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Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

2016
Comedy, Drama
1h 41m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 65.52% from 2103 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(2103)
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Rated 06 Feb 2018
90
92nd
Every so often I'll watch a movie that pushes a few of the right buttons. Amongst those, there will be the rare one or two that push all the right buttons. Then, once in a blue hunter's blood mega moon eclipse, a movie will push so many buttons that the movie pushing the buttons gets Nintendinitis and has to be put down like a rabid dog (seeing as there is no cure for Nintendinitis). My watching this movie gave it Nintendinitis. RIP Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Rated 09 Aug 2016
85
94th
Absolute pleasantness and so very, very welcome. I'm trying to think who outside of Taika Waititi and maybe Pixar is making pleasant movies to watch. I was pleasantly surprised when I didn't go blind watching Independence Day 2: Double the Independence, but it wasn't actually pleasant to watch. In stark contrast to the latest movies I really enjoyed like Green Room, Swiss Army Man, High Rise, The Neon Demon...oh, God. There's something wrong with me.
Rated 22 Jun 2018
84
86th
A fun and funny movie with a definite oddball feel. Neill and Dennison make a great pairing. Having seen this it's quite clear why Waititi got picked to helm a blockbuster like "Thor: Ragnarok".
Rated 20 Jul 2016
90
94th
A lovely movie filled with lots of heart, wonderful humor, and beautiful scenery. The chemistry between Neill and Dennison is phenomenal, and Rima Te Wiata should get accolades for her short but strong performance. It does have numerous cliches peppered throughout and somehow mostly transcends them. Not only did I not mind them, I often found them kind of charming.
Rated 26 May 2016
62
18th
A decent light comedy. You can tell that the actors, director, and editor are all comedically alligned to bring some well executed jokes, but there's not quite enough of them and they're not funny enough. More problematic is the overall concept of the film, which is based on miscommunications, characters jumping to conclusions, and of course falsely alleged child molestation -- I hate it when comedy movies contrive their "comedic" stories in this fashion.
Rated 14 Nov 2016
87
82nd
I hate how the film, to draw laughter for its audience or present it some (in fact unnecessary) sense of 'epicness', tries way to hard at times and goes completely off scale - like the army involvement, every scene with that child welfare lady,... However, all the scenes with the kid and their foster parents are fantastic, I liked the presentation and its light-hearted feel. I think anyone can enjoy it, so I highly recommend it.
Rated 09 Nov 2016
68
52nd
This is a unique, funny but quite uneven film. When it hits the mark, it's absolute gold, and there are a lot of really funny lines and scenes which alone make it worth watching. Unfortunately it misses the mark quite frequently too with eye rolling effect. It's a black comedy which is sweet one moment and very dark the next and this inconsistency in tone was probably my biggest problem with it. The care officer who acted like a military officer was also a complete misfire for me.
Rated 09 Aug 2016
88
67th
Cute, lots of humor, and distinctively of New Zealand. Hits some of the jokes (and some of the drama) a little too hard, but otherwise, it is another Sam Neill performance you won't regret watching.
Rated 13 Aug 2017
70
56th
Starts strong, doesn't give any clues about the reasons of its awkwardness and creates a universe of its own with a unique sense of humor. But especially towards the end, it cannot achieve maintaining its eccentricity promise as it repeats the scheme of "mantic rebellion movies" like Badlands or Pierrot Le For where a romantic uprising fails in front of a huge central power such as state and/or society. But overall a quiet fun watch.
Rated 26 Sep 2018
80
68th
Funny az, Broo! Waititi is quickly establishing himself as one of my favourite comedy film-makers. The dialogue in this is absolutely hilarious and it's carried by a cast with perfect comic timing. Also, on technical level it's no slouch either, with some great camerawork and editing. An absolutely pleasant film that unfortunately runs a little too short and is perhaps a little bit too heavy-handed when it attempts to go into more dramatic territory.
