Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is based on Barry Crump’s 1986 novel Wild Pork & Watercress. It is a comedy out of New Zealand written and directed by Taika Waititi (Flight of the Conchords, Boy) starring Sam Neill and Julian Dennison.
The film’s protagonist is Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), a Maori boy who has been in and out of foster homes his whole life until he finally winds up at the home of Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hector (Sam Neill). The film transpires into a police chase to capture Ricky and Hector as the fugitives navigate the Kiwi bush to remain at large.
Waititi employs Tarantino-esque episodes of blood and gore and quirky moments of humour audiences have come to expect from NZ comedies.
The film is reminiscent of Waititi’s other work with dry, dark humour pervading most of the film. However the heartwarming friendship between Ricky and Hector is hard to ignore and the film crescendos into some more serious emotion at the end. Worth a watch. (JF)
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