For our Flicks contributors (and everyone else in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland) Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival has come to a close for 2025. Never fear—you’ll get more chances to see this year’s NZIFF selections one way or another in the future…
At the time of writing, the fest continues in Ōtautahi Christchurch and Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (until 24 August), Ōtepoti Dunedin (until 31 August), Ahuriri Napier, Ngāmotu New Plymouth, Tauranga-moana Tauranga and Whakaoriori Masterton (until 7 September), and Kirikiriroa Hamilton and Whakatū Nelson (until 10 September).
Wherever you may be, there’s plenty to recommend from this year’s selections. Read on for Flicks’ top 20 faves of the fest, as selected by Rachel Ashby, Matthew Crawley, Adam Fresco, Liam Maguren, Katie Parker, Daniel Rutledge, Sarah Thomson and yours truly, Steve Newall.
Quotes in this countdown are taken from our mighty selection of minis, our contribs’ snapshot reactions to their experiences with the 2025 programme.
Latest NZIFF minis | Minis A – M | Minis N – Z
20. Happyend
A group of young people find themselves encouraged into rebellion and activism by authority figures big and small in near-future Tokyo. Their school becomes a setting for electronic surveillance systems, the earthquake-prone nature of their country fuels a power grab by its Prime Minister.
“A coming-of-age tale reminiscent of 60s counterculture cinema,” said Steve Newall. “The surveillance tools and dance music may be new, but the story of students discovering themselves through protests small and larger in scale against authoritarian overreach is a classic setup.”
19. TOITŪ Visual Sovereignty
Director Chelsea Winstanley captures a compelling microcosm of contemporary colonialism at work as they document the process of curating an acclaimed collection of modern Māori art.
“Seemingly in praise of what Māori artists are expressing while being oblivious to the irony of their actions, the institutional force in question really shows themself up in Zoom hui—some of which feel almost scripted for a cringe sitcom like The Office,” says Liam Maguren.
18. Hard Boiled
John Woo’s 1992 Hong Kong action classic made a welcome return to the big screen as part of NZIFF this year—Chow Yun-fat and Tony Leung starring in a cop versus gangster tale full of incredible action set pieces.
“Staged and shot with deliciously over-the-top panache, it’s a violent bullet ballet of dazzlingly choreographed mayhem in which moments of incredulity are tempered by hilarious sight gags—from a peeing infant extinguishing our hero on fire, to slow-mo explosions, gravity-defying feats of physical prowess, and enough bullets to make Michael Bay blush,” says Adam Fresco.
17. Resurrection
Bi Gan returned to NZIFF after wowing us with 2018’s Long Day’s Journey into Night, serving up something even more audacious (and that’s saying something) with this love letter to cinema history.
‘I understood maybe 70% of what was going on here but was 100% immersed throughout Bi Gan’s colossal, kaleidoscopic anthology epic—a perfect ratio for a film wanting to relay the world of dreams. Woozily paced and sumptuously shot with a muscular production that mightily lifts its love for cinema history, this is an easy highlight of my festival,” enthuses Liam Maguren.
16. Twinless
At a support group for grieving siblings who’ve lost their twin (pretty niche), Roman (Dylan O’Brien) bonds with Dennis (James Sweeney, also the film’s writer-director)—but there’s more bubbling under the surface than much-needed emotional support…
“Narratively inventive with proper dramatic heft that fuels the abundance of cringe comedy, this would pair nicely with Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship for anyone daring a double feature on destructive clinginess,” says Liam Maguren.
15. The Shrouds
David Cronenberg’s latest proved somewhat polarising, a meditation on grief and mortality that challenged audiences perhaps less with its subject matter than its stylistic choices.
“Sexy, sad and so funny, those willing to meet Cronenberg halfway will be rewarded with something special,” wrote Katie Parker, while acknowledging it features “the kind of deliberately stilted performances and vague plot that will inevitably be interpreted by some audiences as ‘bad’.”
