The Convert

What was appealing for me was that this wasn't a Māori against Pākehā story, it is a story about how Māori educated Pākehā and how Pākehā educated Māori.

– Actor Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne describes The Convert, in a November 2023 press release

From the onset, the stunning vistas, handsomely photographed by Gin Loane, signal the underlying theme of the narrative: Survival belongs to the strongest, a precept that grows in significance as the plot progresses. The fierce introduction to this unforgiving environment is a shot of a large bird making a smaller one its prey in one swift motion. Through such imagery, Tamahori aims to imbue the violence that permeates with a primal quality, obeying only its own sacred rules beyond the comprehension of the unwelcomed colonizers, whose standing here is that of tenants paying rent to the Māori owners.

– Reviewer Carlos Aguilar in Variety, 8 September 2023

I grew up knowing some of our histories, and the first thing we learned was about a war between another tribe up north and my tribe. And they came with their muskets, so it’s a similar story.

– Actor Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne on her connection to the story behind The Convert, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 September 2023

Not exactly St Paul's but you'll make something of it.

– A clergyman introduces Munro (Guy Pearce) to their church

We're surrounded by savages of the most barbaric kind...

– An Irish shopkeeper warns Munro (Pearce) about his new home

I have a young woman in my care, a young Māori woman...

– Thomas Munro (Guy Pearce) asks the help of settler Charlotte (Jacqueline McKenzie)

. . . a solid historical action and drama flick that will do its job just fine . . . The subjects at hand are treated with respect, and the standout performance by Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, of Māori descent herself, hoists the film up a notch just by her work alone. She gives her all in an unforgettable performance . . .

– Reviewer Anna Miller on website Next Best Picture, 12 September 2023