Once Were Warriors 1994

Critics score:
94 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Janet Maslin, New York Times: Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: As often happens when films are intent on getting a message across, Once Were Warriors can't stop itself from overdoing things. Read more

Entertainment Weekly: Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Read more

David Ansen, Newsweek: Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Works, to some degree, on three levels: the visceral, the emotional, and the intellectual, and it is the amalgamation of these that makes this a memorable film. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: It is powerful and chilling, and directed by Lee Tamahori with such narrative momentum that we are swept along in the enveloping tragedy of the family's life. Read more

Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle: A gut-grabber from New Zealand ... that stays with you for days. Read more

Time Out: Read more

David Stratton, Variety: Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Reserve judgment until this raw, uncompromising working-class saga is over, and you might find yourself unforgettably moved -- and grateful for the experience. Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: The actors, many of them of European-Maori descent, are wonderful to look at. They also deliver authoritative yet sympathetic performances that get at the roots, or rootlessness, of their characters. Read more