Enter dissenter Matthew Crawley, who picks up that thread: “Weirdly, it seems there was a printing error in the festival programme, because David Cronenberg’s latest outing was almost certainly written, directed, produced by, and starring Tommy Wiseau.”
14. Ebony & Ivory
Legally acceptable versions (ie never outright named) of musical icons Sir Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder embark on an absurd voyage of self-discovery in this (very, very, very, very, very comically repetitive) outing from The Greasy Strangler director Jim Hosking.
“OK, you’re either going to be on the wavelength of this absurd-as-absurd-can-be comedy or you really, really will not (I loved every second of it),” says Steve Newall: “Great performances, incredible art department and excellently incongruous score”.
13. The Mastermind
Beloved filmmaker Kelly Reichardt serves up a tale of art crime and domestic tension in this ’70s-set slow-burner starring a fellow familiar festival face in Josh O’Connor.
“He plays the infuriatingly selfish art crim at the centre of Kelly Reichardt’s latest feature with a kind of dirtbag charm and innate hopelessness,” says Rachel Ashby: “He’s every guy you fancied at art school, but worse.”
12. Life in One Chord
Shayne Carter is an Aotearoa legend. A Māori-Pākehā punk with a unique perspective on the Dunedin Sound, this doco (drawing extensively on Carter’s memoir) charts his life as a perpetual outsider—and life in music through Bored Games, DoubleHappys, Straitjacket Fits, Dimmer and beyond.
“A great companion piece to his written work, there’s pleasure to be had in hearing him reminisce and crack jokes, even if his prose proved more meticulously crafted,” said Steve Newall.
11. Misericordia
Stranger by the Lake director Alain Guiraudie gets back into sexy thriller territory here (don’t worry if you’re squeamish—no unsimulated sex this time), patiently unfurling its narrative as a young man returns to a sleepy French village and stirs feelings, both good and bad.
“Sure, the pallid weirdo at the centre of the story seems to have no clear motivation for being such a leech, but who cares about that when you’ve got porcini mushrooms to pick and horny, lonely villagers to have dinner with?” pondered Matthew Crawley.
10. Harvest
A small village in Scotland during the Middle Ages is the setting for this pic that captures the struggles of everyday life, including how people tend to turn on one another, as a trio of outsiders arrive and are quickly blamed for recent events…
“Both grubbily authentic and trippily hallucinogenic in its own ways, Harvest paints a dim picture of humanity, detours into witchcraft, torture and class disparities of the past all carrying echoes of our present,” said Steve Newall: “Survive all that, and it’s mesmerising.”
9. Lurker
Superior psychological thriller sees a young man inveigle his way into the orbit of a pop star, going to increasingly desperate lengths to stay in the inner circle of this low-to-medium-level, yet plausibly somewhat successful talent.
“Had fun imagining Abel Tesfaye watching this movie and realising how a proper film tackles the vanity and insecurity of modern fame while he cried into a massive box of unsellable Hurry Up Tomorrow Blu-rays”, wrote an amused Liam Maguren.
8. Bring Them Down
Fest regulars Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan are on opposite sides of the farmyard fence in this neighbours-at-war pic that starts with the death of two rams, and then escalates wildly from there.
“Characters fume and feud with fierce intensity in a dark and gripping thriller,” wrote Adam Fresco. “A feel-bad drama that delivers in terms of brooding atmosphere, growing tension, and inevitable violence.”
7. Pavements
Director Alex Ross Perry takes an unconventional approach to bringing indie icons Pavement to the big screen, blending documentary, biopic, musical, fact and fiction as he sets out to capture the essence of the sarcastic slacker stars.
“A traditional doco could never capture the ethos, impact, or personalities of iconic ’90s band Pavement”, said Steve Newall, who called the film “Equal parts funny, nostalgic, celebratory, and self-deprecating—as it should be.”
6. Predators
The notorious American ‘reality’ show To Catch a Predator did, as its title implies, much more than observe, and this documentary digs into the ethics and actions of this hit show, one that made bank off the back of society’s fears and staged ‘gotcha!’ moments.
