The director of the acclaimed and controversial Once Were Warriors returns with what looks like a banger of a historical drama, set in 1830s Aotearoa.
When is The Convert being released in New Zealand?
The Convert arrives in New Zealand cinemas on April 25, 2024.
The Convert
What is The Convert about?
As the official synopsis helpfully informs us, “Guy Pearce leads this historical drama from director Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors) as lay preacher Thomas Munro in 1830s Aotearoa New Zealand. Arriving at a British settlement, his violent past is then drawn into question and his mission put to the test as he finds himself caught in the middle of a generational blood feud between Māori tribes.”
With its religious themes and meditations on the morality of violence, we’re reminded of Roland Joffé’s excellent The Mission. Go watch that…the Ennio Morricone score will break your heart.
The cast of The Convert
In addition to Guy Pearce we’re getting Te Kohe Tuhaka, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, Antonio Te Maioha, Jacqueline McKenzie, Lawrence Makoare, Dean O’Gorman, Madeleine McCarthy, and Duane Wichman-Evans Jr. in the ensemble.
The Convert trailer
Why we’re excited about The Convert
It’s been a long time since we had a film from Lee Tamahori. Which is a shame, but this latest offering seems to be a perfect match for his visceral style, and we’re keen to see the results. Plus, we’re suckers for films set during the New Zealand Wars, like Vincent Ward’s River Queen and Geoff Murphy’s Utu, and The Convert certainly looks like a sterling example of that particular historical subgenre. Plus: the last time Guy Pearce did an anti-colonial historical drama we got The Proposition, so his past form speaks for itself.
