The Convert

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2:03

The Convert

2024

1h 59m

Drama

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

47 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

New Zealand in the 1830s is a largely Māori world, dominated by tribal wars. Seeking redemption from a dark past, lay preacher Thomas Munro (GUY PEARCE) is on board a trading vessel heading to the newly established town of Epworth, a British settlement at the far corner of the world. When the ship anchors on the rugged coast of New Zealand, Munro finds himself caught up in a battle between Māori tribes and witnesses a slaughter of innocents at the hands of chief Akatarawa. Munro manages to save the life of Rangimai -- the daughter of Maianui, a rival chief whose land Epworth leases in a delicate arrangement. As Munro begins to experience the white townsfolk's entrenched racism and paranoia towards the Māori, he finds himself increasingly ostracized within the community he is meant to serve and realizes he has been brought to this isolated British outpost merely to add the veneer of civilization. When one of Maianui's men is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Munro and Rangimai take a dangerous journey into the prohibited lands ruled by Māori warlords, in the hope of repairing the injustice. However, Munro soon realizes he is a pawn in a strategic play of power, and with bloody war between the two dominant tribes now inevitable, he must decide what role he will play and whether his faith is real, or of any value.

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Critics Consensus

A crunchy action-adventure with insights into imperialism, The Convert is a bloody return to form for Kiwi director Lee Tamahori.

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Monica Castillo

RogerEbert.com

07/21/2024

3/4

The movie takes on a bittersweet note, bringing history to life in all its messy complexity - and the everyday players who shape it.

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Christian Zilko

IndieWire

07/12/2024

B+

The Convert manages to combine an entertaining portrayal of an often ignored historical era with universal questions about whether it’s ever possible to build a human society on the foundation of something other than violence.

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Frank Scheck

The Hollywood Reporter

07/12/2024

The Convert is uneven and doesn’t fully live up to its thematic ambitions. But it’s handsomely made and thankfully avoids falling victim to white savior syndrome.

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Andrew Kendall

Stabroek News

Jul 17

As it moves towards the end, and towards a closing sequence that has its mind firmly rooted in the present dynamics of colonialism it feels much too satisfied with its shoddy storytelling for the inertness of the drama that has come before.

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Tynan Yanaga

Film Inquiry

Apr 4

It’s a pity The Convert can’t give us a bit more to grapple with, but it does feel like an entry point into a greater appreciation of the Māori people’s history.

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Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

01/09/2025

3.5/5

Historical drama about the violent interactions of white colonialists and competing Maori tribes in New Zealand.

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Nate H

Sep 11

Fascinating story of redemption. Great acting.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 4

Failure in 1 hour and 59 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The cast and crew could have been better.

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Jelisije J

@jjosifovic Apr 3

A realistic story of a preacher trying to bring peace between two tribes in 1800 New Zealand.

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Jeffrey P

Mar 20

I watched this as the second half of a double feature with Conclave, what this had in the first 15 minutes that Conclave did not - dark haired tribal Maori woman in a loin cloth. It was a bit of a slow burner and did spend more time on a boat than I’d have liked, but once over that there is plenty of character development and conflict in a multitude of areas. Plus, there are a lot of very sharp landscape shots that you don’t see every day. The story is sound and original with no holes worth talking about, and it just keeps adding layer upon layer as it progresses. Then it goes in a bit of a different direction and hits a bit of a lull before applying the final layer.

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Rachel C

01/22/2025

I absolutely loved this.

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Lou M

@Zipperella 12/28/2024

Great cinematography, good acting, and lovely to learn a little more about our neighbours in New Zealand.

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Lee Tamahori

Director

Guy Pearce

Thomas Munro

Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne

Rangimai

Antonio Te Maioha

Actor

Jacqueline McKenzie

Actor

Lawrence Makoare

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The Convert: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

New Zealand in the 1830s is a largely Māori world, dominated by tribal wars. Seeking redemption from a dark past, lay preacher Thomas Munro (GUY PEARCE) is on board a trading vessel heading to the newly established town of Epworth, a British settlement at the far corner of the world. When the ship anchors on the rugged coast of New Zealand, Munro finds himself caught up in a battle between Māori tribes and witnesses a slaughter of innocents at the hands of chief Akatarawa. Munro manages to save the life of Rangimai -- the daughter of Maianui, a rival chief whose land Epworth leases in a delicate arrangement. As Munro begins to experience the white townsfolk's entrenched racism and paranoia towards the Māori, he finds himself increasingly ostracized within the community he is meant to serve and realizes he has been brought to this isolated British outpost merely to add the veneer of civilization. When one of Maianui's men is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Munro and Rangimai take a dangerous journey into the prohibited lands ruled by Māori warlords, in the hope of repairing the injustice. However, Munro soon realizes he is a pawn in a strategic play of power, and with bloody war between the two dominant tribes now inevitable, he must decide what role he will play and whether his faith is real, or of any value.

Director: Lee Tamahori
Producer: Troy Lum, Robin Scholes, Andrew Mason, Te Kohe Tuhaka
Screenwriter: Shane Danielsen, Lee Tamahori
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: New Zealand Premium Production Fund, New Zealand Film Commission, Brouhaha Entertainment, MBK Productions, Jump Film and Television
Genre: Drama, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 12, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 12, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.3K
Runtime: 1h 59m

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