Pike River

Play trailer

2:17

Pike River

Jan 2026

2h 11m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

17 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

On 19th November 2010, the Pike River coal mine exploded, killing 29 men in one the worst mining disasters in New Zealand's history. Anna Osborne (Lynskey) lost her husband Milton and Sonya Rockhouse (Malcolm) lost her son Ben. As the shattered families of the Pike 29 start to suspect official sources are lying to them and that no one will be held accountable for these deaths, Anna and Sonya embark on a desperate search for truth and justice, leading to change they never thought possible.

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

May 13

4/5

Samuels’ script covers all these advances and reversals with the accuracy and thoroughness of a meticulously constructed documentary without making you feel as if you’re being swamped with unnecessary details. The momentum never slows.

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Cortlyn Kelly

RogerEbert.com

Jan 30

3/4

The magnetic chemistry between Lynskey and Malcom, complemented by the lived-in, authentic costuming and production design bolster the movie overall.

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Cath Clarke

Guardian

Jan 27

3/5

The story is told with restraint, in meticulous detail -- possibly too much detail -- without any Erin Brockovich-type feelgood emotion, never losing sight of the heartbreak and devastation.

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Cris Kennedy

Inner East Review

May 18

5/5

With so many characters and history to sift through, Samuel uses an economy of words across endless town hall meetings and often director Robert Sarkies lets his camera focus on Lynskey and Malcolm to do the storytelling.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Mar 7

Based on true events, Pike River can get a little hokey, and the pacing is sometimes sluggish. However, this drama about the legal battle over New Zealand's 2010 Pike River Mine explosion has meaningful performances and empowering messages.

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Anne Brodie

What She Said

Feb 13

3/4

A horrific case of negligence and endless coverups that cost 29 lives and devastated hundreds.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Apr 7

Success in 2 hours and 11 minutes.

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Lucienne J.

@lucienne372 Feb 3

I really really liked it

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Robert Sarkies

Director

Melanie Lynskey

Anna Osborne

Robyn Malcolm

Sonya Rockhouse

Lucy Lawless

Helen Kelly

Fiona Samuel

Screenwriter

Vicky Pope

Producer

Pike River: Exclusive Movie Clip - Getting a Lawyer

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Pike River: Trailer 1

2:17

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Synopsis

On 19th November 2010, the Pike River coal mine exploded, killing 29 men in one the worst mining disasters in New Zealand's history. Anna Osborne (Lynskey) lost her husband Milton and Sonya Rockhouse (Malcolm) lost her son Ben. As the shattered families of the Pike 29 start to suspect official sources are lying to them and that no one will be held accountable for these deaths, Anna and Sonya embark on a desperate search for truth and justice, leading to change they never thought possible.

Director: Robert Sarkies
Producer: Vicky Pope, Timothy White
Screenwriter: Fiona Samuel
Distributor: Brainstorm Media
Production Co: Pop FIlm, Southern Light Films
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 30, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 30, 2026
Runtime: 2h 11m