FIRST CHOICES

FIRST CHOICES
As of 23 November 2024

NEW ZEALAND FEATURE FILMS IMDB RATINGS LIST

The following is a list of New Zealand Feature film titles, found on VHS tape, DVD, Blu-ray or Streaming that are my recommendations for "must see" or "first choices". This is a subjective list and not meant to be any sort of authoritative compulation. Most NZ Film fans will have their favourites, and I do not mean to suggest that yours are not valid. These are some of mine, for my own reasons. However, a newcomer to New Zealand films should find some excellent entertainment from these films. They are alphabetically listed for convenience, and not meant to indicate any order of importance, nor do I mean to suggest that titles not included are unworthy of viewing. The "Top50" scoring is from a 2012 New Zealand Poll of about 1000 New Zealanders, including critics and industry workers. I might also add that the two top New Zealand video stores, Aro Video of Wellington and Alice in Videoland of Christchurch are mostly in agreement with this list.

NOTE: Link to "Sneak Peek Trailers - New NZ Films soon to be on DVD.

25 April - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2015 - IMDB 7.1

An Angel At My Table - NTSC/PAL VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1990 - IMDB 7.4 - Top50 #17

Bad Blood - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1982 - IMDB 6.5

Beyond Reasonable Doubt - PAL DVD/Streaming - 1980 - IMDB 6.4

Beyond the Edge - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2013 - IMDB 6.8 - FREE

Boy - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2010 - IMDB 7.5 - Top 50 #2

Braindead - aka: Dead Alive - NTSC/PAL VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1992 - IMDB 7.5 - Top50 #21

Bread and Roses - PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1993 - IMDB 7.4(?)

Came A Hot Friday - PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1984 - IMDB 6.4 - Top50 #16 - FREE

Cinema of Unease - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1995 - IMDB 7.3 - FREE

Cousins - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2021 - IMDB 6.9

Daffodils - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2019 - IMDB 5.8

Dark Horse, The - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2014 - IMDB 7.4 - FREE

Dean Spanley - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2008 - IMDB 7.2

Desperate Remedies - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1993 - IMDB 6.6 - Top50 #50

District 9 - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming/4K - 2009 - IMDB 7.9

Eagle vs Shark - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2007 - IMDB 6.7 - Top50 #20

End Of The Golden Weather, The - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1991 - IMDB 6.2 - FREE

Fantail - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2013 - IMDB 6.8

Footrot Flats - PAL VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1986 - IMDB 7.0 - Top50 #13

Forgotten Silver - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1995 - IMDB 7.4 - Top50 #40

Fracture - PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 2004 - IMDB 6.3 - FREE

Frighteners, The - NTSC/PAL VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/HD/Blu-ray/Streaming/4k - 1996 - IMDB 7.1 - Top50 #33 - FREE

Goodbye Pork Pie - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1980 - IMDB 6.8 - Top50 #4

Great Maiden's Blush, The - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2016 - IMDB 7.8(?)

Heavenly Creatures - NTSC/PAL VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1994 - IMDB 7.3 - Top50 #5

Her Majesty - NTSC/PAL DVD/Streaming - 2004 - IMDB 6.9

Hibiscus & Ruthless - PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2018 - IMDB 5.8

Hobbit, The: An Unexpected Journey NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/3D Blu-ray/Streaming/4K - 2012 - IMDB 7.8 - Top50 #39

Hobbit, The: The Battle of the Five Armies - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/3D Blu-ray/Streaming/4K - 2014 - IMDB 7.4

Hobbit, The: The Desolation of Smaug - 2013 - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/3D Blu-ray/Streaming/4K - IMDB 7.8

Home by Christmas - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2010 - IMDB 7.1(?) - FREE

Hook, Line & Sinker - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2011 - IMDB 6.2(?) - FREE

Housebound - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2014 - IMDB 6.7 - FREE

Hunt for the Wilderpeople - PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2016 - IMDB 7.8 - FREE

Illustrious Energy - PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1988 - IMDB 7.9(?) - Top50 #34 - FREE

In My Father's Den - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2004 - IMDB 7.4 - Top50 #7

Insatiable Moon, The - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2010 - IMDB 6.7 - Top50 #24 - FREE

Joika aka: The American - PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2023 - IMDB 7.1

Jojo Rabbit - PAL/NTSC DVD/Blu-ray/4K/Streaming - 2019 - IMDB 7.9

Justice of Bunny King, The - PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2021 - IMDB 6.7

