TL;DR – An emotional roller coaster that can have you laughing, crying, and uplifting all in the space of 30 seconds.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to see this film

The Mountain Review –

After a long and challenging week, I thought I would stop in at the movies on the way home from work on a Friday afternoon. I had a number of options, but then I noticed what looked like a fun kids flick out of New Zealand and thought that would be the perfect way to round out the week. I mean, it was, but it was also emotionally devastating on multiple occasions. While also being a delight at every turn. Well, let’s dive in and unpack Rachael House’s directing debut.

So, to set the scene, we open in a hospital as Sam (Elizabeth Atkinson) prepares a sneaky escape with the help of her friend Peachy (Sukena Shah). There is one thing that she wants to do in her life, and that is climb Mount Taranaki. On her way, she runs into Mallory Potts (Reuben Francis), a boy who has just moved to the area with their father Hugh (Bryan Coll), and Bronco (Terence Daniel), who is struggling with relating with his father Tux (Troy Kingi). Together, they decide to climb the mountain, no matter the obstacles in their way.

To start with, I want to give a shout-out to our three leads because they are simply amazing. The emotional places they are being asked to reach would be difficult for seasoned actors, and they are all only around ten years old. Most of the film is just them, and there is nowhere to hide, yet they bring it in every scene. They walk this fine line between bringing maturity far beyond their years while still being clearly kids. I have yet to see a film that genuinely nails that balance before now. If they want to continue acting, I hope they have magnificent careers ahead of them because what a first entry to start on.  

 What I really liked about this film was the intentionality in every moment. Sometimes, it is the small things, like how Sam holds her stick oh and the best name for a stick I have ever heard, to the way that they use subtitles in the film. Then it is the big picture things, like how they are always trying to find interesting ways to frame their scenes. Have a field full of bailed hay. Sure, you could just walk through it, but is that the interesting option? The film always goes for the interesting option. We also see it in the musical score, which uses a more funky jazz styling that perfectly captures the emotional ebbs and flows of the film. Oh, and I can’t tell you what was better, their rendition of Sound of da Police or the Mallory Potts song.

On that note, we need to talk about the emotion. Why? You may ask. Well … I ugly cried during this film on multiple occasions. I don’t mean just audibly weeping. I mean full-on snot-nosed, hard to see from tears, laminating why I don’t have tissues in my bag when I have everything else under the sun, ugly crying. I think the last film that even got close to this was Babyteeth, but even that didn’t quite have the emotional whiplash that makes you laugh through the tears quite like this. Sometimes, it was the big moments that broke me, but in others, it was the smaller touches, like a father trying to follow his late wife’s wish to move on but still wearing his wedding ring.    

The thing that sets The Mountain out for me is the respect that it has for everyone in the film. The kids are not just played for jokes; they have complete agency in the film, even when they make mistakes. Each of them has valid reasons for being up that mountain, and while the film is comedic at times, they are never played as jokes at their expense. While the parents are a little more tightly constructed, you understand entirely everyone of their fears and emotions. They respect the land they are walking on and the history that has helped define it.    

In the end, do we recommend Te Maunga? Absolutely. There are moments of laughter, moments of wonder, moments of sadness, and moments that uplifted my soul. I have not had a film affect me emotionally like this in an age, and it was wonderous to be moved like that. If you liked The Mountain, we would recommend to you Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you watched The Mountain?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 


Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Mountain
Directed by – Rachel House
Screenplay by – Rachel House & Tom Furniss
Story by – Tom Furniss
Music by – Troy Kingi & Arli Liberman
Cinematography by – Matt Henley
Edited by – Cushla Dillon & Carly Turner
Production/Distribution Companies – Sandy Lane Productions, New Zealand Film Commission, Piki Films & Madman Entertainment
Starring – Elizabeth Atkinson, Reuben Francis & Terence Daniel with Troy Kingi, Bryan Coll, Fern Sutherland & Sukena Shah
Rating – Australia: PG; New Zealand: PG;