In a moment, your life can change. But it often takes longer to put the pieces back together. In fact, it can often take years and a lot of effort to make things right. That’s certainly the case for the survivors of Pike River, the largest mining disaster in the history of New Zealand.

 Back in 2010, the Pike River mine suffered an incident. In the aftermath 29 workers were trapped and killed. It was one of the largest disasters in the country’s history. And while promises were made about making things right for the survivors, it took years of fighting to make it actually come true.

The new film Pike River captures that fight. It focuses on a pair of women—Anna Osborne (Melanie Lynskey) and Sonya Rockhouse (Robyn Malcolm)—who refused to give up. Through years of efforts that continue to this day, they fought to see their loved ones returned, giving their families a chance for closure.

The film begins in 2010, as the miners report to work. Anna is a wife and mother going about her day. Sonya is in another town, but her sons work the mines while her ex-husband works as a company administrator. When word of an incident breaks, they’re drawn to the scene. But news is slow to come.

At first, it seems there is a chance for rescue. But soon, it becomes clear that everyone trapped in the mine has died. Anna loses her husband. Sonya loses her son. In the aftermath, promises are made that their bodies will be recovered and those who allowed the mine to fail will be held to account. But over weeks, months, and years, that turns out to be harder to achieve.

But the women refuse to give up. They continue to fight to hold people accountable. They continue to fight to give the families closure. That fight ends up taking on the highest reaches of the government as they try to make things right.

We’ve seen this kind of story before. Sadly, there have been too many accidents where people have died and the fight for justice and closure is always slow and difficult. Given where this story takes place, the specifics of this story might be new. But the basic idea will feel very familiar.

That’s the case in the filmmaking, too. The script from Fiona Samuel chronicles the women’s lives, struggle, and fight over years. It hits all the beats you’d expect in a story like this. The direction from Robert Sarkies feels familiar, too. It hits the moments you’d expect and tries to tug on your emotions.

It works, at times, thanks to the performances. Lynskey is a gifted actress who does a nice job in the lead role. She finds a good partner in Malcolm. Together, they fill the screen and keep you interested, even if the story feels a bit too predictable and a bit too long. The closing sequence, which featured images and footage of the real women in this fight, was perhaps a high point. But also, a reminder that this type of story, while important and worth a watch, can be limited as a film experience.

For those that like a good drama and want to learn more, Pike River delivers what you’d expect. The film is available on VOD beginning Friday, January 30.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.