What is the Metascore for The Lunchbox?

The Lunchbox has a Metascore of 76 out of 100 on Celluloid.

Where can I watch The Lunchbox?

Streaming availability for The Lunchbox varies by region — currently on MUBI in Indonesia. Check local listings for your region.

What countries is The Lunchbox streaming in?

The Lunchbox streams on MUBI in Indonesia; MUBI in Japan; MUBI in Malaysia; MUBI in Nigeria; MUBI in the Philippines; MUBI in South Africa; MUBI in South Korea; MUBI in Thailand; MUBI in the United Arab Emirates. Subscription availability only; rental and purchase options may differ.

The Lunchbox Review (2013) — 74% Celluloid Score

Item: The Lunchbox
Rating: 4
Author: Kaiser Khan

Directed by Ritesh Batra · 2013 · Last reviewed August 31, 2026

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary

The Lunchbox (2013) earns a 74% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics (96%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (88%).

Quick Verdict

Calculated from 4 available inputs: Celluloid editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb. Audience sentiment is shown separately and never changes the composite. See how we calculate scores.

74%

Celluloid Score Recommended

4-input transparent breakdown

96% Editorial Rating

88% Audience snapshot · excluded

76 Metascore

★★★½☆ Letterboxd 3.8

7.8 IMDb /10

Watch Trailer

Runtime: 1h 44m
Cast: Irrfan Khan , Nimrat Kaur , Nawazuddin Siddiqui , Lillete Dubey , Nasir Khan , Bharati Achrekar , Nakul Vaid , Yashvi Punneet Nagar , Denzil Smith , Shruti Bapna
Country: France
Language: Hindi

Official theatrical poster for The Lunchbox (2013)

Theatrical release

Where to watch

Streaming availability varies by region — currently on MUBI in Indonesia. Check local listings for your region.

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home

Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home

Where to watch The Lunchbox by country

Country	Streaming on
Indonesia	MUBI
Japan	MUBI
Malaysia	MUBI
Nigeria	MUBI
Philippines	MUBI
South Africa	MUBI
South Korea	MUBI
Thailand	MUBI
United Arab Emirates	MUBI

Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.

Why this score?

Celluloid's editorial rating is exceptional (96/100).
General viewers mostly liked it (88%).
Metascore is generally favorable (76/100).
Celluloid Score 74% combines 4 verified rating inputs; audience sentiment is shown separately.

Best for

Short runtime — easy weeknight watch

Not ideal for

Viewers who only watch top-tier, 90%+ rated films

Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Is The Lunchbox worth watching?

Yes — The Lunchbox earns a 74% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

Celluloid Verdict

A mistaken dabba delivery sparks one of Indian indie cinema’s tenderest epistolary romances.
Celluloid editorial verdict

Critics (96%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (88%).

What is The Lunchbox about?

A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system (Mumbai's Dabbawallahs) connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. They build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Gradually, this fantasy threatens to overwhelm their reality.

Watch the Trailer

Critic Reviews

critic The Lunchbox

The Lunchbox (2013) Review: Mumbai’s Tenderest Wrong Delivery

★★★★☆ 4/5

Ritesh Batra, Irrfan Khan, and Nimrat Kaur — a mistaken dabba becomes one of Indian independent cinema’s great epistolary romances, and a Cannes Un Certain Regard breakout.

Essential — the Hindi film to show someone who thinks Bollywood is only stadiums.

The Lunchbox stills

Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.

Images courtesy of TMDB. TMDB does not endorse or certify Celluloid.

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