Why you should watch the lesser-known 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople'

(Movieclips Film Festivals & Indie Films, YouTube)


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MOVIE LAND — Have you ever had that experience where 7 p.m. rolls around and your stomach tells you that it’s time to eat, but your brain won’t tell you what to eat?

You stand there staring into the refrigerator at the leftover casserole you don’t feel like eating, the package with one partially hardened hot dog in it you can’t bring yourself to eat, and a gob of sticky marshmallows and cat fur your 3-year-old left on the bottom shelf that you probably shouldn’t eat. Staring back at you from the refrigerator is the age old question “I am hungry, but for what?”

One day last month, I was scrolling through movie titles of current films and all I saw were movies I either didn’t feel like seeing, I couldn’t bring myself to see, or I probably shouldn’t see. It was then I realized I was caught in the “hungry but for what?” conundrum, only this time with movies. As if guided by destiny, it was this very question that led me to one of my greatest movie discoveries of 2016.

What movie settled my movie tummy grumbles? “Hunt for the Wilderpeople.” If I said I didn’t see this movie three times, I would be lying.

Here are the reasons I felt this lesser-known film was such a great discovery:

It's a movie with heart

First and foremost, “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” is a movie with heart. The entire premise of the movie is built upon the strength of a friendship formed during times of great loss and misfortune. Don’t let this description get you down, however. “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” is a comedy from the beginning that follows the unexpected adventure of two unlikely companions.

Ricky Baker is a husky 13-year-old street-hardened juvenile delinquent sent to live on a farm in the New Zealand bush. Taken in by a warm-hearted, but quirky woman named Aunt Bella and her not so warm-hearted husband Hector, (or Hec as he prefers to be called) Ricky begins his next chapter.

Ricky, coming from a hard life with a troubling rap sheet that includes spitting, swearing and loitering, is at his last stop before being sent to juvenile prison until he ages out of the system.

Ricky and Uncle Hec are forced to rely upon each other to survive the unforgiving New Zealand wilderness. This is a story of the bond they form and the lessons they learn from one another after their lives have been turned upside down.

Memorable characters

Taika Watiti both wrote and directed “Hunt for the Wilderpeople.” Waititi is a New Zealand native who is currently directing the upcoming Marvel Studio’s movie “Thor: Ragnarok” and graced us with the hilarious mockumentary “What We Do in the Shadows” in 2014.

In order to carry “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” forward and create the appropriate tension throughout the film Waititi had to construct characters with contradictory (if not a little overplayed) personalities.

The movie, which takes place entirely in New Zealand, is filled with an all Kiwi cast introducing us to some new talent and reintroducing us to some old faces in a new light, like Sam Neil from “Jurassic Park.” That’s right, even Neil grew up in New Zealand, which blew my mind since how could Dr. Grant not be American? That is probably the most American thing I’ve said all day. Probably.

Julien Dennison delivers his role as a street-hardened teenager Ricky Baker who is unaware of how naïve and vulnerable his character truly is. Ricky’s character is summed up perfectly in a scene when he innocently recounts the troubling fate of a fellow foster child to Uncle Hec as they sit together around a campfire.

A couple other characters of note are Paula Hall (Rachel House) who plays the unstoppable Child Welfare Services worker who will not rest until Ricky is seen safely to juvenile detention, and Aunt Bella (Rima Te Waita) the loving foster aunt who wants nothing more than to take care of a child no matter their past or condition. The rest of the cast is colorful and sometimes over the top, but each adds their own ingredient to the story.

The importance of mentors

In a time when many relationships between adults and children are scrutinized and mistrusted almost by default, it is refreshing to see a strong relationship of mentoring and friendship develop between Uncle Hec and Ricky Baker.

This relationship reminds me of some of the adult men and women in my life when I was a teenager struggling with everything that comes with becoming a young man. These adults outside of my home taught me what it was to be confident in one's abilities, thankful for the opportunity to work hard and to be an honest example of good character. Many of the lessons taught to me by my parents were reinforced by these people, and as a parent I am grateful for these people in my own children’s lives, as I know that “dad’s little life lessons” will only go so far with a teenager.

To be fair, this movie played a few of the jokes a little too long and stereotyped some characters for an easy laugh, but I was able to overlook all of that for the bigger story and the cinematography was unexpectedly brilliant in a few scenes. The film is rated PG-13 with some middle-tier swears and a bloody, but hilarious, boar hunting scene.

How to see it

The movie will be playing for a short time at the Broadway Theater in downtown Salt Lake and will be available on iTunes Tuesday, Sept. 13.

If you get the chance, see it at the Broadway Theater before it’s gone because movies are almost always better at the theater. If you can’t catch it at the theater, don’t stress because it will be just as great from the comfort of your couch.


![Grant Olsen](http://img.ksl.com/slc/2599/259996/25999681\.jpg?filter=ksl/65x65)
About the Author: David Clyde \-----------------------------

David comes from a family of "movie people" of which there are actors, screenwriters, a set designer, a director and yes, a couple of movie reviewers. When David isn't busy living in the real world, he is busy living in someone else's version of it on a movie screen. David is a regular on the KSL Popcorn Report podcast. Contact him at davidclydereviews@gmail.com.

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