X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Once Were Warriors

Set in urban Auckland (New Zealand) this movie tells the story of the Heke family. Jake Heke is a violent man who beats his wife frequently when drunk, and yet obviously loves both her and his family. The movie follows a period of several weeks in the family's life showing Jake's frequent outburst of violence and the effect that this has on his family. The youngest son is in trouble with the police and may be put into a foster home while the elder son is about to join a street gang. Jake's daughter has her own serious problems which are a key element in the plot.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Rena Owen
Beth Heke
Temuera Morrison
Jake Heke
Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell
Grace Heke

Awards

  • 1994 - Film Award - Best Film - winner
  • 1994 - Film Award - Best Performance in a Dramatic Role: Male - winner
  • 1994 - Film Award - Best Performance in a Supporting Role: Female - winner
  • 1994 - Film Award - Best Juvenile Performance - winner

You May Also Like See All

The Conformist
Three Colors: Red
Rear Window
Compensation

Popular Movies See all movies

Crucify

1 hr 19 mins
A neon noir thriller that descends into a maze of nightmares as two teens trapped in a haunted crime scene are forced to confront their demons.
2020 Fantasy, Horror, Suspense, Drama

Balls Up

1 hr 44 mins
In this raunchy, over-the-top comedy, marketing executives Brad (Mark Wahlberg) and Elijah (Paul Walter Hauser) go “balls out” and pitch a bold full‑coverage condom sponsorship with the World Cup. After their drunken celebration in Brazil sparks a global scandal, they must outrun furious fans, criminals, and power-hungry officials to salvage their careers and make it home alive.
34   Metascore
2026 Action & Adventure, Comedy, Suspense, Sports

180

1 hr 34 mins
When an unexpected road rage incident puts his son in critical condition, an enraged father spirals down a dark path of emotional turmoil and vengeance.
2026 Suspense, Drama

The Wizard of the Kremlin

2 hr 16 mins
A young Russian filmmaker becomes an unlikely advisor to Vladimir Putin as he rises to power in post-Soviet Russia, navigating the new era's complexities and chaos.
55   Metascore
2025 Drama, Documentary, Suspense

Thrash

1 hr 26 mins
When a Category 5 hurricane decimates a coastal town, the storm surge brings devastation, chaos and something far more frightening: hungry sharks.
48   Metascore
2026 Horror, Suspense

The Housemaid

2 hr 11 mins
Millie arrives at a wealthy household seeking stability after instability. The Catalyst appears in the uneasy dynamic between Nina and Andrew, where generosity carries control beneath it. Millie responds by reading the room and using charm as survival instinct. As the Collision builds, attention, jealousy, and shifting alliances turn the home into a tense psychological arena. A Moral Pivot arrives when Millie must choose whether to remain pliant or assert herself within a system that rewards manipulation, and the cost of either path presses directly on her sense of identity.
65   Metascore
2025 Drama, Suspense