Rated 30 Jul 2021
91
67th
I was slightly overhyped, but only slightly. This movie is very wholesome. It never feels sappy and there's a perfect balance between seriousness and comedy. Both of the leads are wonderful and Rachel House was hilarious. It's also very pretty and well directed. People who watched Thor: Ragnorok and assumed all of Waititi's movies were straight comedies should give this one a shot. It's for great characters and a bleak, endearing treatment of grief and trying to fit in. Very good!
Rated 08 Jan 2017
70
79th
A sweet beautifully filmed story with an amazing amount of odd humor thrown in. It's acted well and although it has the definite indie feel, it never feels pretentious or aggravating.
Rated 29 Oct 2017
89
95th
Grumpy old Sam Neil who hates kids. It's like Jurassic Park all over again.
Rated 13 Sep 2016
85
80th
A really playful and quirky tale about an old man who learns to love a foster kid. I laughed enough that it was successful as a comedy, and I'd be lying if I said that the more emotional parts didn't get to me. It's also beautiful, with picturesque shots of the bush, along with some pretty awesome music on occasion. It was easy to get lost in this.
Rated 21 Feb 2016
75
77th
Hugely enjoyable. Neill and the kid are both great.
Rated 23 Sep 2016
87
84th
Waititi's most accomplished film by far, with lots of great laughs and some gorgeous photography. Steeped into cliche at times, and the very VERY final part of the climax kinda brings it down, but definitely one of the brightest gems in an already pretty fantastic year.
Rated 16 Apr 2020
97
88th
Adventurous, hilarious, and deep all at once. Riccckkyyy Baker
Rated 08 Nov 2016
80
61st
I went in expecting it to be an eye roller, but even though it's heavy on the quirky indie stylings it's rather funny and has a genuine core that is effective without being sappy.
Rated 21 Oct 2016
85
75th
Not enough can be said about Waititi's intention to make the characters as empathetic as possible, and it's all earned. Genuinely idiosyncratic and funny. Wears its influences on its sleeve (Wes Anderson, Edgar Wright) but I didn't find it too cute like some have noted. It's personal preference. Sam Neill needs more roles like this.
Rated 23 Dec 2016
80
73rd
Waititi continues his success of releasing movies that are objectively hard to dislike. By no means is this perfect, but man is it the epitome of pleasant. The likeness to a Pixar flick is just, but really everyone involved succeeds in being both funny and honest.
Rated 15 Dec 2016
67
62nd
Is there a way to see how people rank Garden State and how people rank this? If you like Garden State and Safety Not Guaranteed you'll probably like this.
Rated 26 Dec 2016
70
59th
The Kiwi Revenant! Yeah, we've seen grumpy old men bond with outsider kids before, and we'll see it again, and once this movie sets the scene it's not exaclty wildly unpredictable. But it's got enough of a dry sense of humour and emotional weight to never get too saccharine.
Rated 01 Sep 2017
80
79th
Gorgeously filmed, charmingly acted, and while the (sometimes shaky) balance between drama and absurdity leans towards comedy it still possesses affecting substance on both sides of the fulcrum.
Rated 22 Jul 2016
55
45th
this movie gets released every year, and they should always just call it "Mild Chuckles and Cheap Tears"
Rated 03 Jun 2016
3
30th
sometimes fucking hilarious, mostly tryhard kiwi bro-film where a father figure and a son figure traipse through a forest avoiding hunger, hunters and child rape accusations. naturally.
Rated 09 Dec 2016
61
74th
A haiku: Lost and out of leaves/Bear Ricky shits in the woods/No child left behind
Rated 04 Mar 2017
84
86th
Taika Waititi finds a nice balance of comic absurdity and heart-tugging sentiment in HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, a movie that advances the director's case for the title of the Kiwi Wes Anderson. The sublime drollery is unceremoniously elbowed out of the way by cartoony mayhem at times; however, Waititi's world is too wide, too mad, and too weird not to accommodate any misfit.
