X
- 2024
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 59 m
- 2024
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 59 m
Summary A lay preacher (Guy Pearce) arrives at a British settlement in 1830s. His violent past is soon drawn into question and his faith put to the test, as he finds himself caught in the middle of a bloody war between Maori tribes.
Directed By: Lee Tamahori
Written By: Shane Danielsen, Lee Tamahori, Michael Bennett, Hamish Clayton
- 2024
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 59 m
- 2024
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 59 m
The Convert
66
6.2
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Summary A lay preacher (Guy Pearce) arrives at a British settlement in 1830s. His violent past is soon drawn into question and his faith put to the test, as he finds himself caught in the middle of a bloody war between Maori tribes.
Directed By: Lee Tamahori
Written By: Shane Danielsen, Lee Tamahori, Michael Bennett, Hamish Clayton
Where to Watch
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
66
62% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
38% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
66
62% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
38% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The acting is flat-out wonderful.
Tamahori successfully brings a sense of scale and scope to “The Convert” He displays an eye for wide-screen compositions, and the film is frequently visually stunning.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 User Ratings
6.2
60% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
20% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
20% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 User Ratings
6.2
60% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
20% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
20% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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Saw The Convert last night. The film is a compelling story set in 1830's New Zealand of a British preacher who gets caught up in Maori Wars from Once Were Warriors and Die Another Day director Lee Tamahori. With a screenplay by Lee Tamahori and Michael Bennett (In Dark Places), the film features impeccable acting from a talented cast that includes Australian actors Guy Pearce (Memento, LA Confidential) and Jacqueline McKenzie (Force of Nature: The Dry 2) and newcomer Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne. Breathtaking scenery of New Zealand shot by cinematographer Gin Loane (The Justice of Bunny King).
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Tamahori and co-writer Shane Danielsen may have taken some historical liberties in loosely basing their script on true events, creating composite characters or writing in new figures. Still, if the goal of “The Convert” was to give a sense of New Zealand when most of its residents called it by its Māori name, Aotearoa, then it is successful.
There’s just enough of an interesting theme and strong production value (it’s impossible not to succumb to the breathtakingly imposing landscapes) to earn The Convert some grace.
The Convert promises the potential for plenty of fire and brimstone but, despite some committed performances, lacks the dramatic passion that would have really left a mark.
The Convert is uneven and doesn’t fully live up to its thematic ambitions. But it’s handsomely made and thankfully avoids falling victim to white savior syndrome.
All of the time spent on Thomas Munro’s various campaigns for reconciliation and harmony between two Māori tribes hampers the film, which would have been better served had it expounded on the grander conflicts that it only superficially acknowledges.
Understated historical drama with a compelling narrative contextualized in Maori culture in 19th century New Zealand.
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Production Company
Brouhaha Entertainment,
Jump Film and Television,
MBK Productions,
New Zealand Film Commission,
New Zealand Premium Production Fund
Release Date Jul 12, 2024
Duration 1 h 59 m
Tagline A fight for peace. A heart at war.
Awards
Rencontres Internationales du Cinema des Antipodes
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination