Hunt for the Wilderpeople(2016)
dir. Taika Waititi
A foster kid, a grump, and a national manhunt.
Where to watch: Rent or buy on most platformsLetterboxd ↗
Ricky Baker, a defiant foster kid in rural New Zealand, is placed with a warm couple and their grumpy husband, Hec. When things go wrong, Ricky and Hec end up on the run in the bush, with child welfare, police and a helicopter on their trail, which turns into a big, funny national manhunt. It's an adventure comedy about two misfits who find out they are a family.
Why it’s here
The film makes the child welfare system the villain without making the people in it cartoons. What's punk is Ricky's refusal to be what the paperwork says he is. What's pedagogical is that it is a family film that's actually funny and doesn't talk down. Same director as What We Do in the Shadows, already in the catalog.
Where This Film Lives
- Setting
- New Zealand
Read Alongside
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