Here Be Dragons

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Here Be Dragons

2022

2h 1m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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4 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

When the ICTY concludes, David Locke, a former British soldier turned UN war crimes investigator, faces the prospect of an early retirement. One night, David is approached by a ghost from his past - a victim of the Yugoslav wars named Emir Ibrahimovic. Emir believes he’s located the notorious and previously presumed dead paramilitary commander Ivan Novak, living in plain sight in Belgrade, Serbia. Despite the disapproval of his superiors, David goes to Belgrade on a solo mission funded by Emir, in order to hunt, capture, and bring to justice the man who has caused so much pain in the world. As David ingratiates himself with Novak's estranged wife and son, he starts to question the morality of his mission and the intentions of his sponsor.

Erin Free

FILMINK (Australia)

Oct 11, 2023

17/20

…a tough, cogent work never afraid to take a bold step into pure darkness.

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M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

Sep 1, 2022

3/5

Here Be Dragons has two note-worthy performances from Sapsford and Bestic.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Aug 25, 2022

2.5/4.0

For a thriller, Here Be Dragons is jarringly lacking in actual thrills. While its drama is often quite effective, action sequences that should be fraught with suspense fail to ignite a spark and play out with a lack of tension.

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Alan Ng

Film Threat

Aug 24, 2022

7/10

A decent thriller... moves us right along to the final moral quandary that will have you thinking about where we’re heading as a species down the road.

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Claudio C

@Claudio666 Apr 29, 2026

Ghost from the Past (12,416 – 28 Apr 2026) In 1993, in Bosnia, the British rookie UN soldier David Locke is in love with the local Lejla. During a prisoner swap with the commander Ivan Novak, David learns that Lejla and her family were executed by Novak and his men, and the only survivor is Emir, who is seriously wounded. Twenty-five years later, David is a UN war crimes investigator and Novak is presumed dead. David is contacted by Emir, who became a millionaire and tells him that Novak may be alive in Belgrade, Serbia, since an inactive bank account was activated with deposits to the singer Mira. "Here Be Dragons" (2022) is a great Australian film by Alastair Newton Brown, with the landscape of the Yugoslav wars. The plot is gripping and the screenplay is very well written. The conclusion is exaggerated since David keeps his moral code despite the dangerous situation and money involved for the revengeful Emir. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "Crimes de Guerra" ("Crimes of War")

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Paula G

@RT21187390 Aug 14, 2024

A moody, gripping detective story that taps into the dark underbelly of the human psyche. Fantastic lead and cast. Just loved it, hooked from the start!

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David H

@RT47861786 Aug 14, 2024

Incredible story! Amazing actors. Bravo!

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Anna C

@RT89561174 Aug 14, 2024

Great cast and story that needed to be told!

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James B

@RT54078390 Jul 23, 2024

An awesome and original film that perfectly captures the gloomy mood of a complex and sometimes neglected period of modern history that is important to our understanding of geopolitics broadly speaking and is particularly relevant to ongoing disputes/ conflict in the region and beyond today.

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Kuro T

@RT82209051 May 10, 2024

Seriously good and unique Australian revenge drama (shot in Serbia). Intelligent plot, solid performances, great photography and music. Why don’t they make them more like this anymore? Highly recommend.

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Alastair Newton Brown

Director

Nathan Clark Sapsford

David Locke

Jelena Stupljanin

Laura

Daniel Dorr

The American

Marija Bergam

Mira Vuckovic

Tamara Radovanovic

Lejla

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Synopsis

When the ICTY concludes, David Locke, a former British soldier turned UN war crimes investigator, faces the prospect of an early retirement. One night, David is approached by a ghost from his past - a victim of the Yugoslav wars named Emir Ibrahimovic. Emir believes he’s located the notorious and previously presumed dead paramilitary commander Ivan Novak, living in plain sight in Belgrade, Serbia. Despite the disapproval of his superiors, David goes to Belgrade on a solo mission funded by Emir, in order to hunt, capture, and bring to justice the man who has caused so much pain in the world. As David ingratiates himself with Novak's estranged wife and son, he starts to question the morality of his mission and the intentions of his sponsor.

Director: Alastair Newton Brown
Producer: Nathan Clark Sapsford, Alastair Newton Brown
Screenwriter: Alastair Newton Brown, Alastair Newton Brown
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Runtime: 2h 1m

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