12 Years Later, Eddie Redmayne’s Perfect Oscar-Winning Biopic Officially Leaves Netflix Today

Eddie Redmayne gives his all in The Theory of Everything, which is also one of the most demanding roles of his career: English astrophysicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking. But the appeal of this 2014 drama goes way beyond its Oscar-winning lead performance. The movie also features Felicity Jones as Jane Hawking. It follows a marriage in which love, ambition, illness, and responsibility became increasingly difficult to separate.

However, if you are a Netflix subscriber and you still haven’t watched it, you’d better hurry up, since the film is about to leave the streaming service on September 29, 2026. The 123-minute drama by James Marsh certainly merits your attention.

Why The Theory of Everything Is Worth Watching Before It Leaves

It is not necessary for one to have a passion for theoretical physics to appreciate the significance of this film. Actually, the film itself does not concern itself with the many, many achievements of Stephen Hawking academically and professionally, apart from how it relates to his marriage with Jane.

The Theory of Everything starts off by introducing Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde in their youth as they start falling in love at Cambridge University. However, his diagnosis with motor neuron disease affects their vision for their future. Nonetheless, they get married and even have a family together. The movie takes its source material from Jane’s memoir, Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen.

That choice is what makes it accessible. Hawking’s scientific discoveries matter, of course, but the more immediate questions concern the couple’s life together. How do they keep their marriage going as their circumstances change? What happens to Jane’s ambitions as the demands on her grow? There is room for admiration here, alongside frustration and exhaustion.

Jones is crucial to making that side of the story work. Jane’s determination initially feels almost inexhaustible. It makes the gradual emergence of strain more affecting. The role could easily have amounted to a succession of supportive smiles. Instead, her presence keeps reminding us that this marriage involves two people with needs, even when one person’s achievements attract most of the attention.

The film does have the polish of a prestige biopic, and viewers hoping for an extensive exploration of Hawking’s scientific ideas may find themselves wanting more. Its strongest argument for your time is the relationship at its center. The early romance gives you a reason to care about the couple, while the later difficulties complicate the hopeful picture those opening scenes establish.

Eddie Redmayne’s Stephen Hawking Performance Won Him an Oscar

Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything

Redmayne’s performance earned him a place among the 21st century’s Best Actor Oscar winners. He won in the Best Actor category at the 2015 Academy Awards. The physical demands of the performance are immediately apparent. Across the film, Redmayne changes his posture, movement, and speech to portray the progression of Hawking’s condition. It is meticulous work. The performance would be considerably less interesting if physical resemblance were its only achievement.

It is the personality he maintains throughout those changes that sells it for me. His Hawking can be playful, stubborn, flirtatious, and pleased with his own cleverness. As his means of expression become more limited, a glance or a small smile carries greater weight. Redmayne keeps the audience attentive to what Hawking is thinking. It is a singular performance. The movie also received positive reviews, scoring 81% on Tomatometer as of September 29, 2026.

What did you think of Eddie Redmayne’s performance in The Theory of Everything? Let us know in the comments.