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Once Were Warriors
The film chronicles the trials of a woman and her 16-year-old daughter, who provide the glue that holds the disintegrating Heke family together.
26 October 1986, Papakura, Auckland, New Zealand
11 September 1945, Gisbourne, New Zealand
24 March 1941, North Carolina, USA
18 December 1972, Raetihi, New Zealand
27 July 1968, Rotorua, New Zealand
17 May 1969, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
February 21, 2017
There's little new here, but uniformly powerful performances (especially Owen's) give the tale unexpected power and depth.December 23, 2006
One of the most powerful, ultra-realistic dramas about domestic violence--As the battered wife, Rena Welson should have received a Best Actress nomination.March 31, 2016
The film isn't, ultimately, quite able to reach the heights attained by its star...February 21, 2017
Once Were Warriors is a savage and dismaying tale of a venerable culture in decay and a film difficult to recommend.February 21, 2017
Tamahori's direction is consistently sharp and the film showcases two immensely powerful performances by Morrison and Owen.February 21, 2017
The howling raging energy of the prize-winning New Zealand film Once Were Warriors rushes at you, hits you like a smack in the face.February 21, 2017
It's a fine, fierce and nearly unforgettable movie.February 21, 2017
Once Were Warriors has more to say than the traditional TV-movie about spousal abuse. But some viewers will have to pay a price: This is a movie that requires strength and fortitude to sit through.September 07, 2011
The violence in Once Were Warriors (Fine Line, R), a tumultuous domestic drama from New Zealand, erupts with terrifying suddenness.July 22, 2008
The barren lives of members of an urban Maori family are rigorously exposed in this rugged and painful picture, based on Alan Duff's novel.February 21, 2017
A gritty, powerful first feature by Lee Tamahori.February 21, 2017
Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, who plays Grace, had never acted before, and neither have a couple of the other key players. But under the careful direction of television veteran Lee Tamahori, they all do credible and forceful work.