Review of Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) by Rafael L — 29 Jul 2017

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a charming little film from New Zealand by director Taika Waititi. It tells of a young man who has been shuffled through the foster care system, but he just might have found a place where he belongs. However when the situation changes he?s at risk of being sent back into the system, so he must go on the run. The adventure of Ricky and Hec through the wild is funny and endearing. It has all the elements of a good road trip movie and a good man-on-the-run movie combined.

Julian Dennison was basically an unknown before this movie, but I expect him to become a big name soon. He's got great comedic timing, and plays the emotional stuff well, which is a combo that can be hard to find in young actors. Sam Neill is perfect as the straight man throughout the film. He seems to be channeling a little of Alan Grant and has that reluctant fatherly connection with the young boy. Also of note is Rachel House who plays a psychotic CPS worker that adds so much comedy to the film.

For me, the strongest part of Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the humor. It isn't exactly laugh-out-loud hilarity, but it features characters who make a number of incongruous choices that had me chuckling a lot. The character development is also strong for the two leads so I did care about their journey. I guess my only real complaint is that the emotional moments didn't hit me all that hard. I cared but never felt personally engaged in any way. Despite this I'm quite excited for Waititi to direct the next Thor film, because I think he could make it something unique and special.