We often see and hear about companies choosing profits over people, skating by with everything from minor infractions to full-blown illegal activity. The worst-case scenario is when death becomes a result of such negligence. Pike River examines the aftermath of a mining disaster, highlighting an abhorrent amount of corruption and greed. Based on a true story, the film follows a community in mourning and their fight to honor the victims left behind.
On Nov. 19, 2010, an explosion trapped 29 men inside the Pike River coal mine on a remote island in New Zealand. A tight-knit community was left shattered and in disbelief. What they believed to be a “family” company was all a façade, as the community and relatives of those affected were repeatedly lied to and eventually discarded. The film focuses on two women, Anna Osborne (Melanie Lynskey) and Sonya Rockhouse (Robyn Malcolm), as they form an unlikely friendship in their suffering.
The lies are bold and brazen. In the hours after the first explosion, the company’s CEO, Peter Whittall (Jonathon Hendry), boldly told the families that there was enough air underground to last several days. But days turn into weeks, which eventually turn into months, without any progress. Finally reaching their limit, the families go against the company and consult an attorney. But even traversing the legal route left families feeling shortchanged. Their goal was simple: recover the bodies in the mine so families could bury their dead. But everyone from Peter Whittall to the Prime Minister of New Zealand was against anyone entering the mine. Taking matters into their own hands, Anna and Sonya embark on a journey that not only changes local opinions but also affects national policy.
After years of attending royal commissions and public inquiries, Rockhouse and Osborne lean on each other, both for strength and for not suffering in solitude. The performances were riveting, displaying the suffering unseen from the public eye. A mother missing her son, a wife longing for her husband, and the effect grief has on relationships.
Pike River gets an 8 out of 10. It’s an extremely slow burn, without many thrills to be considered a “thriller”. The story is powerful on its own, and director Robert Sarkies should’ve dug deeper into it. Some scenes and transitions didn’t feel smooth (a film about an explosion without an explosion, the awkward press conference announcing the dead), but the performances are what save the film. Even outside of Lynskey and Malcolm, Erroll Shand, Madeleine McCarthy, and Ben Porter were excellent in their portrayal of family members affected by those obsessed with the mine. This one is a good stream for a quiet weekend and will definitely spur interest in researching the disaster that’s still affecting families today.
Pike River is now available to stream.
Photos: Courtesy of Bright Iris
Genre: Biographical Drama
Rating: Unrated
Runtime: 2 hrs 11 minutes
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: February 9, 2026