Mārama

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Mārama

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1h 29m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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32 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

1859, North Yorkshire. When young Māori woman Mary arrives from New Zealand, she's trapped as governess to a wealthy whaler's granddaughter. Living among her ancestors' stolen artifacts, she uncovers Sir Cole's horrific crimes. Embracing her Matakite powers, Mary becomes Mārama and must save Anne and avenge her family by destroying him.

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Carlos Aguilar

RogerEbert.com

Apr 17

2.5/4

The fury of Osborne’s performance, nonetheless, keeps ‘Mārama' a worthy anti-colonialist statement that harnesses the symbolic virtues of genre cinema for its understandably virulent tone.

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Wendy Ide

Screen International

Oct 2

Exposition revealing the grim truth about Nathaniel’s link to Mary and her family can feel a little blunt at times, and the flow of the story is uneven. But there are moments of shocking potency.

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

Sep 24

Stappard has a strong sense of the genre, refining an atmosphere of dread instead of relying on jump scares or loud noises.

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Kyle Arpke

Geek Vibes Nation

1d

9/10

There’s a visual nature within the Māori culture that’s now on display in the art form that is filmmaking. To experience it is a wonderful thing.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

2d

3/5

As this story’s rather telegraphed twists eventually reveal themselves and it all ramps up towards a Grand-Guignol, giallo-esque Gothic nightmare, you begin to wish it hadn’t been quite so heavy-handed.

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Nadine Whitney

AWFJ.org

4d

Mārama is a true genre gem with an ever-relevant focus on the violence of colonialism and the overarching reach of greedy and insatiable men who twist legacy. Imaginative and vivid… Mārama does what it intends to with perfection.

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Uriah Wesman

Apr 21

Outstanding Gothic Horror. With some brilliant shots. Highly recommend

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jose c

Apr 18

We loved the story. It was tragic and haunting. A great gothic horror to add to the collection.

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noa N

@noazerty 43m

Beautifully shot with incredible landscapes and a deeply unsettling atmosphere to slowly reveal something much more powerful underneath: an intelligent critique of imperialism.

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Badie A

@badiefilmfan 1h

Māori revenge gothic done right. Taratoa Stappard directs with patience and conviction, and Ariana Osborne is ferocious. The third act goes hard. Stays with you.

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Hamza A.

@Hamburglar85 3h

Horrifying tale of colonization

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Diane P

@Diane86 3h

Strong performances and striking cinematography create a moody, almost hypnotic experience that stays with you.

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Taratoa Stappard

Director

Ariāna Osborne

Mary

Toby Stephens

Nathaniel Cole

Umi Myers

Peggy

Evelyn Towersey

Anne

Erroll Shand

Jack Fenton

Mārama: Trailer 1

2:07

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Synopsis

1859, North Yorkshire. When young Māori woman Mary arrives from New Zealand, she's trapped as governess to a wealthy whaler's granddaughter. Living among her ancestors' stolen artifacts, she uncovers Sir Cole's horrific crimes. Embracing her Matakite powers, Mary becomes Mārama and must save Anne and avenge her family by destroying him.

Director: Taratoa Stappard
Producer: Sharlene George, RickyLee Waipuka-Russell, Rouzie Hassanova, Paraone Gloyne
Screenwriter: Taratoa Stappard
Distributor: Dark Sky Films / Watermelon Pictures
Production Co: MPI Media Group, Sweetshop Entertainment, Vendetta Films
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 17, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 29m