There’s a reason Hunt for the Wilderpeople is New Zealand’s highest-grossing film to date: it’s just that good.
The heart-warming, at times heart-wrenching, dramedy is the latest from director Taika Waititi, who’s currently working on Marvel’s upcoming Thor: Ragnarok.
The Kiwi film stars Sam Neill — a New Zealander despite his convincing American accent in Jurassic Park and his utter Irish-ness in BBC series Peaky Blinders (he also holds British and Irish nationality) — and 13-year-old dynamite talent Julian Dennison.
Their onscreen banter and combined acting chops are enough to justify the film’s certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes — yep, that means 100 per cent — but it’s the profound simplicity of the film’s plot that makes it so loveable.
First we meet young Ricky Baker (Dennison), failed by the foster care system and dubbed ‘difficult’ to deal with. He’s welcomed by the wide-open and adoring arms of Aunt Bella (Rima Te Wiata), who lives right next to ‘the bush’ — the native forest. But her partner, Uncle Hec (Neill), is a sourpuss of an old man who rejects Ricky at every turn.
When tragedy strikes, Uncle Hec and Ricky — armed with guns, knives and inappropriate haikus — are thrown into a wild manhunt, running (quite literally) into the most ludicrous of situations, while New Zealand’s stunning greenery provides a cascade of backdrops.
But despite the film’s laugh-out-loud moments, it never feels kitschy or cheap. Based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump, it’s split into chapters that hit you with a one-two punch of hilarity and stark emotion. An unlikely pair, Uncle Hec and Ricky are together in their loneliness.
While Hunt for the Wilderpeople will make you happy, it will also provide a truthful glimpse into the best and worst of the human condition. And that’s something you don’t want to miss.
Dennison, in Dubai to promote the film, spoke to tabloid! about making New Zealand’s biggest movie.
In your own words, what’s this movie about?
It’s Fast and Furious, mixed with Terminator — put that together, and you do not get this film. It’s about a foster boy, played by me. He goes to this family and meets this loving auntie named Aunt Bella, and a grumpy old man played by Sam Neill called Uncle Hec. Something happens and he ends up going on an adventure with Uncle Hec. There’s adventure, there’s tanks, there’s guns. Craziness happens in the bush. It’s really fun and it’s really sad. That’s pretty much the film.
You mentioned the grumpy old man. What was it like to work with Sam?
He’s a grumpy old man! No. Now I can call him a friend. He’s a good actor, but he’s a great man, and he’s an awesome person to work with. The experience — even being able to know Sam, and be in the same room as Sam [is amazing]. I spent five weeks with him, filming and shooting. He’s just so down-to-earth and so loving and so caring for other people. We’d just met, and he was like, ‘Do you want a grape?’ We would do some of the more emotional scenes for about a week before we started filming, because we really wanted to get that Ricky Baker and Hec bond.
Was it intimidating at all getting to know him at first?
I have to admit, it was like — knowing him was sort of like, ‘Ah!’, ‘cause he’s such a well-known person, everywhere you go, there’s always someone who goes, ‘Can you take a photo? Can you sign this?’
This film has been doing so well so far. Who do you think this film is for?
Anyone, pretty much. Anyone can watch it. And anyone who watches it can relate to a character. It can be the hunters, or Auntie Bella, Uncle Hec, Ricky Baker, Paula (Rachel House) or Andy (Oscar Kightley). Anyone can relate to a character. It’s for all ages. You can be young, you can be old, you can be in your 30s-40s.
One of the fun parts is that you get to swear a bit.
Yeah. Mum’s right there!
Was it fun for you on-set, on camera, to get to say those lines?
Yeah, actually, it was a bit fun. But definitely with some of the swearing, every time I’d swear, I’d look at mum after they say cut, and she’d say, ‘It’s okay.’ It was really hard for me, because I don’t normally swear.
I guess that’s a magic of playing a character?
Yeah, yeah. I was like, ‘I can’t swear, mum, I can’t do this — I can’t do this scene.’ And Taika and mum and Sam would tell me, ‘You’re playing a character. You have to remember, it’s not you.’
How did you prepare for the character? Did you speak to any foster kids beforehand?
I didn’t speak to any foster kids beforehand. We had a week of training and rehearsals, and that’s how I got into it. Sam knows a few Hecs — and I know there’s a few Hecs in New Zealand. Barry Crump, the author of the book Wild Pork and Watercress that this movie was based on, was an Uncle Hec. I don’t personally know a Ricky Baker. There might be one in New Zealand. There might be a few. Taika and Rachel House, who was my dialogue coach, helped me visualise what he’s been through and the things he’s seen.
This is your third film. What has it taught you? How much has changed?
This has definitely blown up globally. Reviews have been amazing. We were certified fresh from Rotten Tomatoes. It got five stars from Empire, if I’m not mistaken. It’s been really awesome.
The New Zealand film industry is still growing. And you’re Maori as well. How important is it to have representation in films, and for kids to see people that come from the same places they do?
After doing this film, [there’s a place] about a half an hour plane ride out of Auckland, in New Zealand, called Whangarei, and I spoke to about 800 students, running from the end of primary school to the end of intermediate. The kids ended up telling the teacher that it was the best speech they had. I was like, ‘Oh, awesome!’ Being able to let people know — especially kids around my age — that it doesn’t matter how wealthy you are, or where you come from, or who your parents are, if you have dreams, you can do them. If your dreams aren’t challenging, they’re not really a dream. I want to do directing and acting. I can do them at the same time — it’s a challenge, but it’s my dream. Knowing that I inspire kids, it’s a great feeling.
Final question — are you any good at haikus at real life?
I think you’re saying that you want me to do a haiku right now…
I do! I want you to do a haiku about this film.
Okay, I could probably… Okay. We are in Dubai. For Hunt for the Wilder — sorry, I’ll start that again. We are in Dubai, doing promotion. Okay! We are in Dubai… for …the new movie release. Hunt for the Wilderpeople! That wasn’t a good haiku. I’m going to look really bad in this interview now.
Don’t miss it:
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is now in cinemas in the UAE.
