A Maori Gothic Revenge Horror.
1859. Mary Stevens (Ariāna Osborne), a young Māori woman, is summoned from New Zealand to North Yorkshire by a mysterious note. To survive, she becomes the governess Mary at Hawkser Manor under the seemingly benevolent eye of Sir Nathaniel Cole (Toby Stephens), a charming landowner whose fortune was forged in the South Seas. Cole speaks her language and insists he can help her. But the walls of his home are hung with Māori taonga, and by night Mary finds herself haunted by memories that are not her own.
In a bid to discover the truth about herself and Cole, Mary realises she must face a bloody reckoning if she ever wants to be free of Hawkser Manor.
The Spinoff – “Mārama departs from its predecessors with the risks it takes to carve out its own genre and artistic flair. It imagines a new way to explore an age-old trope that has been flogged to death, and sets a high bar for where Māori filmmaking can go next, whether that be in the horror genre or through fantasy, sci-fi or even romance.” (full review here)
Dread Central – “Osborne is poised yet furious, a simmering pot of red-hot rage ready to boil over, but JUST under control enough to mask in polite society. This is a challenging role, one that places a lot of weight on the actor’s shoulders, and Osborne accepts that challenge with horrifying calm. Her haka, especially, is guaranteed to give anyone goosebumps as she screams in the face of her oppressors while adorned in a blood-red dress.” (full review here)
