The Dark Horse

AroView: Cliff Curtis turns in a magnificent performance in this accomplished and powerful story of speed chess champion Genesis Potini, his battles with mental illness, and his determination to rescue a troubled youth from gang life.

Despite the prevailing bleakness of poverty, mental illness and violence, this is an aptly inspirational story of a real-life character that will register with a broad range of audiences. Director James Napier Robertson more than makes good on the promise he showed in his genre debut, I’M NOT HARRY JENSON, with casting and production elements entirely consistent with his refined and authentic script. In a particularly strong year, this justifiably swept the NZ Film awards for 2014.