Rated 02 Jun 2016
80
86th
Super enjoyable; it's a very lighthearted, warm and fun film. It's not a laugh-out-loud type film, but it'll have you giggling and smiling throughout. With great performances and the unique Kiwi-quirks, it definitely overcomes the somewhat typical storyline, and you'll simply just have a ball watching this.
Rated 29 Apr 2018
71
53rd
I enjoyed the beginning, but felt the middle dragged a bit and by the end the film had just lost its initial charm. The chapter structure was kind of obnoxious, should have been less chapters or not be shown at all. Mostly enjoyable enough, but not that memorable. Would have been a better film if it was just a bit shorter and the ending was more creative and original.
Rated 26 Sep 2016
60
68th
Charming comedy which showcases the NZ scenery and refreshingly stars an overweight kiwi kid. Sam Neill co-stars and it's a joy to see him in a film like this. Eclectic soundtrack is also great and puts Leonard Cohen's Partisan into good use. It's not perfect: target audience was a bit hazy: too vulgar for the kids, too naive for adults. The script doesn't offer many surprises and feels like you've seen it all before. Still, a feel-good flick is a rare thing nowadays, so can't complain too much.
Rated 21 Jan 2017
71
78th
Surprisingly funny and thanks to a set of compelling characters it's really charming. In its own words. Majestical!
Rated 06 Feb 2017
7
63rd
Uneven, mostly for better but sometimes for worse: The fast paced story hinders good character development, comes to an unsatisfying climax, and feels a little too fantastic for its setting, but generally, splashes of dark humour ("well that's dinner sorted!") and silliness (see the bevy of quirky secondary characters), along with the charismatic lead kid, mesh well with the energetic editing (see the dramatic still shots of Ricky's room; the boar slaughter) and calming scenic cinematography.
Rated 04 Apr 2016
70
67th
This is a really sweet, fun and whimsical movie. Waititi is really skilled at capturing the 'Kiwi' attitude and psyche in an amusing and entertaining way. The young actor in the lead role is great and very likable and he and Sam Neill work really well off each other. I didn't think it was as heartwarming as Boy or as funny What We Do in the Shadows, but it is definitely both those things. Anyway, I recommend it - you're pretty much guaranteed to have a good time with it.
Rated 24 Apr 2017
70
58th
Like many others have said, it's very refreshing to see a movie that's actually pleasant and fun without getting obnoxious. For me, this had a strong Wes-Anderson-but-less-annoying feel. It's a tightrope walk between funny, cheesy and heartfelt, and for most of the movie it goes over impressively well. However, in the last 15-20 minutes I felt like the movie lost its precarious balance and drifted into full standard-issue-indie-movie mode. Regardless, a very worthwhile watch.
Rated 10 Apr 2018
80
86th
Simply a joy.
Rated 15 May 2017
76
70th
Feel good movie. Love sam Neil always
Rated 02 Oct 2016
67
76th
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a charming film with a great soundtrack. The best bits are small character moments which are funny, off-beat, and occasionally touching, and there are plenty of them. While the film didn't completely resonate with me, it was enjoyable for the most part, and I'm glad I watched it.
Rated 14 Apr 2017
80
86th
need a dog just to name it '2Pac'
Rated 23 Apr 2017
60
45th
Waititi has this thing going for him like Wes Anderson where his characters feel like characters, but are put into human situations. The somber scenes in the film just aren't as effective and feel out of place because of that. This is still a fun adventure film nevertheless with some laughs here or there.
Rated 07 Feb 2018
90
85th
Absolute crack up of a film, but the film still has it's fair share of amazing story telling and interaction, thanks to this film the New Zealand film industry is growing bigger and bigger, here's hoping to more movies by Taika Waititi.
Rated 03 Jan 2017
85
93rd
A joyful film with loads of heart that has got to be among the best releases of 2016. There's tonnes of humour and the characters really pop off the screen. The film also showed off New Zealand well. Towards the end it got a bit silly (I wasn't expecting them to have the budget for such over-the-top chase sequences) but not enough to mar the overall enjoyment. This coming-of-age story also has emotional depth and a really nice message. Taika Waititi is now an absolutely brilliant filmmaker IMO.
Rated 03 Jan 2017
93
96th
One of my favorite movies of 2016. One kind and funny tale about a kid with authority issues and his foster uncle running from the authorities in the NZ forests.
Rated 30 Oct 2016
90
70th
Hunt for the Wilderpeople plays out like an adventure film only packed to the brim with Kiwi charm. It's heartfelt, genuinely hilarious and made with serious care towards its writing. Sam Neill and Julian Dennison play off each other with wonderful chemistry and comedic timing that only strengthens their characters journey for purpose, companionship and the spirit of rebellious adventure.
Rated 14 Jan 2017
85
92nd
Indie to the max!!! It's like First Blood, a man alone. Well, two men...
Rated 15 Feb 2017
80
84th
It's definitely Waititi's best thus far. Consistently funny, sensitively shot and unwaveringly affectionate. More than worth a look.
Rated 25 Jul 2016
70
54th
Quirky, off-kilter comedy, and though I'm not as enamored of it as some people, it was enjoyable.
Rated 02 Feb 2018
7
69th
Not bad, although it turns silly towards the end.
Rated 13 Nov 2016
20
9th
Kiwi-flavored but odiously trite bullcrap.
Rated 11 Oct 2016
71
50th
çocuk esirgeme, koruyucu aile, mimli çocuk, ölüm, orman, ormanda yaşamak, polis, kovalamaca, kaçma, domuz avi, (çocuk esirgemeden alinan küçük çocuk yeni ailesine tam alisirken annesi vefat eder. amca dediği koruyucu baba ise çocukla pek ilgili değildir. Üstelik çocuk esirgeme çocugu geri ister. Adam ormana gder. Çocukta peşinden peşinden bir kaçma kovalama öyküsü başlar.) OĞLUMLA İZLEDİM
Rated 01 Dec 2017
42
69th
Dragged in the middle but, overall, this is a lovely film. Makes me nostalgic for summer camp, canoe trips, and being in the silent woods.
Rated 06 Feb 2017
81
82nd
This is an original and well made film. Julian Dennison gives an outstanding performance, the movie would not work without a great performance from him. The script is great. Overall I would highly recommend this film.
Rated 01 Feb 2018
61
17th
It's fine. I laughed more than I thought, so I was pleasantly surprised.
Rated 14 Feb 2018
78
75th
A cute movie with nice characters and cozy story. It feels like a cartoon/animation at times and now I know why: the boy reminded me of the boy from the movie Up.
Rated 11 Apr 2017
75
73rd
Great movie for everyone.
Rated 27 May 2017
91
85th
Wonderful adventure film goes more or less where you expect from the plot synopsis, but transcends its ODD COUPLE roots through its gorgeous New Zealand scenery, an at times delightfully demented, fairy-tale sense of humour, and pitch-perfect performances from Neill and Dennison. Wiata also proves a dab-hand at dead-pan as Neill's wife. Could have arguably done without the 'manhunt' subplot and instead made it a purely 'back-to-basics' fable, but that's just a minor quibble!
Rated 07 Feb 2018
65
46th
Quite nice actually.
Rated 18 Sep 2016
60
57th
Good Sunday afternoon fodder.
Rated 21 Nov 2016
70
96th
Yeah, this one has a good heart. A tribute to those that shouldn't be out in the wilderness. Or guardians.... Highly enjoyable!
Rated 30 Jun 2018
70
47th
A textbook example of a film that gets an average, or 70, score from me. Nothing here is superlative, but it's the kind of film you can watch once and have some laughs about.
Rated 24 Nov 2016
79
81st
Super!
Rated 15 Jan 2017
73
67th
Heartwarming and funny, if slight.
