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Whale Rider

Play trailer Poster for Whale Rider PG-13 2003 1h 41m Kids & Family Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 156 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Only males are allowed to ascend to chiefdom in a Maori tribe in New Zealand. This ancient custom is upset when the child selected to be the next chief dies at birth. However his twin sister, Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), survives. At age 12, she enlists the help of her grandmother (Vicky Haughton) and the training of her uncle (Grant Roa) to claim her birthright. But to break with convention, she'll have to do the impossible: win over her ultra-traditional grandfather (Rawiri Paratene).
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Whale Rider

Whale Rider

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Critics Consensus

An empowering and uplifting movie, with a wonderful performance by Castle-Hughes.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media Excellent to watch and discuss as a family. Rated: 4/5 Dec 29, 2010 Full Review Dennis Harvey Variety Newcomer Castle-Hughes' unaffected, confident turn makes it credible our heroine might retain her determination and self-worth despite serial setbacks. Jul 22, 2008 Full Review David Ansen Newsweek The filmmaker knows how to seduce an audience without making it feel had. When a movie's this likable, it would take a very tough crowd not to be pleased. Nov 1, 2007 Full Review Nadine Whitney The Curb Few coming-of-age stories blend so seamlessly indigenous identity through spiritual belief and balance the reality of a world where such belief has been devalued. Rated: A Jun 28, 2024 Full Review Joe Lipsett Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast A fairly standard coming of age tale that features a solid performance from Castle-Hughes. Despite being a nearly 1-to-1 adaptation, however, the film is missing the spirit (and spiritualism) of the source material. Mar 12, 2024 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Keisha Castle-Hughes deservedly earned a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her startling film debut. Rated: 3/4 Oct 30, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Pepi A One of the best movies I've ever seen. Saw it more than once in the theater when it came out. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/29/25 Full Review Curt B Incredible story against the backdrop of Maori culture. An incredibly moving film that speaks on multiple levels. The story is wonderful and the movie oozes authenticity. Puts Hollywood movies to shame with a genuine, heartfelt film. May not resonate with everyone, but for me it was amazing. I finished it an hour ago and still caught by random sobs. Excellent Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/12/25 Full Review Audience Member Not understanding Maori culture, it leaves me lost about what's going on plus it fails to capture my interest. NO Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/26/24 Full Review Leti A I found it boring and extremely tedious. The characters weren’t at all relatable and there was basically no plot. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/27/24 Full Review Connor S Truly effective movies often show you a side of the world you had no idea existed and make you feel like it's been a part of you your entire life. This checks that box emphatically. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/05/24 Full Review Honest D One of the greatest movies of all time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/31/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Whale Rider

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Cast & Crew

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Niki Caro

Director

Keisha Castle-Hughes

Paikea "Pai" Apirana

Rawiri Paratene

Koro Apirana

Vicky Haughton

Nanny Flowers Apirana

Cliff Curtis

Porourangi Apirana

Grant Roa

Uncle Rawiri Apirana

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Whale Rider

A scene from Niki Caro's WHALE RIDER. Rawiri Paratene as "Koro" Keisha Castle-Hughes as "Paikea" in Niki Caro's WHALE RIDER. Keisha Castle-Hughes as "Paikea" in Niki Caro's WHALE RIDER. Cliff Curtis as "Porourangi" in Niki Caro's WHALE RIDER . WHALE RIDER director Niki Caro. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Only males are allowed to ascend to chiefdom in a Maori tribe in New Zealand. This ancient custom is upset when the child selected to be the next chief dies at birth. However his twin sister, Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), survives. At age 12, she enlists the help of her grandmother (Vicky Haughton) and the training of her uncle (Grant Roa) to claim her birthright. But to break with convention, she'll have to do the impossible: win over her ultra-traditional grandfather (Rawiri Paratene).
Director
Niki Caro
Producer
John Barnett, Frank Hübner, Tim Sanders
Distributor
Newmarket Film Group
Production Co
Pandora, South Pacific Pictures, ApolloMedia
Rating
PG-13 (Momentary Drug Reference|Brief Language)
Genre
Kids & Family, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 6, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 31, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$20.8M
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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