Some Hidden Jewels from New Zealand Cinema
by lyndon-iok | created - 19 Aug 2015 | updated - 28 Feb 2017 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Runaway (1964)
102 min | Drama, Thriller
Director: John O'Shea | Stars: Colin Broadley, Nadja Regin, Deidre McCarron, Selwyn Muru
Votes: 42
dir. John O'Shea; thriller-road movie
2. Sleeping Dogs (1977)
Not Rated | 107 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A New Zealand man recently estranged from his family gets unwittingly caught up in a revolution.
Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Sam Neill, Nevan Rowe, Ian Mune, Warren Oates
Votes: 1,659
dir. Roger Donaldson; action-thriller
3. Goodbye Pork Pie (1980)
R | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Dumped by his girlfriend, a man joins a reckless youth in a stolen yellow mini and they drive the length of New Zealand, attracting cops and media attention, determined to get to Invercargill.
Director: Geoff Murphy | Stars: Tony Barry, Kelly Johnson, Claire Oberman, Shirley Gruar
Votes: 1,316
dir. Geoff Murphy; action-comedy
4. Battletruck (1982)
PG | 91 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Post World War III futuristic tale of collapsed governments & bankrupt countries heralding a new lawless age.
Director: Harley Cokeliss | Stars: Michael Beck, Annie McEnroe, James Wainwright, Bruno Lawrence
Votes: 1,532
dir. Harley Cokliss; sci-fi-action-adventure
5. The Lost Tribe (1983)
114 min | Adventure, Horror, Mystery
An anthropologist disappears in New Zealand while looking for a lost tribe, so his wife and little daughter as well as his shady twin brother who's in love with his sister-in-law go to look... See full summary »
Director: John Laing | Stars: John Bach, Darien Takle, Don Selwyn, Martyn Sanderson
Votes: 89
dir. John Laing; horror-mystery
6. Utu (1983)
Unrated | 104 min | Adventure, Drama, History
In 1870, a Maori warrior working with the British finds his village massacred, and vows revenge.
Director: Geoff Murphy | Stars: Anzac Wallace, Bruno Lawrence, Tim Elliott, Kelly Johnson
Votes: 1,332
dir. Geoff Murphy; historical drama-action
7. Vigil (1984)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama, Mystery
A lonely girl living on an isolated, mist-cloaked farm is confronted with the changes wrought by a stranger that arrives.
Director: Vincent Ward | Stars: Penelope Stewart, Frank Whitten, Bill Kerr, Fiona Kay
Votes: 887
dir. Vincent Ward; drama
8. The Quiet Earth (1985)
R | 91 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A scientist awakens to find himself alone in the world. In a desperate attempt to search for others, he finds only two who have their own agenda.
Director: Geoff Murphy | Stars: Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge, Pete Smith, Anzac Wallace
Votes: 27,642 | Gross: $2.12M
dir. Geoff Murphy; sci-fi, mystery
9. Came a Hot Friday (1985)
PG | 101 min | Adventure, Comedy
This eccentric rural New Zealand tale follows two con men as they attempt to trick a small town into their illegal gambling scheme.
Director: Ian Mune | Stars: Peter Bland, Phillip Gordon, Michael Lawrence, Billy T. James
Votes: 226 | Gross: $0.01M
10. Kingpin (1985)
87 min | Drama
Filmed at and inspired by the residents of Kohitere Boys Training Centre in Levin, New Zealand, this tale follows a group of teens who are wards of the state. It was directed by Mike Walker... See full summary »
Director: Mike Walker | Stars: Faifua Amiga, Mitchell Manuel, Nicholas Rogers, Judy McIntosh
Votes: 35
dir. Mike Walker; urban drama
11. Ngati (1987)
92 min | Drama
An Australian doctor comes to a small Maori village where a child is suffering from Leukemia, as he discovers the truth about his heritage the town rallies together to keep the freezing works open.
Director: Barry Barclay | Stars: Tuta Ngarimu Tamati, Iranui Haig, Tawai Moana, Michael Tibble
Votes: 100
dir. Barry Barclay; historical drama
12. Bad Taste (1987)
Not Rated | 91 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
The population of a small town disappears and is replaced by aliens that chase human flesh for their intergalactic fast-food chain.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Terry Potter, Pete O'Herne, Craig Smith, Mike Minett
Votes: 49,134
dir. Peter Jackson; horror-splatter-comedy
13. The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988)
PG | 92 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Men seeking relief from the Black Death, guided by a boy's vision, dig a tunnel from 14th century England to 20th century New Zealand.