Rated 07 Nov 2016
82
69th
A really good time at the movies, the film has plenty of oddball comedy, particularly that which comes out of the largely tense and difficult relationship between Ricky and Hector. Loved Bella's character as well, making an impression with very little screen time. The villains were way too villain-y, which made them more distracting than menacing. In a light-hearted comedy, that makes some sense, but with other more serious events mixed in (e.g. deaths), it does seem an odd fit.
Rated 21 Nov 2016
84
83rd
Great script with offbeat characters, played to perfection by Neill and Dennison.
Rated 06 Jul 2016
38
49th
Amply entertaining and amusing. The last bit of user Neonman's review about sums up where I have reservations on this, though.
Rated 14 Mar 2017
8
92nd
Dryly funny and very touching with a heartwarming story and sightly bizarre colourful antipodean characters. Good fun.
Rated 27 Jan 2018
92
60th
At times poignant and touching, and at others, funny, endearingly silly, this film benefits from good performances from a very talented cast. The centre premise - that of a curmudgeon slowly lightened by youth - is a well-worn one, but you'll have a job finding a better version of it than this.
Rated 19 Sep 2016
6
43rd
A bit inconsistent in tone, but very charming nonetheless. Really loved the kid's performance as well. Also as a side note: massive respect for NZ cinema for including tons of Maori actors in the business.
Rated 23 Aug 2016
79
49th
A problem child (Julian Dennison) and his foster father (Sam Neill) find themselves on the run after the latter is suspected of kidnapping. The boy's fantasies of being a gangster provide a fair amount of the humor. Enjoyable Kiwi comedy, overpraised by some - it's just not quite as funny or impactful as it wants to be - but marked by good acting (especially Neill's) and sprightly direction by Taika Waititi, a marked improvement on his previous film.
Rated 22 Oct 2016
70
16th
TBH - Fell asleep for ten minutes or so around "Chapter 3", didn't fill like I missed much. A hearty-if-no-moving, feel-good coming of age, hidden in pseudo adventure, as most of the struggle with nature is embellished. On the other hand, Rhys Darby being goofier than FofC is no easy task, so at least it has that rooting for it.
Rated 02 Jul 2017
90
54th
A sweet, very sweet adventure movie with very enjoyable characters
Rated 11 Aug 2016
75
67th
The first half of this movie is an utter delight - funny, sweet, wonderfully acted. The second half loses its way some; it's a little touch-and-go, a little hit-or-miss, and a little bit of a mess, although even then it has its pleasures (Rhys Darby!). My favorite of Waititi's films to date - I just wish I loved the second half as much as the first.
Rated 17 Jan 2017
72
77th
A heartwarming and pleasant movie with a bunch of likeable characters.
Rated 14 Jan 2017
95
98th
ded.
Rated 01 Apr 2019
70
89th
Charming small budget film from the hilarious Taika Waititi, who's small cameo here attempts to steal the film. I can definitely see why he's doing great in Hollywood now, as he has great comedic timing. Also a breakthrough role for young Julian Dennison, who is the real scene stealer here. Props to all involved. That Ricky Baker song is still stuck in my head a week later.
Rated 20 Jun 2017
88
80th
I love analyzing movies. I also love having fun watching movies. Hunt for the Wilderpeople was absolutely one of those experiences for me. I found myself with a grin for most of the film. From Taika Waititi's direction (that at times reminded me of an early Wes Anderson) to the stoic, deadpan performance from Sam Neill (Hec) and the exuberant bombastic one from Julian Dennison (Ricky), I couldn't stop smiling.
Rated 12 Mar 2018
88
82nd
Beautiful movie with a great story. Simply joyful.
Rated 29 Mar 2018
82
89th
Criticker prediction: 81, Actual: 82. Good job. Anyway, this movie, which I had never heard of until I viewed a Kumpel's rating, was definitely worth the watch. It's streaming on Hulu. A good, although not completely original, story, beautiful shots of the NZ bush, an occasional disturbing scene, and just the right amount of silliness to make for an excellent film.
