Heinous Crime

Short Film (Full Length) – 2004

The trial of Terry Spears comes to a head in this eccentric 48Hours short, which showcases the ample talents of Taika Waititi and Loren Taylor. Beating 44 other Wellington teams to take out the regional prize in 2004, Heinous Crime is a series of comic riffs as the pair play judge, jury, lawyers — and accused. Cliff Curtis makes a brief cameo. The film was shot within four hours. The same weekend, Waititi found time to co-star as a talking doll in Toy Boy, another Wellington finalist in the second year of the 48Hours contest. This was the only year that 48Hours had two regional winners, rather than one overall champion.