# Whale Rider (2003)

> An 11-year-old Māori girl challenges patriarchal succession and her beloved grandfather to claim her place as the next leader of her coastal community.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/841

## Facts

- Runtime: 101 min
- Genres: Drama, Family
- Director: Niki Caro
- Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa, Mana Taumaunu, Rachel House, Taungaroa Emile
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298228/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Mood: uplifting, warm, wistful, family movie night, coming of age films

## Synopsis

A young girl defies tradition to embrace her destiny in a world steeped in ancestral legacy.

## Movies like Whale Rider

- [An Angel at My Table (1990)](https://ember.film/movie/1899)
- [The Convert (2024)](https://ember.film/movie/1021374)
- [Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997)](https://ember.film/movie/11156)
- [Boy (2010)](https://ember.film/movie/24952)
- [Moana (2026)](https://ember.film/movie/1076378)
- [Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)](https://ember.film/movie/243223)
- [The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)](https://ember.film/movie/8458)
- [The Dark Horse (2014)](https://ember.film/movie/163443)
- [Mia and the White Lion (2018)](https://ember.film/movie/342795)
- [The Dead Lands (2014)](https://ember.film/movie/169299)

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