Once Were Warriors (1994) on Netflix
Beth Heke left her Māori village to marry Jake; they raise five children in a South Auckland state house. Jake drinks and beats her, and the children fend for themselves.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb7.9/1039,727 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes93%
Trailer
Plot summary
In South Auckland, Beth and Jake Heke raise five children in a state house. Beth left her Māori village against her parents' wishes to marry Jake, and eighteen years later he is laid off, collects the unemployment benefit, and spends his days drinking at the pub with friends. The parties he brings home end in violence toward Beth. Their eldest son, Nig, moves out to join a gang, and its rituals include facial tattoos. Mark, called Boogie, is placed in a foster home, where the manager Mr. Bennett leads him toward his Māori heritage. Grace, thirteen, writes stories in a journal for her younger siblings and befriends Toot, a homeless boy who lives in a wrecked car.
Cast
- Rachael Morris Jr.as Polly Heke
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Once Were Warriors (1994)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The film was shot at a local state house at 33 O'Connor Street in the Auckland metropolitan area, and the neighbors of the house complained on numerous occasions because of the film's late night party scenes.