King Kong - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming/4K - 2005 - IMDB 7.2 - FREE

Lord of the Rings, The - The Fellowship of the Ring - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/3D Blu-ray/Streaming/4K - 2001 - IMDB 8.9 - Top50 #25

Lord Of The Rings, The - The Return of the King - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/3D Blu-ray/Streaming/4K - 2003 - IMDB 9.0 - Top50 #23

Lord of the Rings, The - The Two Towers - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/3D Blu-ray/Streaming/4K - 2002 - IMDB 8.8 - Top50 #31

Love Birds - PAL/NTSC DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2011 - IMDB 6.0 - FREE

Lovely Bones, The - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2009 - IMDB 6.6- Top50 #45

Mahana aka: The Patriarch - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2016 - IMDB 7.1

Memory & Desire - PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1997 - IMDB 6.5

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence - NTSC/PAL VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1984 - IMDB 7.2

Mr. Pip - PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2013 - IMDB 7.1 - FREE

Navigator, The - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1988 - IMDB 6.6 - Top50 #29 - FREE

Ngati - PAL DVD/Streaming - 1987 - IMDB 7.5 - Top 50 #28

No. 2 aka: Naming Number Two - NTSC/PAL DVD/Streaming - 2006 - IMDB 6.5 - Top50 #44

Once Were Warriors - NTSC/PAL VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1994 - IMDB 7.9 - Top50 #1

Orator, The - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2011 - IMDB 6.9 - Top50 #37

Out of the Blue - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2006 - IMDB 7.1 - Top50 #14 - FREE

Perfect Strangers - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 2003 - IMDB 5.2 - FREE

Piano, The - NTSC/PAL VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming/4k - 1993 - IMDB 7.5 - Top50 #6

Poi E, The Story of our Song - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2016 - IMDB 7.6

Poppy - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2021 - IMDB 7.1

Power of the Dog, The - NTSC/PAL DVD/Streaming - 2021 - IMDB 6.8

Price of Milk, The - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 2000 - IMDB 6.6

Quiet Earth, The - NTSC/PAL VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1985 - IMDB 6.7 - Top50 #10 - FREE

Rain - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 2001 - IMDB 6.9 - Top50 #26

Rain of the Children - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2008 - IMDB 6.9 - Top50 #38

Red, White & Brass - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2023 - IMDB 7.0

River Queen - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2005 - IMDB 6.0 - Top50 #41 - FREE

Second-Hand Wedding - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2008 - IMDB 6.3 - Top50 #32

Silent One, The - PAL DVD/Streaming - 1984 - IMDB 6.2

Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, The aka: The Rainbow Warrior - NTSC/PAL Laserdisc/DVD - 1992 - IMDB 5.5

Sione's Wedding aka: Samoan Wedding - NTSC/PAL DVD/Streaming - 2006 - IMDB 6.3 - Top50 #18

Sleeping Dogs - NTSC/PAL Laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1977 - IMDB 6.3 - Top50 #11 - FREE

Slow West - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2015 - IMDB 6.9

Smash Palace - NTSC/PAL VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1981 - IMDB 7.0 - Top50 #9

Starlight Hotel - PAL VHS/Laserdisc/Blu-ray/DVD - 1987 - IMDB 7.0

Sylvia - PAL DVD - 1985 - IMDB 6.7(?)

Uproar - PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2023 - IMDB 6.6

Utu/Utu Redux - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1983/2013 - IMDB 6.9 - Top50 #8

Vai - NTSC/PAL DVD/Streaming - 2019 - IMDB 7.4 - FREE

Vigil - PAL VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 1984 - IMDB 6.8 - Top50 #19

Whale Rider - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2002 - IMDB 7.5 - Top50 #3

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted - PAL VHS/DVD/Streaming - 1999 - IMDB 6.3

What we do in the Shadows - NTSC/PAL DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2014 - IMDB 7.6

Whina - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2022 - IMDB 7.2

White Lies - PAL DVD/Streaming - 2013 - IMDB 7.0

Whole of the Moon, The - NTSC/PAL VHS/DVD - 1996 - IMDB 5.9

World's Fastest Indian, The - NTSC/PAL DVD/HD/Blu-ray/Streaming - 2005 - IMDB 7.8 - Top50 #12 - FREE

Alphabetical List * Chronological List * News * Buy-Sell-Rent * DVD List * Blu-ray List * Streaming List

What is A New Zealand Feature Film * First Choices * Books * Misc * Links * Directors* Soundtracks

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