Out of the Blue

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Alain E Very well done movie about the New Zealand mass shooting that prompted severe restrictions in gun ownership. Of course in the US of A we are following the opposite policy. The beginning, before the tragedy unfolds, is essentially boring, like real life. Once the lunatic starts shooting the tension is 100%. It’s not because there are bullets nonstop, but one doesn’t know what his next action will be. Acting is very good, especially from the old lady who in real life received an award from Queen Elizabeth. There is nice contrast with images of the very beautiful seashore close to the town of Aramoana. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/07/25 Full Review 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 3/5 Stars •  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 4/5 Stars •  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 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review jeff h Wow, it packed a punch. Rated 5/5 Stars •  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 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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