2021
ARRAY Releasing
1 h 38 m

2021
ARRAY Releasing
1 h 38 m

Summary Orphaned Mata believes she has no whānau (family) and lives out her lonely childhood in fear and bewilderment. Back home on the land in New Zealand, driven and educated Makareta flees an arranged marriage to study law and begin the search for her missing cousin. She leaves behind cheeky yet dutiful Missy who takes on her role of kaitiaki...

Drama

Directed By: Ainsley Gardiner, Briar Grace Smith

Written By: Patricia Grace, Briar Grace Smith

2021
ARRAY Releasing
1 h 38 m

2021
ARRAY Releasing
1 h 38 m

Cousins

Name: Cousins
Genre: Drama
Released: 2021-07-02
Duration: 1 min 38 s
Rating: 91
Cast: Rachel House, Chelsie Florence, Cohen Holloway, Miriama Smith, Ana Scotney

Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 6 Critic Reviews

User Score Available after 4 ratings

tbd

My Score

Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Drama

Directed By: Ainsley Gardiner, Briar Grace Smith

Written By: Patricia Grace, Briar Grace Smith

Where to Watch

Critic Reviews

View All

Metascore

Universal Acclaim Based on 6 Critic Reviews

100% Positive
6 Reviews

0% Mixed
0 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

View All

Metascore

Universal Acclaim Based on 6 Critic Reviews

100% Positive
6 Reviews

0% Mixed
0 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

100

Original-Cin

Jul 21, 2021

A poetic drama about the lives of three Maori girls from the 1950s to the 1980s, Cousins is a heart-breaker, tempered with hope.

By Liam Lacey FULL REVIEW

100

Movie Nation

Jul 13, 2021

What Smith and Gardiner have adapted is a rare and precious thing, a movie whose narrative momentum is carried by the simplest of longings — hope.

By Roger Moore FULL REVIEW

Wall Street Journal

Jul 29, 2021

What gives the film its distinction is the grace and intimacy with which it depicts the cousins’ girlhoods, and the quality of the performances—superb throughout, remarkably well-matched at every stage of each character’s life, and, in the case of a homeless wanderer who was once a lovely, ardent child, nothing less than extraordinary.

By Joe Morgenstern FULL REVIEW

The New York Times

Jul 1, 2021

Widespread racism, discriminatory laws and the Maori people’s centuries-long struggle for autonomy bracket the characters’ lives in Cousins. The film trembles with sound, color and feeling, deriving much of its power from an excellent ensemble cast (particularly Te Raukura Gray and Ana Scotney as the child and adult Mata).

By Devika Girish FULL REVIEW

The Film Stage

Jul 20, 2021

Since each one of these cousins has led such a distinct life from the others despite coming from the same place, everyone watching will be able to see a bit of themselves in one or more of them too. That’s why culturally relevant stories like Cousins are so crucial to understanding our world. They show us how alike we are no matter our religion, history, or skin color. To see their struggle is to sometimes know your role in its creation. To see their courage is to be inspired.

By Jared Mobarak FULL REVIEW

Screen Daily

Aug 6, 2021

Co-directors Ainsley Gardener and Briar Grace Smith tell a sprawling story of separation and disposession which feels both intimate in terms of its setting and epic in resonance.

By Fionnuala Halligan FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

View All

Production Company Miss Conception Films, NZ On Air, New Zealand Film Commission, Whenua Films

Release Date Jul 2, 2021

Duration 1 h 38 m

Genres

Drama

Tagline Three cousins. Three journeys. Woven together through time.

Website https://www.facebook.com/CousinsMovie

View All Details

Awards

Giffoni Film Festival

• 1 Nomination

Golden Rooster Awards

• 1 Nomination

Sichuan TV Festival

• 1 Nomination

Cousins

Where to Watch

Where to Watch

Top Cast

Rachel House

Missy

Chelsie Florence

Adult Jean

Cohen Holloway

Adult Bobby

Miriama Smith

Keita

Ana Scotney

Adult Mata

Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne

Adult Makareta

Cian Elyse White

Adult Gloria

Kirk Torrance

Oldest Sonny

Calvin Tuteao

Older Hamuera

Niwa Whatuira

Adult Sonny

Mihi Te Rauhi Daniels

Young Makareta

Kieran Charnock

Mike

Hariata Moriarty

Adult Missy

Jim Moriarty

Maori Caregiver

Vanessa Stacey

Doris

Erroll Anderson

Tipi

Briar Grace Smith

Older Makareta

Tanea Heke

Older Mata

Gentiane Lupi

Matron

Dra McKay

Greta

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

Details

Details

Awards

Awards

Related Movies

Dekalog (1988)

The Godfather

Tokyo Story

Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)

The Leopard (re-release)

The Conformist

Boyhood

Citizen Kane

Casablanca

Three Colors: Red

Notorious

Fanny and Alexander (re-release)

Touch of Evil

Army of Shadows

City Lights

Moonlight

Intolerance

The Rules of the Game

Seven Samurai

The Wild Bunch

Au hasard Balthazar

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Related News

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz