Hunt for the Wilderpeople

To mark the 10th Anniversary of Taika Waititi’s cult classic, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE has just been released in a brand-new 4K UHD & Blu-ray restoration. A fitting tribute to the late, great Sam Neill!

It’s deeply touching yet also very comical - trust director Taika Waititi to adapt Barry Crump’s 1986 novel ‘Wild Pork and Watercress’ and adding his own unique touch. Central figure is Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), an overweight (and that’s an understatement) teenager who spells trouble big time… Not only because he’s subjected to New Zealand’s foster care system but his no-nonsense child welfare worker Paula Hall (Rachel Hall) makes it very clear upon delivering Ricky to his new foster parents that he boy has a history of juvenile delinquency.

Still, new foster ‘aunt’ Bella Faulkner (Rima Te Wiata) welcomes Ricky with a decidedly positive attitude, while grumpy hubby Hector makes it clear that he wishes to be left alone and is initially more interested in his hobby, hunting, than getting acquainted with the boy. In fact, Hector prefers spending his time with pet dog Zag rather than Ricky. Nonetheless, after a patchy start, the trio seem to find a way of coming together and Ricky is even presented with his very own dog, whom he calls Tupac.

Disaster strikes unexpectedly when Bella suddenly dies of a stroke, leaving Hector devastated though ironically, this tragic event brings him closer to Ricky. During Bella’s funeral service (director Waititi makes a cameo appearance as the priest conducting the service, delivering a eulogy so bad it’s funny), Hector, overwhelmed with emotion, leaves the church and walks back home, with Ricky behind him.

Days pass and just as the two get more acquainted with each other and try to make the best of the new situation, a letter arrives informing Hector that following Bella’s death, Ricky will be relocated to a new foster home by state services, with welfare agent Paula due to arrive within the week to collect the boy. It goes without saying that Ricky won’t have any of it and scarpers, but not before clumsily attempting to fake his own death - burning down Bella and Hector’s shed in the process… Now Ricky really has no option than run and hide in the nearby bushland together with Tupac. He doesn’t get far, as Hector is hot on his heels but manages to break his ankle.

Knowing full well that the child welfare folks, in particular Paula, are now after them on ‘kidnapping’ charges, they have to keep hiding in the bushland and besides, Hector is in no condition to walk. While a nationwide hunt for Ricky and Hector is on, the lad and his foster ‘uncle’ finally begin to like each other, with Hector gradually warming towards his charge although he feels rather irritated that Ricky’s ambition of becoming a gangster (with his track record, he shouldn’t have any problems) is the wrong path in life.

When Hector feels well enough again to walk, he and Ricky find a hut in the bush, with no one inside. As they enter, they discover a newspaper article with their photos printed on the front page and are now aware that an almighty manhunt is in full swing. Barely recovered from the shock, three hunters return and instantly recognise the ‘fugitives’ but Ricky, in a moment of naive thinking, claims that Hector has molested him and now the s**t really hits the fan. After a fight with the hunters, the odd couple manage to escape once again and it’s not long before they stumble across another hut which they assume is uninhabited. To their surprise, a man in full insulin shock offers some of his supplies, with Hector staying behind to look after the man and Ricky wandering off to a nearby town to get a doctor. Instead, Ricky stumbles across Kahu (Tiorerore Ngatai-Melbourne), a teenage girl on horseback. She recognises him from the newspaper article but instead of grassing him up, takes him back to her father’s house. Dad is delighted to have a ‘celebrity’ in his home and to the embarrassment of his daughter and Ricky, takes a number of selfies with the teenage boy!

Falling asleep in their house, Rikcy hurries back to Hector and the ill man the next morning, only to discover Paula and her colleagues across a gully… Her attempts of bribing Ricky to come with her fail miserably. He manages to escape her clutches and makes his way to the hut, with many more perils in store as they desperately try not to be caught by the authorities. Along the way, a wild boar savagely attacks them and when Hector’s loyal dog Zag tries to intervene, the boar wounds him so badly, devastated Hector has no other choice than to shoot his pet.

From then on, things are getting ever more bonkers and unhinged, especially when they encounter a mad hermit called Psycho Sam (Rhys Darby) who helps them big time. The climax is very reminiscent of Thelma & Louise although here, a happy ending lies in store for Hector, Ricky and Tupac the dog….

It’s wonderfully acted by the two leads and Julian Dennison in particular is an absolute joy to watch. In typical Taika Waititi fashion, there are some surreal moments as well, for example, when a very hungry Ricky looks at some huge plants in the bushes which, in his mind, are a gigantic cheeseburger and a huge cake. Rachel House is equally in top form as the child welfare worker from hell!

The release offers the following Bonus Material:
10th Anniversary Q&A / Commentary with the director plus Sam Neill and Julian Dennison / Making of Featurette / Bloopers / Original theatrical trailer