STACK #261 July 2026

MOVIE FEATURE

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GENRE: Drama RUN TIME: 2h 18m

HOLDING THE LINE ROBYN MALCOLM ON PIKE RIVER Robyn Malcolm reflects on bringing the remarkable true story of Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse's fight for justice after the Pike River mining disaster to the screen.

remember her talking a lot about Sonya and Anna.” As a story rooted in a specific community and one that helped drive landmark occupational health and safety reforms, Malcolm felt strongly that the production should remain authentically New Zealand. “An Aussie actress was lined up to be one of the women, but I think as a rollover from COVID, her work banked up and she wasn’t available anymore,” she says with a laugh. “At the time I was thinking, ‘They can’t cast Australians. It doesn’t matter how brilliant they are, they can’t cast Australians in these roles.’” Despite the emotional subject matter, Malcolm says the presence of the real-life Anna and Sonya on set helped keep the cast grounded.

T he 2010 Pike River mining disaster claimed 29 lives and left a lasting scar on New Zealand. Now, the story of two women who fought tirelessly for justice has been brought to the screen in a powerful tribute to the men who were lost and the workers who risk their lives every day. Images of Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse standing resolute at the mine entrance became emblematic of the fight for answers in the wake of the tragedy. In Pike River , acclaimed Kiwi actors Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm step into their shoes.

“They were on set all day, every day. They’ve got such grubby senses of

FUN FACT

humour. They wind each other up non-stop. It’s

Former Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern plays herself in the film, recreating a pivotal chapter in the fight for Pike River reform.

a love story between the two of them and they’re so infectious to hang out with.” Like Norma Rae, Silkwood, and North Country before it, Pike River is a stirring tribute to

Robyn Malcolm and Melanie Lynskey

Her connection deepened through her friendship with former Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly, portrayed in the film by Lucy Lawless. “I met Anna and Sonya at Helen Kelly’s funeral,” Malcolm recalls. “I developed a really close relationship with Helen before she died and I

For Malcolm, the role carried personal significance long before she was cast.

“I felt deeply attached to the story because I’m a South Islander and where I’m from is not far from there and I know that world really well,” she explains.

working people and the courage required to challenge powerful institutions. Glenn Cochrane

• Pike River is out Jul 1

See ROBYN MALCOLM at her best in:

Top of the Lake, Far North, The Outpost, Rake

GENRE: Crime thriller RUN TIME: 2h 20m

Chris Hemsworth swaps heroics for heists in Crime 101 , a slick neo-noir thriller that turns California’s legendary Highway 101 into the ultimate getaway route. CHRIS HEMSWORTH, SHOW STEALER IN CRIME 101

Halle Berry and Chris Hemsworth

T his iconic stretch of Los Angeles highway would prove to be the perfect setting for Bart Layton’s high stakes heist thriller Crime 101 - where Route 101 also offers a reliable escape route for Chris Hemsworth’s elusive jewel thief, Mike Davis. A clever double-entendre, the title also refers to a criminal code that emphasises discipline, patience, and precision – qualities that separate professional thieves from reckless criminals. Hemsworth immediately recognised this as an opportunity to play a character far removed from the superhero types he’s often known for playing. “There was something very different about this character from what I'd played before,” says Hemsworth. “There

was a strength and a masculinity to the character, and a stern sort of exterior, but a huge amount of vulnerability. “He has a real sort of resistance to getting too close to people. I think he'd been hurt on many occasions and therefore developed this sort of wall as a protection, as a defense mechanism. And I found that an interesting mix of emotions, and an interesting sort of personality to try and crack.” Hemsworth himself got behind the wheel for many of the sequences, stunt coordinator

Jeremy Fry ( Ford v Ferrari ) giving him the green light to do more onscreen driving than most lead actors. “It's not a common situation because it’s one thing if

FUN FACT

Pedro Pascal was originally cast in Mark Ruffalo’s role but had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict.

you let an actor do a fight sequence and they screw up and get punched, but it’s a whole different story when an actor’s in a car and

they screw up,” says Fry. “So, we are extremely

cautious about who we put behind the wheel, and Chris is one of those actors where if he says he can do it, and we've seen him do it, I know he will nail it.”

• Crime 101 is out Jul 29

Gill Pringle

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LOVE THESE:

The Driver, Heat, Retribution, Point Break, Lethal Weapon, Baby Driver

16 JULY 2026

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