Director: Vincent Ward | Stars: Bruce Lyons, Chris Haywood, Hamish Gough, Marshall Napier
Votes: 3,982 | Gross: $1.33M
dir. Vincent Ward; fantasy
14. An Angel at My Table (1990)
R | 158 min | Biography, Drama
Janet Frame was a brilliant child who, as a teen, was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. Explore Janet's discovery of the world and her life in Europe as her books are published to acclaim.
Director: Jane Campion | Stars: Kerry Fox, Alexia Keogh, Karen Fergusson, Iris Churn
Votes: 8,690 | Gross: $1.05M
dir. Jane Campion; biopic
15. Braindead (1992)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A young man's mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbors.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin
Votes: 103,337 | Gross: $0.24M
dir. Peter Jackson; horror-comedy-splatter
16. Desperate Remedies (1992)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
In a town called Hope on the edge of Britain's empire, desperations clash: the beautiful Dorothea Brook is desperate to free her pregnant sister Rose from the clutches of Fraser, a fortune ... See full summary »
Directors: Stewart Main, Peter Wells | Stars: Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Kevin Smith, Lisa Chappell, Cliff Curtis
Votes: 410 | Gross: $0.07M
dir. Stewart Main, Peter Wells; comedy-drama
17. The Piano (1993)
R | 121 min | Drama, Music, Romance
In the mid-19th century a mute woman is sent to New Zealand along with her young daughter and prized piano for an arranged marriage to a farmer, but is soon lusted after by a farm worker.
Director: Jane Campion | Stars: Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, Anna Paquin
Votes: 95,209 | Gross: $40.16M
dir. Jane Campion; historical drama
18. Once Were Warriors (1994)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama
A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.
Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, Julian Arahanga
Votes: 36,863 | Gross: $2.20M
dir. Lee Tamahori; urban drama
19. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
R | 99 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Two teenage girls share a unique bond; their parents, concerned that the friendship is too intense, separate them, and the girls take revenge.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent
Votes: 67,426 | Gross: $3.05M
dir. Peter Jackson; historical drama, fantasy
20. A Little Death (1995)
Short, Drama
Directors: Simon Perkins, Paul Swadel | Stars: Jed Brophy, Josephine Davison
Votes: 21
dir. Simon Perkins, Peter Swagel; short
21. Forgotten Silver (1995 TV Movie)
53 min | Comedy
The film deals with the career of a supposedly forgotten pioneer of international cinema, Colin McKenzie, who was allegedly born in rural New Zealand in 1888.
Directors: Costa Botes, Peter Jackson | Stars: Peter Jackson, Jeffrey Thomas, Costa Botes, Leonard Maltin
Votes: 6,318 | Gross: $0.03M
dir. Peter Jackson; documentary (?)
22. O Tamaiti (1996)
15 min | Short
For 11-year-old Tino, being the eldest of five children in a Samoan family is no easy task. Tino plays guardian and protector to his younger siblings. As Tino strives to cope in an adult ... See full summary »
Director: Sima Urale | Stars: Harry Wendt, Therese Fatu, Charles Faamausili, Pusa Finau
Votes: 34
dir. Sima Urale; short
23. Scarfies (1999)
R | 94 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller
Five kiwi flatmates find something growing in their basement much to their delight, but when the rightful owner comes knocking and finds that they have appropriated the goods things start to go awry.
Director: Robert Sarkies | Stars: Willa O'Neill, Neill Rea, Ashleigh Seagar, Taika Waititi
Votes: 1,162
dir. Robert Sarkies; mystery, comedy
24. Whale Rider (2002)
PG-13 | 101 min | Drama, Family
A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.
Director: Niki Caro | Stars: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis
Votes: 44,043 | Gross: $20.78M
dir. Niki Caro; drama
25. Christmas (2003)
89 min | Drama, Comedy
The drama of relationships in a dysfunctional New Zealand family, living in a town going nowhere.
Director: Gregory King | Stars: Darien Takle, David Hornblow, Helen Pearse Otene, Matthew Sunderland
Votes: 96
dir. Gregory King; drama
26. In My Father's Den (2004)
R | 127 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A disillusioned war journalist's return home is blighted when he becomes implicated in the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl he has befriended.
