The New Zealand film industry has grown rapidly over the years. Production of big-budget films here has pushed the country’s film industry into the limelight. Such films include Wolverine (2009), Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit Trilogy, Mauri, and The Last Samurai, among others. Recently, there was an announcement about adapting Lord of the Rings for TV.
For the movie lovers in New Zealand, every year brings a lot of expectations. 2019 has brought a diverse mix of big grossing films. The 2019 New Zealand International Film Festival also had some interesting offerings which you have to catch.
This guide highlights some of these films you have to see before the year ends.
- Avengers: Endgame
It was one of the year’s top-grossing film in the country at $9,306,545. Coming after 11 years and 22 films in the Marvel series, the Avengers cast had its work set out and they never disappointed. The Avengers are on a mission to undo the damage done by Thanos in the Infinity War.
Anthony and Joe Russo partnered in production. A stellar cast of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Don Cheadle among others guaranteed this became one of the top films of the year.
- The Lion King (2019)
There was little doubt that The Lion King was coming back to the screens and it did so in a big way in 2019. The photorealistic computer-animated of the popular 1994 film was a big success in the New Zealand box office, hitting $8,242,586.
It features the voice stars of the renowned movie and music stars, including Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, John Kani, and John Oliver.
After the murder of Musafa, Simba the young lion has to embrace his role as the rightful heir to the throne.
- Capharnaum
For many movie lovers, the title of this film might not instantly click but that’s until you see it. Capharnaum is a 2018 Lebanese drama film with Nadine Labaki as the director and produced by Khaled Mouzanar. It revolves around the story of Zain El Hajj a 12-year old boy living in the slums of Beirut.
The film was one of the top entrants at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a 15-minute standing ovation. If you love movies that seek to make an impact in society, this is one to watch.
- The Guilty
The Guilty is a 2018 Danish thriller film by Gustav Möller. It featured at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival under the World Cinema Dramatic Competition category.
The Danish Film Commission submitted the film for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.
The film revolves around Asger Holm, a Copenhagen police officer who gets involved in a case that is not as straightforward as it seems. The suspense and twists make it a good watch.
- Eighth Grade
Bo Burnham debuts his feature directorial role in this 2018 American comedy-drama film. It is a coming-of-age story where a young girl attempts to find her place in the world. The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
Wrapping up the Movie Night
There’s no denying each of these movies has hit big in New Zeeland theatres. With the good feeling after catching one of these movies, you’ll be forgiven for one more activity to wrap up the evening. Playing online slots at slottyvegas.com comes highly recommended.
The casino industry has been a big beneficiary of movie-based games. From Lion King, Book of Dead, House of Doom to Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, there’s no dearth of exciting movie-based slot games. In addition, there are original online slot games which you can play with family or friends to wind up the movie night.
Final Thoughts
The New Zealand movie scene is no longer on the fringes and you can catch some great movies today. Start with these incredible films as the year comes to a close. After an exciting evening at the movies, why not wrap it up with an exciting game of slots?
