Beth deserves better!!! Grace deserves better!!! The Heke family deserves better!!!
What it's about
Living in the Auckland slums, Jake Heke and his family live an impoverished, dysfunctional life, with Jake taking out his terrible temper on his wife Beth, and the kids doing all they can to sidestep trouble, though trouble keeps finding them.
The take
Many people would rather see happy, positive depictions of people like them, but sometimes, it’s important to see one’s worst sides– the sides that we don’t really like to see, but should have some awareness of, in order to address them. It’s because of this director Lee Tamahori initially thought that adapting the Maori novel Once Were Warriors would end up a flop, but through focusing on Beth Heke and her children, through ensuring that each of them have more screentime rather than only on the parents, Tamahori depicts the alienation the Heke family feels on the fringes, an alienation only healed when they choose to embrace more of their culture. Once Were Warriors isn’t an easy watch, with all the difficulties that the family goes through, but it’s a fiercely intense debut that proved to be one of the best films from New Zealand.
What stands out
The depictions of abuse can be very triggering for some. Viewer discretion is advised.
Comments
Add a comment
Your name
Your comment
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
My Old Ass (2024)
A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears
8.0
Laapataa Ladies (2024)
Two brides are accidentally swapped in this refreshing comedy of errors
8.9
Whale Rider (2002)
A deeply spiritual family film on Māori culture with a powerful, Oscar-nominated lead performance
7.7
The Convert (2024)
Pre-colonial Māori culture is introduced in this much more sympathetic, though fairly uneven, historical drama
6.6
Silenced (2011)
A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea
9.0
The Substance (2024)
Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror
8.3
Look Back (2024)
Art connects people through time and space in this short and sweet drama
9.0
Memoir of a Snail (2024)
A crack of hope shines through in this heartbreaking animated film about preservation and perseverance
8.6
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.
8.1
Don’t Let Them Shoot the Kite (1989)
A child inspires camaraderie despite imprisonment in this moving classic drama