
Once Were Warriors
Their People Once Were Warriors. But Once... Was a Long Time Ago
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Produced by Avalon Studios, New Zealand Film Commission
A harrowing, intimate portrait of domestic violence and cultural displacement that centers a mother's desperate fight to protect her family from systemic despair.
In a violent relationship, it takes a mother’s strength to save herself and her children from the man she loved. Once Were Warriors is a violent love story set against a contemporary urban backdrop.
Clusters
Genres
Where to watch
- StreamBFI Player, Film Movement Plus, Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel
- FreeHoopla, Kanopy
- RentGoogle Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- BuyApple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Questions people ask
Is Once Were Warriors sad? Yes, very. More sad than 99% of films.
Is Once Were Warriors violent? Yes, very. More violent than 98% of films.
Is Once Were Warriors easy watching? No. Less comforting than 92% of films.
Is Once Were Warriors scary? Yes. More frightening than 87% of films.
Does Once Were Warriors end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 70% of films.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Distinctly its own thing.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Everything like Once Were Warriors, and what each one shares →
Like Once Were Warriors
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Once Were Warriors
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Once Were Warriors, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Once Were Warriors, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Once Were Warriors, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.




























































