Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a New Zealand comedy about two men, a boy and a bush, and the film has no patience for a single wasted second of that. Directed and written by Taika Waititi, it follows Ricky Baker, a young boy in the New Zealand foster care system, and Hec, the cantankerous foster uncle who takes him in. When Ricky’s foster mother Bella dies, Hec refuses to let Ricky be sent back to the state, and the two flee into the bush. The film becomes a nationwide manhunt, but it never plays it like one.
This is a movie about two people who cannot stand each other learning to work together. Ricky is a defiant city kid who has run away from every foster home before him. Hec is a gruff, hunting-obsessed man who keeps Ricky at arm’s length. Their chemistry is the engine of the film, and Julian Dennison as Ricky and Sam Neill as Hec make that engine loud.
Trailer, via Madman Films.
Ricky and Hec
The film’s central pairing is the reason it works. Dennison plays Ricky as a boy who is desperate for a home and terrified of losing one. He is loud, stubborn and funny, and the film lets him be all three without turning him into a prop for Hec’s journey. Neill plays Hec as a man who is uninterested in fatherhood until he finds himself in the middle of it. He is gruff, sometimes cruel, and always honest, which is the exact opposite of what Ricky needs.
Their scenes together are the best in the film. Ricky tells Hec about his fears and anxieties concerning the foster care system, and Hec listens. That moment is small, but it is the heart of the film. The two are forced to put aside their differences to survive, and the film does not rush that process.
The Chase in the Bush
The manhunt is where the film gets its energy. Paula, the state agent, finds the wreckage at Bella and Hec’s farm and claims that Hec has kidnapped Ricky, launching a nationwide hunt for the pair. The film tracks them through the bush, and it does not let the chase become a chase. Instead, it lets Ricky and Hec have conversations, arguments and quiet moments while they run.
There is a hut in the bush where they take shelter, and they find a newspaper article about the manhunt inside. That is a small detail, but it is the film’s way of showing that the world outside is still hunting them. The film also shows that Ricky’s innocent and ignorant nature gets them into trouble. He accidentally suggests that Hec has molested him, which intensifies the hunt and makes Ricky nationally recognised.
The film does not punish Ricky for this mistake. It uses it as a way to show how the world sees him, and how he sees himself.
The Expanded Cast
The supporting cast adds texture without taking over. Rima Te Wiata plays Bella, and her death of a stroke sets the whole plot in motion. Rachel House plays Paula, the state agent, with a sharpness that makes her menacing even when she is not. Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne plays Kahu, a young girl Ricky becomes smitten with, and her father recognises him but does not turn him in. Troy Kingi plays TK, and Stan Walker plays Ron.
The film also includes Mike Minogue as Joe, Cohen Holloway as Hugh, Rhys Darby as Psycho Sam and Oscar Kightley as Andy. These characters are not central, but they are not wasted. They are part of the New Zealand bush, and the film uses them well.
Comedy and Drama
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is both an adventure comedy and a drama, and it never chooses between the two. The comedy comes from Ricky’s stubbornness and Hec’s gruffness. The drama comes from the manhunt and the father-son bond that grows between them. The film balances the two without ever tipping into one or the other.
The film’s tagline, “Nature just got gangster,” is a good summary of its tone. The bush is not a peaceful place in this film. It is wild, dangerous and full of hunters. The film treats the bush with respect, and it treats Ricky and Hec with something close to love.
The Verdict
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a film about two people who are not meant to be together, and it is a film about the bond that grows between them anyway. It is a comedy, but it is not a silly one. It is a drama, but it is not a grim one. It is a film about being hunted, but it is not a film about being caught.
The film is not perfect. Its plot is slight, and its third act rushes to a conclusion. But its performances are strong, its tone is confident and its heart is true.
The film’s chemistry between Ricky and Hec is the reason it works. That pairing, along with Neill’s performance, is the film’s best feature.
- Ricky and Hec’s chemistry is the film’s engine.
- The manhunt builds tension without losing its comedy.
- The supporting cast adds texture without taking over.
- The film balances comedy and drama without choosing between them.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a New Zealand comedy about two men, a boy and a bush, and it is one of the best films of its year. It is a film about being hunted, and it is a film about being found. It is a film about Ricky Baker, and it is a film about Hec. It is a film about love, and it is a film about survival. It is a film that knows exactly what it is, and it does not waste a second of it.
“Nature just got gangster.”
That is the film’s tagline, and it is the film’s truth.
81/100
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
