Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Taika Waititi's fourth feature is the tale of a city kid and a grumpy uncle on the run. Raised on hip hop and state care, Ricky (Shopping's Julian Dennison) goes bush with his foster uncle (Sam Neill). The authorities are on their tail. In this excerpt, the pair get caught, and s**t gets real. Wilderpeople is based on Barry Crump book Wild Pork and Watercress. Keen to recapture the style of classic screen yarns like Came a Hot Friday, Waititi's aim was a funny, accessible adventure. The result won acclaim almost everywhere it went, and became New Zealand's biggest ever local hit. 

..a deliciously good time at the movies ... finally, what makes Wilderpeople memorable is how attached audiences become to the characters, and as played by Dennison and Neill, they are two fully realized, full of flaws but nonetheless oh-so loveable human beings.

– Boyd van Hoeij in a Hollywood Reporter review of the film, 23 January 2016

Key Cast & Crew

Sam Neill

As: Uncle Hec

Taika Waititi

Director, Writer, Producer

Julian Dennison

As: Ricky Baker

Rachel House

As: Paula

Leanne Saunders

Producer

Carthew Neal

Producer