Review: Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (12A)

New Zealand 2016 99 mins Dir: Taika Waititi Cast: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rachel House, Rima Te Wiata, Oscar Kightley, Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi

Blend affectionate 2008 movie Son of Rambow with its inspiration Rambo, add more than a soupcon of gloriously nutty New Zealand sensation Flight of the Conchords and, to finish, throw in a pinch of Up‘s Pixar poignancy; such a blend will bring you the flavour of Hunt for the Wilderpeople, the latest slice of Kiwi craziness from the master of such things, Taiki Waititi. Truthfully though, the tone of Waititi’s latest is so singular and cheekily off-the-wall that such a facile description ought to be parked; this is a movie that operates firmly on its own steam, one of the many reasons why it’s so entertaining.

Lining themselves up for Greatest Buddy Duo of 2016 award are screen veteran Sam Neill and brilliantly sharp newcomer Julian Dennison as the mismatched chalk and cheese partnership of Hec and Ricky. They’re being pursued through the New Zealand bush by an entire army of faceless social services bureacrats (brilliantly embodied by a scene-chomping Rachel House). The reason? It all begins when Ricky, having been repeatedly passed through the system on the basis of his loitering, spitting, arson and more besides, is sent to live out in the countryside with the kindly Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and the aforementioned, grumpy Hec.

Just as city boy Ricky is acclimatising to his new way of life, tragedy strikes (the first hint of the movie’s genuinely poignant undercurrents) with reluctant foster uncle Hec the only one to take care of him. Heading off on his own with the aim of living wild off the land, Ricky’s survival skills don’t count for much; luckily gruff and experienced hog-slaughterer Hec soon accompanies him, inaugurating a nationwide manhunt as House’s relentless Paula looks to bring Ricky back in.

Waititi’s riotously funny vampire mockumentary What We Do In the Shadows is probably the greatest distillation of his razor-sharp humour, and if Wilderpeople isn’t quite as mercilessly hilarious as that it is more emotionally substantial, reminiscent of the melancholy tone of the director’s earlier Eagle Vs. Shark and Boy. The film, divided into chapters, forages a well-worn path as its old guy/young guy banter slowly reveals an emotional thaw in Hec and a (partial) growth to maturity in Ricky, but with a steady stream of great gags anchored by two terrific central performances, it wins the audience over.

Indeed its the honesty of the chemistry that ties the movie together. Neill is rarely an actor given to overstatement and he’s therefore perfect to convey Hec’s subtly dawning sense of heart; this meshes brilliantly with Ricky’s lonely yet plucky sense of optimism as played superbly by Dennison. (A particular bedtime conversation scene is especially lovely in teasing out their increasing love for one another.)

The film also manages its frequent leaps in tone brilliantly, bouncing from the brutality of nature (Ricky’s eyes opening to the reality of the wild) to a hugely risky but hilarious running gag about Hec’s seemingly perverted nature that’s picked up by the media; such a joke could have clanged spectacularly but Waititi knows exactly where to rein it in. It sums up the movie in a nutshell, one that’s got both a wild side and a genuine sense of heart that’s a real pleasure to experience.