Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Description
The gorgeous New Zealand landscape is but one of many treasures to behold in Taika Waititi’s irresistible comedy-drama about what truly constitutes a family. A farmer and rugged outdoorsman, Uncle Hec (Sam Neill) is unenthused about becoming foster dad to trouble-prone, chatterbox Ricky (Julian Dennison), but tragic circumstances force him to take greater responsibility for the boy. When a series of mishaps triggers the ill-prepared Ricky to flee into the wilderness, Hec follows suit. That’s just the start of the trouble in what turns into a freewheeling, energetic adventure that blends humor with pathos and teems with film references. Affectionate and funny, this adaptation of a novel by late New Zealand writer Barry Crump gets a further boost from a scene-stealing turn by Rachel House as an overzealous child-services worker. Writer/director Taika Waititi (Boy, What We Do in the Shadows) showcases the mastery of his craft with a film different in style and approach from his previous efforts—one that warms hearts even as it tweaks authority. —Randy Myers
After getting his start as an actor and comedian, Taika Waititi turned to writing and directing. His second short, Two Cars, One Night (SFIFF 2005), received an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short. He made his feature debut with Eagle vs. Shark (SFIFF 2007) and went on to make Boy (2010), What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeopl (2016). He is currently in pre-production for Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
Film Details
Language English
Year 2015
Runtime 101
Country New Zealand
Director Taika Waititi
Producer Carthew Neal, Taika Waititi, Leanne Saunders, Matt Noonan
Writer Taika Waititi
Editor Luke Haigh, Thomas Eagles, Yana Gorskaya
Cinematographer Lachlan Milne
Music Luke Buda, Sam Scott, Conrad Wedde
Cast Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rachel House