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Director: David Nicholas Wilkinson
Author: David Nicholas Wilkinson, Emily’s Price
Starring: James Van Der Beek, Chadwick Boseman, Miriam Margolies
1 in 2 (2026) is a feature-length documentary film written and directed by David Nicholas Wilkinson. The film tells the story of Wilkinson’s life, along with several other subjects, of bowel cancer treatment, particularly chemotherapy.
Compiled from several interview clips and Wilkinson’s on-camera conversations, both during treatment and alone, the film laments the dire difficulties faced by bowel cancer patients. One should not shy away from the details of the disease, such as the debilitating impact on mental health that can result from treatments such as a stoma, as well as the physical impact of bowel problems and how it interferes with everyday life. Viewers will feel intimately informed about the reality of cancer, which will likely affect them or a loved one as more and more people continue to be diagnosed.
As with any disease, colon cancer begins with a diagnosis. Wilkinson, along with other interviewees featured in the documentary, takes particular care to highlight how difficult it is to diagnose bowel cancer. Patients’ tumors often go undiagnosed for long periods because of NHS guidelines that GPs follow. By portraying patients’ experiences of misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis, which seriously affected their longevity, the documentary does a good job of not blaming any individual or organization, focusing on the work being done to make diagnosis more accurate.
By including such an intimate perspective, the documentary has its challenging moments. Viewers are given graphic descriptions and images of people with bowel cancer. These are very important insights into such a personal and visceral disease, and incredibly interesting for those who want to learn more.
The harsh aspects of dealing with the illness are a major theme of the documentary, especially in regards to patient mortality. However, there is light being shown in the healthy, societal aspects of the disease. The documentary introduces viewers to groups of people who found each other through the common factor of bowel cancer. These people express the way that sharing the graphic aspects of their treatment makes them feel less alone. In addition, the documentary shows the way in which community projects can change individual perspectives on aspects of treatment such as stoma. Stomas are often seen as disgusting and as a burden. However, the documentary makes the point that a stoma is a sign of life, as they often extend to those who have one.
There is an interesting incorporation of lightness and comedy in the documentary, which Wilkinson pulls off well. Wilkinson’s interactions with the nurses and doctors are shown in an authentic and loving way, we see him joking around with them and talking to the staff on a friendly level, which is nice to see. In addition, the viewer is given a glimpse into her daily life as we witness what is happening inside her body, which she explains to the camera in real time. Wilkinson finds himself in a variety of uncomfortable scenarios that could be a nightmare to imagine, yet he seems to find humor in the strangeness of these situations. It greatly emphasizes the humanity in those who not only suffer from the disease, but also the treatment system, which puts the world of cancer and cancer treatment into a normal, bright world, as viewers see the types of recognizable people who are involved in treatment every day.
The subjects of the documentary are from all walks of life, old, young, famous, etc. A lot of attention is also paid to how the disease affects not only the patient but also their families, such as the mother’s children, who are unable to properly care for them due to excessive fatigue. This brings into sharp focus how cancer can affect anyone, and conveys the film’s powerful message of encouraging viewers to get tested so that cancers can be detected early.
1 In 2 will be in UK cinemas from 13 November 2026.
