Coming Home in the Dark

Violence, cruelty, content that may disturb Rated on: 12 August 2021

Coming Home in the Dark

What is it?

Coming Home in the Dark is a tense, realistic thriller movie from Aotearoa, produced in 2020. School teachers Jill and Alan are on a road trip with their two young sons. Picnicking, they are approached, intimidated and abducted by a man with a gun called Mandrake, and his companion, Tubs. Dark secrets and motivations are revealed along with the way, to do with a boys’ home where Alan worked a long time ago.

What to expect

The tense, well-produced thriller about murder, abduction and institutional abuse is realistic and convincing, especially so for a New Zealand audience, due to familiarity of setting, characterisation and dialogue. The gritty violence and cruelty is highly likely to shock and disturb children and younger teenagers, particularly as two young teens are callously murdered in the opening scenes. For those reasons, Coming Home in the Dark is classified R16.

Recent featured decisions

15 June 2026

Nudity and offensive language

Jackass Best and Last is the final instalment from the long-running reality comedy franchise that features over-the-top stunts and absurd pranks packed with slapstick and gross-out humour. The film features footage from the series together with newly filmed content.

Read more

25 June 2026

Violence

In a world filled with elemental-based magic, war divides the four nations of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. This season follows Aang and the team continuing their mission in reuniting the nations as they journey across the earth kingdom to master earth-bending. 

Read more