Spicy, Sweet & Totally Relatable – ‘Workmates’ is the Kiwi Rom-Com We’ve Been Waiting For

Get ready to feel all the feelings, because Workmates, the brand-new Kiwi romantic-comedy from Sophie Henderson and Curtis Vowell, is about to charm the socks off you. Funny, raw, and deeply heartfelt, this love letter to theatre, friendship, and creative chaos is everything we love in a local indie—and then some.

Set in the gritty, glorious heart of Tāmaki Makaurau’s underground theatre scene, Workmates dives headfirst into the tangled lives of two best friends trying to keep their theatre dreams alive—while juggling ambition, burnout, and the kind of messy, slow-burn chemistry that’ll have you screaming, “JUST KISS ALREADY!”

Check out the full trailer for Workmates below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Lucy (Sophie Henderson) and Tom (Matt Whelan) are best mates running a tiny, broke theatre. But when an accident forces them to shut down and Tom threatens to leave, Lucy realises she would do anything to save the theatre and keep her friend… who she might be in love with.

Written by and starring Sophie Henderson, the film is semi-autobiographical, drawn from her real-life experience running the legendary Basement Theatre alongside longtime friend and now-producer Sam Snedden. That authentic energy pulses through every frame—this is a film made by people who know the magic and the madness of the stage from the inside out.

“It was the best job I’ve ever had,” Sophie says, and you believe her. You feel it.

And while Workmates is filled with laughs and romantic tension, it was born from a much quieter, more reflective place—written during the COVID-19 lockdowns when theatres across the globe went dark. With creatives suddenly out of work and shows cancelled indefinitely, Sophie began crafting a story that captured the fragility of performance and the deep emotional investment that goes into making art. The result? A film that’s not only hilarious and swoon-worthy, but also a tribute to the resilience of the creative community.

This marks the third feature for Sophie and director/husband Curtis Vowell, following Fantail and Baby, Done. Their chemistry behind the camera is just as powerful as what plays out onscreen, and it shows. Workmates feels lived-in, authentic, and brimming with real love for art, for people, for the messy magic of it all.

Sophie stars alongside Matt Whelan, her real-life friend and frequent co-star, in their sixth collaboration. Their natural rapport lights up the screen, shaped by a friendship that’s been going strong since drama school. The romantic tension is achingly relatable—especially for anyone who’s ever spent long hours in a shared workspace wondering if that thing between you and your colleague is just work… or something more.

“The character was still called Sophie pretty close to shooting,” Sophie admits. “But the film is a true story made untrue by exaggeration.” The final version may have a different name, but the messy, passionate heart of the story is all Sophie.

The stellar supporting cast includes Aki Munroe, Arlo Green, and Zoë Robins, with comedy legends Kura Forrester, Chris Parker, and Liv Tennet popping in for extra sparkle. And just to make it even more special? Most of them are theatre kids too—friends, collaborators, and scene veterans who have all paid their dues on the Basement’s iconic stage. You can feel that love in every moment.

Key scenes were filmed at Basement Theatre and even at the historic (and long-closed) St James Theatre, giving the film a visual richness that’s both nostalgic and hopeful. And yes, production weathered its fair share of real-life drama, from Auckland’s 2023 floods to Cyclone Gabrielle, but just like the community it celebrates, the film pressed on.

So what is Workmates really about?

“It’s about being in love with someone at work you shouldn’t be in love with,” say Sophie and Curtis. “And it’s about how hard—and how fun—it is to make art at the bottom of the world.”

At its core, Workmates is a feel-good ode to passion projects, platonic soulmates, and the blurry lines between work and love. It’s also a rallying cry for every artist who’s ever stayed up too late, cried in a green room, or believed—just for a second—that a black box theatre could save the world.

This is one not to miss. Bring your mates. Bring your work crush. Or just bring yourself.

Workmates will have it’s World Premiere at this year’s New Zealand International Film Festival and will arrive in cinemas later this year.

Image: MadMan Films