From Taika Waititi – director of cult vampire comedy What We Do In the Shadows – comes the utterly hilarious Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which screened to acclaim at Sundance and set box office records (for the highest-grossing first week and weekend) in Waititi’s native New Zealand.
Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is a defiant, trash-talking misfit sent by child services to start a new life in rural New Zealand with a foster family: aunt Bella, gruff uncle Hec (Sam Neill) and dog Tupac. But when events threaten his return, Ricky runs into the bush with Hec in pursuit. With the two of them missing, a national manhunt is begun – forcing Ricky and Hec to embark on a months-long trek, and to overcome their differences to get by.
Based on the book ‘Wild Pork and Watercress’ by Barry Crump, and with charismatic, pitch-perfect performances from Dennison and Neill, it’s a visually inventive, pleasingly bittersweet and effortlessly funny film – full of Waititi’s distinctive comedy – that’s sure to get great word of mouth from audiences.