Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

Comedy, Drama, Adventure

Director: Taika Waititi
Writers: Taika Waititi, Barry Crump
Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House

"Nature just got gangster."

An offbeat adventure-comedy from New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows).

After welfare services leave him at a remote farm in the countryside with a new set of foster parents, Ricky Baker, a 13-year-old gangsta wannabe city kid ends up on the run with his grumpy "uncle" (Sam Neill) in the New Zealand bush, with a manhunt of national proportions ensuing. As they try to stay one step ahead of the authorities, a bond of trust and love blossoms between the cantankerous old mountain man and the self-styled gangsta.

Based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress, by Barry Crumb, Hunt for the Wilderpeople brilliantly combines endearing and extremely likeable characters with generous helpings of deadpan humor, proving to be an otherwise charming film that will both entertain you and touch your heart on many levels.

Plot summary from IMDb: A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.

Awards: 8 wins & 3 nominations.
Runtime: 101 min
PG-13