Director: Brad McGann | Stars: Matthew Macfadyen, Miranda Otto, Emily Barclay, Colin Moy
Votes: 7,866
dir. Brad McGuinn; drama
27. Two Cars, One Night (2003)
12 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
Sometimes first love is found in the most unlikely of places, like in the carpark outside the Te Kaha pub.
Director: Taika Waititi | Stars: Rangi Ngamoki, Hutini Waikato, Te Ahiwaru Ngamoki-Richards, Riwai Waka
Votes: 2,896
dir. Taika Cohen; short
28. Out of the Blue (I) (2006)
103 min | Crime, Drama
Based on the Aramoana Massacre that occurred on 13 November and 14 November 1990. Resident David Gray, an unemployed gun collector, went on a rampage in which 13 people were shot dead, before Gray himself was shot by police.
Director: Robert Sarkies | Stars: Matthew Sunderland, Stuart Mathieson, Natalie Ellis, Patrick Paynter
Votes: 3,919 | Gross: $0.00M
dir. Robert Sarkies; thriller
29. Boy (I) (2010)
Not Rated | 87 min | Comedy, Drama
Boy, an 11-year-old child and devout Michael Jackson fan who lives on the east coast of New Zealand in 1984, gets a chance to know his absentee criminal father, who has returned to find a bag of money he buried years ago.
Director: Taika Waititi | Stars: James Rolleston, Te Aho Eketone-Whitu, Taika Waititi, Moerangi Tihore
Votes: 29,548 | Gross: $0.26M
dir. Taika Waititi; comedy, drama
30. Tracker (2010)
R | 102 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
An Afrikaner veteran of the Boer War has just immigrated to New Zealand and is hired to track a man accused of killing a soldier. While hunting through the countryside he captures his ... See full summary »
Director: Ian Sharp | Stars: Ray Winstone, Nicholas McGough, Gareth Reeves, Mark Mitchinson
Votes: 4,210
dir. Ian Sharp; adventure, drama
31. Housebound (2014)
Not Rated | 107 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
A young woman is forced to return to her childhood home after being placed under house arrest, where she suspects that something evil may be lurking.
Director: Gerard Johnstone | Stars: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru, Ross Harper
Votes: 37,584
dir. Gerard Johnstone; horror, comedy
32. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
R | 86 min | Comedy, Horror
Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are struggling with the mundane aspects of modern life, like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.
Directors: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi | Stars: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Jonny Brugh
Votes: 200,366 | Gross: $3.33M
dir. Taika Waititi; comedy, horror
33. The Dark Horse (2014)
R | 124 min | Biography, Drama
A brilliant but troubled New Zealand chess champion finds purpose by teaching underprivileged children about the rules of chess and life.
Director: James Napier Robertson | Stars: Cliff Curtis, James Rolleston, Kirk Torrance, James Napier Robertson
Votes: 6,586 | Gross: $0.06M
dir. James Napier Robertson; drama
34. Orphans & Kingdoms (2014)
74 min | Drama
One night. One house. One Island. Everything changes for a lonely man and three delinquent kids.
Director: Paolo Rotondo | Stars: Colin Moy, Calae Hignett-Morgan, Hanelle Harris, Jesse James Rehu Pickery
Votes: 99
dir. Paolo Rotondo; drama
35. The Dead Lands (2014)
R | 107 min | Action, Adventure
After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, the teenage son of a slain Maori chieftain looks to avenge his father's murder and bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones.
Director: Toa Fraser | Stars: James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Xavier Horan
Votes: 5,273 | Gross: $0.00M
dir. Toa Frase; action, mystery
36. Deathgasm (2015)
Not Rated | 86 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Two teenage boys unwittingly summon an ancient evil entity known as The Blind One by delving into black magic while trying to escape their mundane lives.
Director: Jason Howden | Stars: Milo Cawthorne, James Joshua Blake, Kimberley Crossman, Sam Berkley
Votes: 19,249
dir. Jason Lei Howden; horror, comedy
37. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
PG-13 | 101 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.
Director: Taika Waititi | Stars: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House
Votes: 141,961 | Gross: $5.20M
dir. Taika Waititi; adventure, comedy
38. The Patriarch (2016)
103 min | Drama
From the author of "The Whale Rider", a tale of family rivalry and reconciliation, set against the stunning backdrop of rural New Zealand in the 1960s.
Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Temuera Morrison, Akuhata Keefe, Nancy Brunning, Jim Moriarty
Votes: 1,028
dir. Lee Tamahori; drama
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