Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Savage

Play trailer 1:52 Poster for Savage 2019 1h 40m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
75% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Inspired by the true stories of New Zealand's street gangs across 30 years, SAVAGE follows DANNY at three defining moments in his life as he grows from a boy into the violent enforcer of a gang.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Savage

Savage

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Savage lives up to its title with plenty of grim violence -- but dispenses its brutality in service of a well-acted and solidly effective character study.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Tara Brady Irish Times 01/22/2021
3/5
The triptych structure is a little fiddly, but Savage is never less than powerful. Go to Full Review
Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald 10/08/2020
3.5/5
The details of gang life are fascinating. The casting is superb: hundreds of rough-heads assembled from across New Zealand. These mean-looking buggers provide a terrifying backdrop for the power struggle. Go to Full Review
Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 09/12/2020
3/5
The debutant director Sam Kelly creates a credibly hard-hitting if depressingly repetitive (fackin, fackin, fackin, fackin) milieu, with shades of Lee Tamahori's classic New Zealand drama Once Were Warriors. Go to Full Review
Carey-Ann Pawsey Orca Sound 02/12/2021
3/5
While there is plenty of violence and other things you would expect from a gang flick there is also a "softer" side here. That gives the film a realistic feel to it. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 02/04/2021
B-
There's nothing novel about this gang movie, but in its rawness it gets the brutality right and makes for a gritty watch. Go to Full Review
Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue 01/30/2021
... lacks broader insight and ultimately fails to generate sympathy for Danny as he seeks redemption. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Tyrin H Jul 21 A raw, unforgettable portrayal of a hard man unravelled by humanity. Savage is a raw and powerful film that explores how trauma, abandonment, and the search for belonging can shape a man into something unrecognisable. Jake Ryan gives a phenomenal performance as Damage, a gang enforcer whose hard exterior slowly unravels as he confronts the pain of his past. The film doesn’t glorify violence — it shows the human cost of it. Through gritty visuals, flashbacks, and subtle character shifts, Savage tells a deeply emotional story of a man built by brutality who begins to question the world he’s created. It’s one of the most honest and affecting New Zealand films I’ve seen See more Troy V Jun 30 Must see! Gritty, dark, and compelling performances. Watch it See more Jonty R 11/08/2023 Savage is an incredibly well done story about the lives of New Zealand gangs, told with great directing and cinematography skills, bold and fresh storytelling and gritty violence. The story follows the themes of love, home, family and redemption, and clearly shows how an innocent child can become a hardened gang enforcer. Director and writer Sam Kelly, spent lots of time with real life gangsters to make sure he told an accurate story and you can see it in the end result. The actors (most of them first timers) do an excellent job in portraying Bikie life, with Jake Ryan and John Tui delivering very emotional performances. Overall a must watch classic, which I'd recommend to all film goers and inspiring filmmakers, like myself. See more gareth d 12/28/2022 It's not good, it's not terrible - somewhere in between it meanders along with Danny the Damage and his hammer. See more 07/07/2021 New Zealand gang film. Less full-on than I expected, and doesn't have the same psychological impact as Once Were Warriors. The script is light on character development, and could have delved deeper into the cultural context of the gangs. See more 06/12/2021 This movie could be hard to watch if you are not familiar with our gang culture or New Zealand. At bit like Once were warriors (Very NZ focused). I feel this is a real deep look into the gang culture and some of the obstacles some of our people experience. An eye opener. I highly recommend watching this movie, but come in with a open mind. See more Read all reviews
Savage

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Dress Code % % Dress Code Watchlist TRAILER for Dress Code The Only Life I Know % % The Only Life I Know Watchlist Outlaws 37% 44% Outlaws Watchlist TRAILER for Outlaws The Many Saints of Newark 72% 59% The Many Saints of Newark Watchlist TRAILER for The Many Saints of Newark Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Inspired by the true stories of New Zealand's street gangs across 30 years, SAVAGE follows DANNY at three defining moments in his life as he grows from a boy into the violent enforcer of a gang.
Director
Sam Kelly
Producer
Vicky Pope
Screenwriter
Sam Kelly
Production Co
Park Road Post Production, Avalon Studios, POP Films, New Zealand Film Commission
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 29, 2020
Runtime
1h 40m
Most Popular at Home Now