Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Plot

Ricky Baker (Dennison), a juvenile delinquent who was abandoned by his mother, is taken by child welfare services officer Paula and police officer Andy to live in a remote farm with foster mother Bella and her husband, the cantankerous Hec (Neill). Hec is remote, but Bella quickly manages to break through Ricky's defensive shell by taking him hunting and giving him a dog for his birthday, which he names Tupac after his idol Tupac Shakur.

When Bella suddenly passes away and Hec tells Ricky that child services will take him back, Ricky ineptly fakes his suicide by burning a barn and runs away into the bush with Tupac, where he is completely unable to cope and gets lost. Hec finds him easily but injures his leg in a fall, forcing the two to camp for a period of time. The authorities meanwhile have found the house empty and the barn burnt down, and come to the conclusion that the bereaved and mentally unstable Hec has abducted Ricky. The impression is strengthened after an encounter with three foolish hunters who get the idea that Hec is abusing Ricky sexually. Hec reveals to Ricky that he has served prison time for manslaughter and is illiterate. Ricky, in turn, says his only friend in foster care has died and that he will not return to the system. The pair agrees to disappear into the bush.

A national manhunt ensues, and the two slowly bond while working together to escape arrest. Upon finding another hut, they encounter an unconscious, diabetic ranger. Ricky leaves to find help and runs into a girl his age. She takes him back to her house and introduces him to her dad. Ricky stays the night and returns to the hut where Hec was supposed to be the next morning. Ricky finds the place to be infested with Child Welfare people. Ricky runs away. He then finds Paula and Andy, the head of the manhunt. Paula bribes Ricky, asking him to say that Hec was a sex offender. In return, she tells him that he won't ever go back to juvenile prison. Ricky declines and runs away. He later finds Hec where they continue their travels. They scatter Bella's ashes into a remote lake as per her wishes. Ricky and Hec find a man living out on his own called Psycho Sam (Darby). Sam lets them stay the night. After five months of surviving in the wilderness and several close calls, they are finally caught following a car and helicopter chase and Ricky accidentally shoots Hec in the buttock. Hec gets remanded and Ricky is taken in by a kind family he met while on the run. After Hec's release from jail, Ricky, with his new foster family's permission, returns to the bush with Hec to photograph the huia, an extinct bird which they had re-discovered during their time on the run.

Production

Waititi first began to adapt the book Wild Pork and Watercress in 2005, and completed multiple different drafts. The early drafts stayed true to the book, with characters dying, however this was revised in later versions. Julian Dennison was cast by Waititi from earlier work they did together on a commercial.

The film had a budget of approximately NZ$4.5 million, of which $2 million came from the New Zealand Film Commission.

The film was filmed over 5 weeks, and was shot in locations including the Central Plateau and the Waitakere Ranges. Almost the entire film was shot using a single camera.

Release

The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on 22 January 2016 and was released in cinemas on 31 March 2016 in New Zealand by Madman Entertainment and The Orchard. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in America on 25 October 2016 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The soundtrack was released on 8 April 2016 by Majestical Pictures Ltd.

Box office

The film grossed NZ$1,263,000 in New Zealand on its opening weekend, the highest grossing opening weekend for a New Zealand film, ahead of What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?'s $912,000. It has become the highest grossing New Zealand film, making over NZ$ 12 million.

Internationally, as of October 2016 the film has grossed $10,935,319 (AUD) in Australia, in UK $507,380 (USD) and $5,137,201 (USD) in North America.

Critical response

Hunt for the Wilderpeople has received widespread critical acclaim. The film was certified "fresh" by Rotten Tomatoes, after it scored a rating of 97%, based on 169 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "The charmingly offbeat Hunt for the Wilderpeople unites a solid cast, a talented filmmaker, and a poignant, funny, deeply affecting message." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 81 out of 100, based on 30 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Praise was directed at Neill and Dennison for their acting. In his review, Hamish Popplestone remarked: "Though both flawed, Neill's and Dennison's characters are so, so charming on-screen and are fully apt at weaving through the dramatic, comedic, and sad points of the script." Empire magazine named Hunt for the Wilderpeople the number one film for 2016.