“Begins as a clear-eyed exploration of the notorious American television phenomenon, academically dissecting the horrific spectacle of justice as entertainment and interviewing many of those involved, says Daniel Rutledge: “But it evolves unexpectedly into something deeper, something more personal and more provocative.”
5. Sorry, Baby
Writer-director-star Eva Victor explores how a woman is challenged by an abuse-of-power sexual assault, one that she manages through hidden coping mechanisms even as she outwardly flourishes in her career.
“Though I found it all a little bit too girl-who’s-going-to-be-ok-meme-esque at times, and not nearly as uproariously funny as some audiences, I appreciated Sorry, Baby’s hopeful and heartfelt approach and refusal to sensationalise its subject matter,” wrote Katie Parker.
4. Eddington
As COVID arrives in a small New Mexico town, its residents are glued to their phones and stuck in their own bubbles of belief. It’s against this backdrop that a feud between Joaquin Phoenix’s sheriff and Pedro Pascal’s mayor escalates, and Ari Aster again looks to literalise our fears.
“No viewpoint is spared being depicted as siloed here, and as this thing takes flight, the ways it departs from observable reality somehow capture something that resonates as even more real,” Steve Newall writes.
3. It Was Just an Accident
NZIFF’s opening night selection—also this year’s Palme d’Or winner—kicked off the fest with a hiss and a roar, Jafar Panahi’s story of a chance encounter that brings a group of present-day Iranians into contact with their state-sanctioned tormentor (…or is he?)
“Equal parts tragedy and farce, Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winning story of revenge and justice in the face of political oppression by the Iranian regime is a surprisingly comedic, crowd-pleasing affair,” wrote Katie Parker: “The final 20 or so minutes, in which this levity gives way to the dread and horror that has been bubbling beneath are not so much a bait and switch as the revelation of something that was hiding in plain sight all along.”
2. Sirât
Opening on a beautifully shot desert rave with a lovingly crafted audio mix to match, Sirât becomes a gripping journey across Morocco’s desert and mountains, places of transcendence and trauma as its best-left-unspoiled narrative unfurls.
“The first HOLY SHIT film of the festival for me,” enthused Matthew Crawley; “An uncompromising barrage of an experience,” wrote Liam Maguren; and “Seen as big and loud as possible, it stuns eyes, rattles ears and shakes nerves,” said Steve Newall: “Superb.”
1. The Weed Eaters
Sure, stoner-comedy-horror The Weed Eaters is a locally-made underdog, the sort of film we were predisposed to be on the side of from its opening moments. Here’s the thing, though—it’s also good. Fucking good. This isn’t at #1 because we give films from Aotearoa some kind of a pass (boy oh boy, do we not). Nor are we reflecting on this pic’s ridiculously minimal budget.
Naaaah, this topped our writers’ poll because we had such a great night at its world premiere, the first sighting of a film that nails its genre elements and announces a bunch of new talents (if you weren’t already paying attention, that is—look, that’s fine, too). Cannibal weed, killings, Kiwi-ness over kiwiana, comedy, and a ruthlessly economical cut. This rulz.
Here’s my mini after seeing the world premiere:
Loved it, loved it, loved it. I went into The Weed Eaters hoping for early-era Peter Jackson resource-stretching, dryballs Aotearoa humour and genre gross-out appreciation, and while it’s not as excessively gory as PJ, the pic paid off in spades. Punchy pacing and a tight edit (just 80 minutes—perfect!) help this debut feature avoid overreach, while it authentically incorporates genre elements (horror, stoner movie) that we’ve seen go wrong too many times in other, pandering films that don’t understand the terrain. Great to see a fresh crop of Aotearoa personalities conveyed on screen, from hapless dudes portrayed in a less cringily self-aware manner than their Conchords/Waititi screen predecessors to the strong female leads (special mention to Annabel Kean’s balancing act between lackadaisical stonerisms and simmering menace).
