On 19 November 2010, an explosion occurred at the Pike River coal mine on New Zealand’s South Island.  In the days which followed, it was confirmed that 29 people had been killed making it the country’s worst mining tragedy in almost a century.  This event is depicted in the opening act of Pike River, a drama from director Robert Sarkies (Out of the Blue) and writer Fiona Samuel.  Watching a mother go through belongings in her 17-year-old son’s bedroom knowing he’s never coming home… it’s sad and affecting.

There are no lifesaving heroics here like the Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand.  The authorities knew within a matter of days that the men couldn’t have survived the explosion given its size and the level of methane gas detected when drilling boreholes.  The focus of Sarkies film, throughout acts two and three, is the aftermath.  Wives and mothers struggle to grieve when there’s no body to bury.  As shock is replaced by anger, family members ask pointed questions of authorities who shift blame and provide evasive answers.  Advocacy groups are formed with pressure placed on governments to act.

Many real-life folks are depicted but the film is centred on two women who lost loved ones – Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse. They are respectively played by Emmy nominee Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) and Robyn Malcolm (Outrageous Fortune).  They strengthen the source material with their excellent performances.  The characters are astutely portrayed as intelligent women trying to make people accountable with their finger-pointing, but who also make mistakes given the struggle to keep emotions in check.  Their friendship, which evolves throughout the film, is also a powerful subplot which will resonate with audiences.

I like the film’s approach in zeroing-in on the aftermath instead of the tragic event itself.  It’s prompted me to do more reading about the people involved and what the New Zealand government has done, or not done, to recover bodies, improve safety standards, and punish those responsible.  The film is too long at 131 minutes and pushes certain messages a little hard (did we need the Jacinda Ardern cameo?) but these are minor concerns.  Pike River has emotional heft and it’s important to see what transpired depicted in a feature film for the world to know about.