MOVIE REVIEWS

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a movie that pulls together comedy, adventure, and human relationships. I enjoyed this movie because of its characters, beautiful locations, and comedic aspect.

 

This movie is set in New Zealand, where a thirteen-year-old boy is taken into a foster home on the borders of the bush. He develops a loving relationship with his foster-aunt, Bella. In contrast, Bella’s husband, Hec, is cold and callous towards Ricky.

 

Early in the movie, Bella dies from an unknown health issue, and Ricky runs into the bush to flee social services, who would take him away and put him into another home. Ricky runs into Hec, and they accidentally spurr a manhunt that spans over many months, and the odd pair trek through the bush, evading social services, led by Paula, an iron-fisted social service worker.

 

There are many things I liked about this movie and one thing was that Ricky was introduced as a rowdy troublemaker, but he actually grew to love his foster aunt and uncle. While he was in the bush, he was curious, imaginative, and eager to learn about survival. This contradicts the stereotype of stubborn characters that refuse to build relationships when put into a new environment. I enjoyed seeing how Hec began to warm up to Ricky and how they became close, but not sappy. Their experiences in the bush drew them together in a way that no other situation could have done.

 

This movie was definitely a comedy, and it almost seemed satire at points.The comedic aspect of the movie kept it from being too sappy. Still, Hec and Ricky shared some tender moments as they processed Bella’s death and as Ricky told some details of his past homes. But these two were straightforward with each other and with the events, not being overemotional.

 

A large portion of the movie took place in the bush, and there were some scenes in the mountains or by waterfalls that were beautiful, especially because there were many sweeping aerial camera shots that captured the expanse of the setting. Contrasting with the vast outdoor scenes, many indoor settings were cluttered and disarranged, highlighting the difference between the open outdoors and cramped indoors.

 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople also had a variety of unique and entertaining supporting characters. The sharp-nosed woman from Social Services, Paula, is portrayed almost as a villain, although her motive is just to do her job. A ludicrous trailer-dweller who helps Ricky and Hec sidestep Paula and her small army. A trio of ridiculous hikers that run into Ricky and Hec and hype the manhunt. These characters give the movie more layers and increase the comedic aspect.

 

The characters in this movie were very realistic, and although some were very bizarre, most of these characters seem like people that could exist in real life. Each character had their own quirks, but that made them seem more natural. I think the realness of the characters made the movie so good because the main characters weren’t overdramatized or made to be larger-than-life.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a movie I would definitely recommend if you want laughs and an adventure. This movie shows how unlikely circumstances can bring people together and how important human relationships are for Ricky and Hec.