Tia Maipi, Troy Kingi and Tatum Warren-Ngata star in telemovie Toke, screening on Three on Monday. Photo: Three.
Tia Maipi, Troy Kingi and Tatum Warren-Ngata star in telemovie Toke, screening on Three on Monday. Photo: Three.
Opinion by Karl Puschmann
Karl Puschmann is Culture and entertainment writer for the New Zealand Herald. His fascination lies in finding out what drives and inspires creative people.
The phrase "TV movie" used to be a long way of saying "bad" but, let's face it, all movies are TV movies these days - even US$200 million blockbusters like Mulan.
So don't let the fact that new Kiwi film Toke is a telemovie on a free-to-air TV channel asopposed to a big screen or a monthly subscription service put you off watching it when it screens on Monday night at 8.30pm.
It's certainly much better than many Netflix Original films I've seen and certainly some of the big-name hits on Neon that I've watched recently. Toke may have been made for Three but writer/co-director Kewana Duncan obviously shot it for the cinema as it looks great.
It's no The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, to be fair most films aren't, but had it gone to the movies it would have easily stood up well alongside this year's local releases The Legend of Baron T'oa or This Town.
The best description for Toke is a Kiwi-as stoner crime caper. It's about three kiwifruit pickers who accidentally grow a super-strong strain of marijuana that produces almost ecstasy like feelings of bliss and happiness in those who spark it up.
With not much else to do in the remote community of Tokerangi - or Toke as the locals affectionately refer to it - word of the euphoric effects of their "Mongolian kung fu monk weed" quickly spreads.
Lucy Lawless as drug kingpin Duke in telemovie Toke, screening on Three on Monday night. Photo: Three
With travel dreams, gang debt and medical bills to pay, the trio decide to go all-in and turn their one plant into a mini-operation to raise the quick cash they need for their respective problems.
If only life was as simple as starting an illegal, highly profitable drug cultivation business. Soon enough a local gang heavy is hunting them down around the small town, as is a major drug kingpin from her luxury yacht out in the spectacular Auckland harbour.
Tia Maipi as Taki in telemovie Toke, screening on Three on Monday night. Photo: Three
There's certainly enough going on to keep you hooked and its loving depiction of a small town Māori community, while cinematically exaggerated, feels authentic and believable.
It's also exceptionally well-acted by its three leads: Tatum Warren-Ngata as Georgie, who is desperate to escape overseas; Tia Maipi as the charismatic yet hapless Taki; and award-winning muso Troy Kingi, whose grounded performance as Henare, an ex-con working on the orchard and caring for his sick mum, proves he's just a ridiculously talented individual.
Lucy Lawless meanwhile brings her international star power and an appropriate level of hammy menance as the ruthless seafaring drug kingpin Duke.
Tatum Warren-Ngata as Georgie in telemovie Toke, screening on Three on Monday night. Photo: Three
Toke won't induce as strong a buzz as the superweed at the heart of its story but it's still a good time. Although I do have to say that my buzz was almost killed by a head splittingly confusing lucky escape for one of our heroes that - I think - involved an incredibly lucky, bordering on improbable, ricochet.
But whatevs. I accepted that The Rock could leap from the top of a sky-high crane into a burning building in Skyscraper and that a nerd could out-karate his team of bullies after two episodes of training in the awesome series Cobra Kai, so I'm prepared to just roll with it.
Toke won't set the world on fire but I do think it's worth your time. It's a feel-good, really well made local film that's completely free to watch. That's dope.
