

Once Were Warriors
Their People Once Were Warriors. But Once... Was a Long Time Ago
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.
TMDB
7.4/10
518 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $950K
- Box office
- $6.7M
- Language
- English
- individual
- suicide
- rape
- strong woman
- tattoo
- slum
- funeral
- alcohol
- tradition
- approved school
- loss of loved one
- despair
Top billed cast















Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Gallery












Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- TheatricalR14 Sept 1995
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalMA 15+8 Dec 1994
CzechiaCZ
- Theatrical (limited)15+For non-commercial screenings only2 Apr 1996
FranceFR
- Theatrical165 Jul 1995
GermanyDE
- Theatrical1614 Sept 1994
HungaryHU
- Theatrical165 Sept 1996
ItalyIT
- Theatrical2 Sept 1994
NetherlandsNL
- Theatrical169 Feb 1995
- Physical16DVD16 Jan 2001
New ZealandNZ
- Theatrical2 Sept 1994
PortugalPT
- PremiereM/16Fantasporto - Porto International Film Festival4 Feb 1995
- TheatricalM/166 Oct 1995
Frequently asked questions
Once Were Warriors was released on 2 September 1994.
Audience reviews
1- F10/10
Filipe Manuel Neto
5/29/2023
**The power and importance of cultural roots.** This was the first New Zealand film I saw, at least as far as I remember and am aware of that. It's a violent film, with a raw brutality that shocks us by how authentic it sounds. Domestic violence? Child rape? It's not something you only see in the movies. It's something you see in a newspaper. That's what shocks us the most: knowing it's something real. And I warn …
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