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SFFILM Festival

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Directed by Taika Waititi

New Zealand | 101

22 Apr
Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 6:30 pm PT

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

Director Taika Waititi

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