Mārama

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2:07

Mārama

Apr 2026

1h 29m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

1859, North Yorkshire. When young Māori woman Mary arrives from New Zealand, she's trapped as governess to a wealthy whaler's granddaughter. Living among her ancestors' stolen artifacts, she uncovers Sir Cole's horrific crimes. Embracing her Matakite powers, Mary becomes Mārama and must save Anne and avenge her family by destroying him.

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Critics Consensus

Thoughtfully informed by Māori culture and the legacy of colonialism, Mārama is an unsettling gothic horror told with invigorating flair.

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Alison Foreman

IndieWire

May 18

A-

Mārama bears a striking clarity of purpose -- suggesting the horror genre still possesses the ability to turn even a long-ago moment of righteous fury into communal confrontation and spiritual release.

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Valerie Complex

The Nerds of Color

May 5

What Stoppard does beautifully is inject bits of cultural lore across the visual landscape of the film.

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

Apr 30

3/5

What makes Mārama intriguing is that this becomes the background for a story of cultural revenge, even if the conventions of the genre often threaten to engulf those more subtle aspects,

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Fletcher Powell

KMUW - Wichita Public Radio

Jul 20

Even if nothing’s really changed on a societal level by the end, we do at least get to see some evil guys suffer.

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Michael Talbot-Haynes

Film Threat

Jul 8

10/10

With Marama, Stappard shows the inhuman depths that colonization can plunge to

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C.H. Newell

Father Son Holy Gore

Jul 8

4.5/5

Mārama is exceptionally terrifying and painful due to a focus on the brutal, generational effects of British colonisation on the Māori.

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Rett

May 6

The cinematography is beautiful

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Uriah Wesman

Apr 21

Outstanding Gothic Horror. With some brilliant shots. Highly recommend

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jose c

Apr 18

We loved the story. It was tragic and haunting. A great gothic horror to add to the collection.

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Farah R.

@Farah Jun 24

Although I was captivated by the exquisite cinematography and production design, my mind kept wandering as the movie is so slow. There’s no denying that Mārama is a beautifully-shot gothic horror film, but the dull pace makes it difficult to enjoy.

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nilufer E

@Nilicim Jun 14

A beautiful snooze fest. While the gothic atmosphere is beautifully dark and tense, Mārama suffers from an incredibly boring, painfully slow plot where absolutely nothing happens. It completely prioritizes visual mood over actual storytelling, leaving you frustrated and bored rather than scared.

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MBI M

@MNZGamerX Jun 12

Not much of a horror movie and not much of a telling of Māori history but in an attempt to do both becomes a feminist revenge story which is now a tiresome film genre done to death ...

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Taratoa Stappard

Director

Ariāna Osborne

Mary

Toby Stephens

Nathaniel Cole

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Mārama: Trailer 1

2:07

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Synopsis

1859, North Yorkshire. When young Māori woman Mary arrives from New Zealand, she's trapped as governess to a wealthy whaler's granddaughter. Living among her ancestors' stolen artifacts, she uncovers Sir Cole's horrific crimes. Embracing her Matakite powers, Mary becomes Mārama and must save Anne and avenge her family by destroying him.

Director: Taratoa Stappard
Producer: Sharlene George, RickyLee Waipuka-Russell, Rouzie Hassanova, Paraone Gloyne
Screenwriter: Taratoa Stappard
Distributor: Dark Sky Films / Watermelon Pictures
Production Co: MPI Media Group, Sweetshop Entertainment, Vendetta Films
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 17, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 29m