1859, North Yorkshire. When young Maori woman Mary arrives from New Zealand, she’s trapped as governess to a wealthy whaler’s granddaughter. Living among her ancestors’ stolen artefacts, she uncovers Sir Cole’s horrific crimes. Embracing her Matakite powers, Mary becomes Marama and must save Anne and avenge her family by destroying him.

For thoughts on Mārama, please see my colleague Kyle Arpke’s review from its original festival release here.

Video Quality

Mārama makes its Blu-Ray debut with a pleasing 1080p video presentation that showcases the steely cinematography well. The image has a somewhat cooler quality about it with a complex color palette permeating the screen. The film deploys some rich hues in the costumes and certain facets of the production design. The presentation displays a notable amount of depth while the characters creep about the area. With this being a horror film, it has many moments of characters trekking into dark enclaves or exploring dimly lit spaces. Black levels experience subtle signs of banding in some of the shadowy corners, but primarily they maintain their depth. The environments provide clear and tactile textural details. The flesh tones are natural with exceptional detail present in close-ups. This Blu-Ray holds up every bit as well as one would desire.

Audio Quality

Dark Sky gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that confidently processes all the sonic nuances of the film. This is not a film with breakneck pacing, but there are a handful of jump scares and other lively moments that wake things up. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overpowered by any competing sounds. The score is balanced while maintaining its fidelity with some added texture to the proceedings. Environmental sounds of nature engage the surround speakers impeccably with an abundance of ambient details. The carefully calibrated sound design deploys with enviable navigation of the surround speakers. The audio track provides a dynamic experience that is a treat to experience. Optional English for Foreign Languages and English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Featurettes: A selection of featurettes is provided in which the cast and creative team explore the film from numerous angles.

- The Origins (7:39)

- The Cast (7:50)

- Creating the World (6:45)

- Five Words to Describe the Film (2:14)

- Recording the Musical Score (19:20)

Pre-Production Behind the Scenes Gallery

Taumanu Short Film: A nearly 24-minute eerie short film is provided that explores similar themes as the main feature including colonization and the suppression of Maori culture.

Original Trailer (2:04)

Final Thoughts

Mārama takes the classic essence of Gothic horror and steeps it in Maori culture to welcome an exciting new perspective to the space. Taratoa Stappard crafts a haunting tale that shows a control over his vision that would never make you suspect you were watching a debut feature. Ariāna Osborne delivers an incendiary performance that will leave you buzzing after the credits have finished rolling. While the themes are weighty and rick to reckon with, the film is first and foremost a creepy endeavor that is more than worthy of your time. Dark Sky has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a fine assortment of special features. Recommended

Mārama is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Dark Sky and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.