Chief of War, Episodes 1-2

What’s it about?

A thrilling telling of the unification of the Hawaiian Islands in 1795 from an indigenous perspective. A Hawaiian war chief joins a bloody campaign to unite the warring islands to save them from the threat of impending colonization.

The facts

• Directed by Justic Chon
• Starring Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones), Cliff Curtis (Whale Rider), Temuera Morrison (Once Were Warriors), Luciane Buchanan (Sweet Tooth), Te Kohe Tuhaka (The Dead Lands), and Te Ao o Hinepehinga (Shortland Street).
• Ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian), with English subtitles
• There are nine episodes in the series, 50 min each (on average)
• Features cameo's by numerous All Blacks

Why did it get this rating?

This series was self-rated by AppleTV+. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Violence and cruelty

This show focuses on themes of war and battle, involving gory and graphic combat violence with spears, clubs, and other traditional weapons, such as melee weapons made with human teeth.

Some of the strongest moments of violence include:

• There is a large battle sequence where countless men and women are impaled through the chest with spears and killed. People are thrown into fires, and we see head’s crushed and torn apart in bloody and brutal ways.
• A character is stabbed in the back with the tip of a spear. We see this in closeup with blood on the spear.
• During a battle scene, a character slaughters and executes multiple men and young boys.
• Characters are ordered to kill defenceless farmers taking refuge in a sacred burial ground.
• A character is shown his father’s bones. An emotional scene follows this one. 

Nudity

Male and female characters are seen in traditional Hawaiian dress, where bare buttocks and lots of skin can be seen, but these portrayals are not sexual.

Offensive language

These episodes contain some mild offensive language, with words like “sh*t” and “damn.”

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Brain development – how it works, why it matters