Review of Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) by Jake G — 03 Mar 2017

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Will Leave You Feeling Silly.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is honestly one of the quirkiest films I've seen in awhile, in the vein of Flight of the Conchords and Arrested Development. While the film is packed full of laughs, delightful one liners and a myriad of unpredictable circumstances, the message and content are a little bit heavier. The flick insightfully contrasts the need we all feel to belong to a family with the process of overcoming the feelings of vulnerability and wariness that come from letting ourselves care about other people and depend on them. Packed all together, Hunt for the Wilderpeople will make you feel all the feels and still leave you positively beaming.

As Ricky, (Julian Dennison), is dropped off at a farm on the edge of the New Zealand bush, the portly 10-year-old realizes his dreams of the thug life may have come to an abrupt halt. Ricky "the real bad egg" Baker has been in and out of foster and group homes all his life, and Ricky knows his new placement at the farm is his last shot to be part of a family before he's sent to juvenile detention. His new Auntie Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Uncle Hec (Sam Neill) take a different approach to his care than previous foster parents; Bella is unperturbed by his attempts to run away and ignores his glum attitude, while Hec just plain ignores him. In fact, when Ricky asks Hec if there is anything he can do to help out on the farm, Hec firmly tells him to just "stay out of my way". Despite their individual quirks, such as Ricky's penchant for expressing himself via haiku and Bella's overbearing cheer, the little group grows into something resembling a family.

When tragedy strikes the budding family, leaving Hec a widower and Ricky without a mother figure, social-services opts to take the child out of the less than perfect situation. However, Ricky is reluctant to be another kid lost in the system, and decides to take matters into his own hands. Thinking he can carve out a life on his own, he runs into the bush. It's soon apparent that his questionable survival skills won't be enough to keep him out of trouble, and surprisingly, Hec, with his wilderness know-how, comes to his rescue. Whilst making their way out of the bush, Ricky discovers that Hec is unable to read and taunts him about his ineptitude. When Hec gets angry and chases after Ricky, an accident renders Hec unable to leave the forest, forcing the duo to begrudgingly spend several weeks together in the wild.

As the pair spend time together they begin to learn to rely on each other. With Hec being unable to walk, he has to tell Ricky how to find food and buld shelter to keep them alive. When they get into a scuffle with a couple of hunters, Ricky uses his street knowledge (namely a rifle and some choice words) to save Hec from the men that want to separate them. One of my favorite scenes shows Hec and Ricky snuggled up in sleeping bags next to the campfire, and Ricky is reading to Hec. It's heartwarming and hilarious to watch as they grow to lean on each other and recognize that they are stronger when they work together. Not only that, but that it's preferable to let other people into our lives and hearts than try to do everything alone.

Director Taika Waititi ("Boy" and "What We Do in the Shadows") turns prominent New Zealand writer Barry Crump's story, "Wild Pork and Watercress", into a deeply inspiring and off-the-wall comedy flick that everyone can enjoy. While the wacky situations throughout the film (my favorites include the Happy Birthday song and Lord of the Rings reference) move the story along, Julian Dennison and Sam Neill steal the spotlight in this eccentric adventure. They perfectly demonstrate the internal struggle involved with the almost alien act of opening up and being vulnerable with those you care about. Ricky and Hec's transformation from two closed off loners to an unlikely family makes this film truly "majestical".