Hunt for the Wilderpeople 🐗
Happy Monday and happy February! What a *terrific* month this will be! I’m entrenched in Sundance screenings, so I’m resurfacing a recommendation from last year — one that premiered at the fest.
If you’re interested in my Sundance thoughts so far, here’s a handy thread. I’ll have a full recap on Thursday.
🍿 Today’s movie: Hunt for the Wilderpeople is Taika Waititi’s best
Today’s movie is Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), an adventure comedy that premiered at that year’s Sundance Film Festival and catapulted Waititi into the stratosphere. Here’s what it’s about:
Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is troubled foster child known as a “real bad egg.” Eventually, though, he finds a loving home with Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hec (Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill). However, after a turn of events, he find himself on the run through the New Zealand bush chased by child protective services (Rachel House) and just Hec to help him survive. [Trailer // 101 mins]
Why you should watch it: Taika Waititi became widely known after directing the wonderfully camp Thor: Ragnarok and then for the Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit, however Hunt for the Wilderpeople is what got him the job. It balances so many elements that should be cliches and infuses them with sharp dialogue, charismatic characters, and a keen sense of wonderment — aided by the magical New Zealand countryside.
It begins and ends in familiar places and is populated with character types we have come to love — the witty precocious kid, the cantankerous old man. But Waititi infuses them with so much personality and charm that they feel completely original. The same goes for this offbeat world they inhabit — it falls somewhere in between Wes Anderson and the Coen Brothers. Still, the film is completely fresh and nearly impossible not to fall in love with.
📺 Also available to buy or rent
Have a great week!
See you Thursday —
Karl
I only saw this film recently and God did it make me laugh!