Rated 12 May 2018
70
54th
Unexpectedly funny. Really a unique kind of movie. Very well done, had some good laughs
Rated 09 Apr 2019
85
79th
Really enjoyable, fun story about a kid and his reluctant father-figure on the run in the bush. Full of quirky characters and funny lines, and it has a heart. Sam Neill is great as the grumpy old guy.
Rated 27 Mar 2020
93
84th
I really really liked this movie.
Rated 29 May 2020
85
88th
Charming, funny, all round really good.
Rated 23 Nov 2020
85
75th
Was good. Quirky films are a better export than genocide.
Rated 03 Mar 2021
100
86th
I give it 110/100. Easy. https://esperwatchesfilms.tumblr.com/post/644593084916695040/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople-2016
Rated 14 Apr 2021
72
66th
Pretty majestical.
Rated 26 May 2021
72
50th
Spoilers! You can tell this has Disney blood as soon as the parent/guardian gets offed in the setup. A tried and true heart-string tug. The third act fell apart into nonsense.
Rated 09 May 2021
84
58th
Funny movie with a lot of heart set in a beautiful landscape.
Rated 14 Oct 2021
88
71st
Having never heard of this movie beforehand, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed it. Taika is slowly but surely becoming of my favorite and more dependable writer/directors. I give 8 kiwi accents out of 10.
Rated 20 Mar 2023
67
53rd
It does both sweet and funny well, though the funny stood out much more for me personally. Rhys Darby and Rachel House in particular were very funny.
Rated 10 Nov 2017
54
23rd
یه فوتوکپی نصفه و نیمه از فیلمهای وس اندرسون... وس اندرسون خیلی بهتر اینجور فیلما رو میسازه... دوز فانتزی توی فیلمای اندرسون بیشتره و همین جذاب ترش میکنه... اگه از وس اندرسون فیلم ندیده باشی این فیلمو تحسین میکنی ولی اگه دیده باشی میگی این فیلم در قیاس با فیلمای وس اندرسون خیلی ضع
Rated 07 Jul 2017
7
50th
cute, funny. a good chill movie to watch if you aren't in the mood for anything too heavy. some of the soundtrack choices blew me away.
Rated 19 Mar 2017
70
57th
72
Rated 27 Mar 2017
90
93rd
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a hilarious story that features unique comedy brought to the screen by talented director/screenwriter Taika Waititi. It is a delightful movie that is watchable over and over again.
Rated 27 Dec 2016
98
97th
awesome surprise. such a fun silly movie. too bad the director has not really lived up to my expectations since
Rated 04 Feb 2017
65
73rd
Very good.
Rated 10 Jan 2017
85
75th
yönetmenin diğer filmlerine bakılsın..........
Rated 24 Jun 2020
55
41st
This film has its moments (of humour, sadness etc.) and is certainly fast paced (i.e. not boring), but noticeably absent is the sincerity and subtlety of the way in which Waititi treated father-like figures (and their relationship with sons, surrogate and natural) in 'Boy'.
Rated 01 Mar 2017
83
58th
Fun!
Rated 20 Jul 2016
50
26th
null
Rated 19 Feb 2017
75
69th
beylik ifadesiyle *yeryüzünde anlatılmamış hikaye kalmamış* mı bilemiyorum, ama iki filmdir tanıdık anlatıları alıp güzelce kıvırarak ve ilgi çekici tipler yaratarak sürükleyici ve keyifli hikayeler anlatmayı başarıyor waititi. mizah anlayışı ayrıca bir övgü noktası. sinemayı seven insanların film yapması büyülü sonuçlar doğuruyor. şimdi bir de sam'in de ayrı bir filmi olsa...
Rated 28 Mar 2019
96
90th
Funny, bittersweet and majestical. Sam Neil is the man.

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