The Last Saint (2014)

The Last Saint: Directed by Rene Naufahu. With Beulah Koale, Calvin Tuteao, Joseph Naufahu, Xavier Horan. Minka is a teenage Polynesian boy living in the heart of the city. With his P-addicted mother well on the way to going completely off the rails, three people enter his life – each with a promise – each with the power to destroy.

“Minka is u0026#39;a good boyu0026#39; he doesnu0026#39;t drink, smoke or do drugs. He also has to look after his drug dependant mother who redefines the word u0026#39;messu0026#39;. He is trying to hold it together with no help from the authorities then his long lost father shows up. This is Joe and he is far from paternalistic. He runs a lap dancing joint and introduces Minka to the seedy underbelly of New Zealand culture but with a Tongan twist.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThat is when his coming of age begins and he has to deal with the drugs, alcohol, sex and violence that go with that u0026#39;sceneu0026#39; and his hormones plus the familial strife. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNow this is sold on its u0026#39;unrelenting violenceu0026#39;, and there is some but it is done in a realistic way and it is the fear that is more terrifying and there are some show stopping performances especially from Joseph Naufahu (u0026#39;Spartacus: War of the damnedu0026#39;) as the rather mental Pinball. This is a bit u0026#39;nothing new to see hereu0026#39; in that we have all seen films with the same or similar plot lines. However, they do this really well and it is a totally independent effort that has the feel of quality for the most part and had me fair gripped for the most part so is one I would recommend.”