Out of the Blue

Released Oct 19, 2007

1h 42m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

84%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A middle-aged loner becomes the perpetrator of New Zealand's largest mass murder when an argument between neighbors ends in a shooting. After killing his neighbor, David Gray (Matthew Sunderland) sets fire to the man's house with children inside, then shoots anyone else who wanders into range. Authorities are helpless to rescue the victims, and a long night begins as townspeople huddle in their homes as Gray rages on outside.

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Critics Consensus

A dramatization of real-life terror that's rendered all the more powerful through its sensitivity, Out of the Blue succeeds as a gripping drama as well as a moving commemoration.

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Laurie S

What I found frustrating was the idiot police had many chances to take out the vermin creature but failed. Why didn't they pull their triggers? Had they done so it would have saved more lives. The moral of the story is don't trust the New Zealand police to save you in a shoot out situation.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/30/23

Full Review

Critquerama a

I went to see this having read a couple of books on the subject several years ago, including the one on which the film is based. Wasn't sure what to expect as there's been a lot of hype & media publicity surrounding this film. I must say I certainly wasn't disappointed. This is an excellent film. I haven't seen director Sarkies' other film Scarfies but I was impressed with this. No doubt he's headed for bigger things if this film is any indication. Take a bow Mr Sarkies, you've already got the NZ Film Awards sewn up. This is the kind of film you don't see too often, shocking and extremely tense, but without relying on the graphic violence and bloodspatter far too prevalent in mainstream films these days. Add to that this is a true story and there's plenty of attention to detail. A few other 'bigger' directors could take note from this that the audience aren't all idiots. They can figure out what's happening without squibs going off left, right and centre and spent cartridges ejecting from the chamber in slow motion. As the cinema sat in silence, I swear I could hear my own heart pounding at times as my blood pressure went through the roof. A great movie going experience not felt too often. I wasn't sure if If I was watching a reenactment or remastered old news footage as the specialist Police moved in on the town. It looked very authentic. In spite of his dastardly deeds, one couldn't help but feel a tad of sympathy for the bad guy who is portrayed as a sad, lonely dysfunctional person who's mental health gradually deteriorates. More good work by the director and certainly different from the norm. It wasn't perfect though, the pacing of the film seemed a bit out of kilter in a few places, while I thought some of the acting in the film was brilliant at times, but not quite so at others. The up close gun fire as well probably fell a little bit short in the decibel department and could possibly use a touch up. That aside, on a global scale it's a small budget film so any shortcomings are excused. Given the subject matter, I don't think I could call this entertaining, but it sure is an experience & somewhat unforgettable, enough to make a grown man cry. In short, see this film!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Would not consider David Gray middle aged at 33. This movie was excellent. I loved the way the director told the story of the residents of Aramoana and how they coped with a massacre in their small community. It looks at how they community worked together to help each other. Unlike many other true disaster movies it does not have it's focus taken away from the true events by focusing only on the killer or like Titanic having a romance in it will detracts from the real story. This story is hard to watch because it makes you feel like you are witnessing the events for real. Highly recommended because it makes us think about these events and how we can care about those in our community

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

jeff h

Wow, it packed a punch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A shining example of New Zealand film, Out of the Blue recounts the mass murder of 13 people in Aramoana, near Dunedin, in 1990. The peaceful, isolated town is beautifully shot, making the ensuing deaths even more horrifying. But these are shot in an almost documentary way, without gratuitous violence - the real attention is on the people and the impact of a terrifyingly tense several hours, not knowing where murderer David Gray was. Amazing.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

So well acted and well directed. This was a great film. Urban was excellant. Its a tragic story well filmed

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

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Robert Sarkies

Director

Karl Urban

Nick Harvey

Matthew Sunderland

David Gray

Lois Lawn

Helen

Simon Ferry

Garry Holden

Tandi Wright

Julie-Anne Bryson

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Cath Clarke

Guardian

A claustrophobic dramatic reconstruction of a 22-hour shooting spree in the sleepy coastal town of Aramoana, New Zealand, that left 13 people dead.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

David Fear

Time Out

The usual dramatic affectations applied to such true-life material are largely absent; instead, Sarkies focuses on various quotidian elements that take on weight as the inevitable draws closer.

Rated: 4/6

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Tom Dawson

BBC.com

Scrupulously avoiding sensationalism, the film concentrates much less on the killer, than on the other locals engulfed in the tragedy.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 14, 2008

Full Review

Matthew Turner

ViewLondon

Brilliantly directed, thoroughly gripping thriller that is both deeply moving and genuinely terrifying -- this is one of the best films of the year.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

This is not a feel-good movie by any stretch, but it gets amazing marks on almost every front and really needs to be seen.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jun 24, 2008

Full Review

Daily Mirror (UK)

Harrowing and heartbreaking, this is the film of the week by many a mile. Despite playing in just a handful of cinemas, I urge you to track it down.

Rated: 5/5

Mar 14, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

A middle-aged loner becomes the perpetrator of New Zealand's largest mass murder when an argument between neighbors ends in a shooting. After killing his neighbor, David Gray (Matthew Sunderland) sets fire to the man's house with children inside, then shoots anyone else who wanders into range. Authorities are helpless to rescue the victims, and a long night begins as townspeople huddle in their homes as Gray rages on outside.

Director: Robert Sarkies
Screenwriter: Robert Sarkies, Graeme Tetley
Distributor: IFC First Take
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 19, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 28, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $728
Runtime: 1h 42m

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