Only I...?

Cast

Brendan Fehr
as Orion Smith
Hunt Block
as Walter Hill
Dillon Casey
as Van Walton
Shanda Bezic
as Julie Wilkinson
Angela Asher
as Marcy Galloway
Amanda Lisman
as Sheila Hill
Cynthia Preston
as Linda
Jonathan Whittaker
as Dr. Waters
Martin Roach
as Jim
Emerson Wong
as Vick

Crew

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What are movies like Only I...?

Movies like Only I... include Baggio: The Divine Ponytail (2021), Iqbal (2005) and Moneyball (2011). Of the 5 closest matches, all are underdog stories and sports films.

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

All 5 share its character type: mentor and protégé. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Only I...?

2.1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: athlete. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.