Once Were Warriors

Once Were Warriors centres on Beth Heke, a mother raising five children with her husband Jake in a poor Māori neighbourhood of Auckland. Jake has lost his job, drinks heavily and turns violent, and Beth's efforts to hold the household together are strained by money problems, her sons' involvement with gangs, and the pull of the streets on her daughter. The marriage itself is the fault line: Beth's loyalty to a man she loves runs against the harm he does to her and the children.

Lee Tamahori directed the film, his first feature, from a screenplay by Riwia Brown, with Robin Scholes producing. Rena Owen plays Beth and Temuera Morrison plays Jake, alongside Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, Julian Arahanga, Taungaroa Emile and Rachael Morris Jr. as the children. It was made in New Zealand and released in September 1994.

The film took about two million dollars worldwide, a modest figure that reflects a drama made and marketed largely within New Zealand. On IMDb it holds 7.9/10 from roughly 39,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.4/10 from around 511 votes, indicating a widely seen film with a smaller but still positive second audience. Its critics' rating stands at 7.9/10 from 45 reviews, closely matching the audience score on IMDb. Tamahori went on to direct Mulholland Falls, The Edge and Die Another Day, among others.