Once Were Warriors
1994 · 99 min · Director: Lee Tamahori
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Set in urban Auckland (New Zealand) this movie tells the story of the Heke family. Jake Heke is a violent man who beats his wife frequently when drunk, and yet obviously loves both her and his family. The movie follows a period of several weeks in the family's life showing Jake's frequent outburst of violence and the effect that this has on his family. The youngest son is in trouble with the police and may be put into a foster home while the elder son is about to join a street gang. Jake's daughter has her own serious problems which are a key element in the plot.
Emotional fingerprint
Once Were Warriors (1994) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Sadness 35%, Empathy 25%, Anger 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Sadness35%
- Empathy25%
- Anger20%
- Hope10%
- Disturbing10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Sadness, Empathy, Anger. Genres: Drama, Crime. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Sadness, Empathy and Anger. Its IMDb rating of 7.9/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 75/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Sadness
- Empathy
- Disturbing
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Disturbing
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Hope
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Sadness | Empathy | Disturbing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | 33 % | 7 % | 13 % | 4 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Tension | 39 % | 15 % | 25 % | 11 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Tension | 43 % | 17 % | 29 % | 19 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 17′ | Tension | 43 % | 14 % | 25 % | 23 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 22′ | Tension | 55 % | 28 % | 41 % | 38 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 27′ | Disturbing | 73 % | 50 % | 64 % | 57 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Empathy | 74 % | 57 % | 68 % | 56 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 37′ | Sadness | 70 % | 59 % | 66 % | 50 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 42′ | Empathy | 64 % | 50 % | 60 % | 41 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 47′ | Hope | 54 % | 34 % | 48 % | 26 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 52′ | Hope | 54 % | 36 % | 49 % | 21 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 57′ | Sadness | 69 % | 56 % | 66 % | 43 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 62′ | Disturbing | 87 % | 74 % | 83 % | 72 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 67′ | Sadness | 92 % | 85 % | 89 % | 79 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 72′ | Sadness | 94 % | 92 % | 90 % | 77 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 77′ | Sadness | 95 % | 93 % | 91 % | 63 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 82′ | Sadness | 89 % | 85 % | 87 % | 37 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 87′ | Empathy | 84 % | 74 % | 81 % | 36 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 92′ | Tension | 87 % | 65 % | 79 % | 59 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 97′ | Hope | 88 % | 55 % | 75 % | 65 % |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Nig Heke
Mark 'Boogie' Heke
Polly Heke
Huata Heke
Bennett
Mavis
Toot
Taka
King Hitter
Policeman
Jake's Mate (as Donald Allen)
Details
- Directed by
- Lee Tamahori
- Written by
- Riwia Brown, Alan Duff
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1994
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Country
- New Zealand
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Sadness
- Data updated
Where to watch
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