Director Taika Waititi
Genre Comedy | Drama
Cast Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House
Rating PG-13
Release Date June 24th, 2016 (Streaming on Hulu & Netflix)
“A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.”
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is directed by New Zealand native Taika Waititi, who most recently directed the hilarious and very over the top vampire comedy, What We Do in the Shadows. The film is a coming-of-age story about a troubled teenager bouncing around in the foster care system in New Zealand. The cast includes Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rima Ti Wiata, and the always hilarious Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords).
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an infectiously entertaining and heartfelt adventure in the New Zealand bush, and it is easily one of the summer’s guiltiest pleasures. I was extremely excited for Taika Waititi's latest film after I first watched the trailer, and it was everything I hoped it would be. The scenic beauty is stunning from beginning to end and to be quite honest had me nearly researching a vacation to the island nation. One of my favorite aspects of the film was the incredible soundtrack. In my humble opinion, a quality soundtrack can take a film with heart and an important message from good to great, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople took full adventure of this, making it feel authentic and unique. How they were able to portray such a whirlwind of emotion throughout while maintaining a fun and easygoing feel is beyond me.
The cast in Hunt for the Wilderpeople was absolutely perfect and does not seem to miss a beat. Julian Dennison is unmatched in his role as troubled teenager Ricky Baker, who finds himself bouncing from foster home to foster home. This is the young New Zealand actor’s third film and certainly showcases his talent. I find myself replaying scenes in my head where he didn’t even speak a single word, but instead simply used his body language and facial expressions to make you laugh out loud. Veteran actor Sam Neill, with over 120 acting credits on his IMDb resume including Jurassic Park and Event Horizon, develops a unique chemistry with the young actor and they play off each other very well. Make no mistake, even though the scenery is breathtaking the film is built on its characters and how well they help to unfold the story, and let's just say a standing ovation is in order.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an independent film that is certainly unique with its own brand of goofy and sometimes dry humor. What pleased me most and is likely why the film is so highly rated by critics is the fact that it manages to deliver on all fronts. It actually had me baffled more than a few times, trying to figure out how everything came together so seamlessly, or so it seems from the viewer’s standpoint. With plenty of laughs, a great message, and yet another reason why Taika Waititi is a very talented director, Hunt for the Wilderpeople deserves to be seen as soon as possible. Unfortunately the release is quite limited and it may not be available in theaters near you, but if that is the case, keep an eye out for a release On-Demand or rental/purchase on Blu-ray this Fall. I will surely be adding this to my growing collection.
