The Dark Horse

Somehow, “inspirational mentor” movies never seem to get old, possibly because the world always needs more mentors. The Dark Horse, based on a true story from New Zealand, features an unexpected mentor: a Maori speed-chess prodigy who volunteers to help an after-school chess club win the Auckland junior chess tournament—a day after he’s released from the psych ward. It’s precisely that unseemly combination—one unstable, pill-popping man bringing stability to kids from unstable backgrounds—that makes this drama so rich, touching, and intense.

The film (rated R for language and drug use) begins with an unhinged Genesis “Gen” Potini (Maori-descent New Zealander Cliff Curtis) staggering across the streets, oblivious to heavy rain and irate drivers. It’s a terrible introduction: His head is shaved with careless patches, his front teeth are missing, and his hands tremble. He enters an antique shop and starts playing chess with himself while muttering manically. Law enforcers assume he’s a menace to society and lock him up.

But then the movie builds on our first impression, scene-by-scene: We meet Gen as a social outcast pleading help from his older brother Ariki (Wayne Hapi), the boss of a hulking, tattooed Maori gang. We next see Gen as an uncle empathizing with his 15-year-old nephew Mana (James Rolleston), who dreads following his father’s path. Then we hear Gen as an animated coach, using Maori folk tales to teach a scrappy team how to play chess and win. Still, it’s impossible to shake off the apprehension that he might break down at any moment—and instantly lose all he’s achieved.

Gen isn’t painted as a wise sage spouting perfectly timed one-liners, but as an earnest man who often doesn’t know what to say or do during tough situations—a reminder that a good mentor isn’t necessarily about great qualifications, but about doing what’s right for others even while stumbling along the way.