Hunt for the Wilderpeople
More Movies Please!
English - October 19, 2020 15:00 - 51 minutes - 23.7 MB - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsFilm Reviews TV & Film Arts Visual Arts conversation theater film filmmaking movies Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are getting lost in the woods but finding ourselves in this week’s adventure-filled episode about the hilarious and touching Taika Waititi film from 2016, Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Look, can we all just elect Taika Waititi to be our worldwide joy creator already? I see no reason not to at this point, to be honest. His movies have all been thrilling, funny, and worth looking forward to. Except for maybe that Eagle vs Shark thing, but I probably just didn’t understand what that movie was trying to do.
Regardless, he keeps proving that he’s not only a hilarious person, but is also a top-notch filmmaker. I mean, Thor: Ragnarok? Come on. That one was impressive. What we’re talking about today, though, is clearly the movie that got him that gig with Marvel. This one has all the hallmarks of what’s becoming Waititi’s unique style.
Who out there doesn’t want to bond with their surly uncle who’s always got more interest in venturing out into the wilds of Australia than staying home and, I don’t know, watching a movie or something? That’s certainly what Ricky eventually finds out he needs from his uncle, Hec. Yes, you read that right. Hec. And yes, my computer does keep trying to autocorrect that name to something like “Hey.”
Anyway, after Ricky’s aunt and Hec’s wife, Bella dies unexpectedly, Ricky takes off into the wild, desperate to avoid being shunted back into the foster system he despises so much. Hec finds him and tries to get him back home. Through an unfortunate misunderstanding, they have to evade capture from some very overzealous child protective services officers who think that there’s less running away happening and more kidnapping.
It’s a blast to see how these two escape capture and grow closer together throughout their travels.
This is the sort of movie that’ll stick with you long after the credits have finished rolling. It could have easily just been a one-trick movie with some admittedly stellar camera and sound work, but it instead chooses to be something greater. We love this one and are very pleased to share it with you.
(Recorded on August 27, 2020)
Links to Stuff We Mentioned:
Hunt for the Wilderpeople - IMDb
Hunt for the Wilderpeople trailer - YouTube
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - IMDb
The Lord of the Rings Filming Locations - 100% Pure New Zealand