Cloves and Fedoras: Go See the Incredible Movie "Hunt for the Wilderpeople"

Cloves and Fedoras is Seed Sings reviews for little known pieces of pop culture.  Feel free to contact us with your own submissions of undiscovered gems that must be known.

Over the past weekend, I got the chance to see "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". I had been looking forward to seeing it since I saw the trailer and heard that it was directed by Taika Waititi. Waititi hit a home run with "What We Do in the Shadows", so I assumed his follow up would be just as good. I really enjoy Waititi, and he makes funny, but also kind of moving movies.

Well, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" was not only as good as "What We Do in the Shadows", but, just as a movie in general, it was better. Sure, "What We Do in the Shadows" had more laughs, but that movie was made as a straight forward comedy. It did it's job. "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" definitely had it's funny moments, but there was more heart and more sweetness to this movie.

The movie is, if you want the bare bones, about a young, troubled kid that gets taken in by a lady and her husband. The couple can't have kids of their own, so they figure this is the next best way. The lady, Bella(Rima Te Wiata), or Aunt Bella to the young boy, was a very happy go lucky lady. She was always smiling and seemed to enjoy every moment of life. She always had a story to tell or a compliment to give. The husband, Hec(Sam Neill), or Uncle Hec, was more of a low key, keep to himself type of person. He much preferred hunting and hiking, usually, by himself.

Then, there was the boy, Ricky Baker(Julian Dennison). He was a ruffian. He had been in and out of juvenile hall. He didn't know his dad and his mom gave him up when he was a baby. He liked to cause trouble, and wherever he was, trouble usually found him. The Child Protective Service people found a home for him, and it was Bella's and Hec's. The lady that was in charge of CPS, Paula(Rachel House), was no nonsense and didn't take any of Ricky's crap. When they drop Ricky off at the house, he is hesitant to stay. He doesn't like being in the wild, Bella and Hec live in the New Zealand bush. He has no cell service and TV is not really an option. Ricky tries to run away the first night, but being the portly young fellow that he is, he doesn't get more than a hundred feet away before Bella finds him the next morning.

Bella and Ricky strike up a friendship after a few days. Bella is very nice to him, and she wants him to have the childhood he never really got. She shows him how to do things around the farm that need to be done. They pluck fur off animals. They shoot rifles. She even takes him hunting, and when Bella guts a pig, Ricky is freaked out, but he also kind of grows to respect Bella even more after seeing this.

Unfortunately, Bella unexpectedly passes away. We see Hec crying over her dead body, and Ricky walks up to this travesty. The funeral scene follows, and in classic Waititi style, something that can be so somber and down is made very humorous. Waititi plays the pastor laying Bella to rest, and he is one great comedic line after another during this scene. I'm not lying when I say that this funeral scene is one of the funniest funeral scenes I've ever seen in a movie. It's truly remarkable. Afterwards, Hec tells Ricky that he never really wanted him, so CPS was coming back to get him in a few days.

Ricky decides that he doesn't want to go back to that life, so this time he opts to run away for real. He even burns down a barn to try and get CPS off his trail. He again doesn't make it too far until Hec, finds him. After they get back together, a great story of a budding friendship and the love for family ensues. Everything that happens from this point on in the movie is great. There's humor, there's love for family, there are touching moments, there are not so happy moments. It really is just perfect. Even the chase between Ricky, Hec and CPS is fantastic.

This is a very, very good movie, that not enough people are going to see. The story, the directing and the acting are tremendous. Sam Neill is wonderfully quiet and subdued in the movie. He plays the role of wannabe loner and hiker very well. Rima Te Wiata, aka Bella, is very good in her limited role. She is so funny and springy and happy. She was great. Rachel House, as the CPS badass Paula, is great too. She constantly states, "no child left behind" over and over again, and it is equally as funny every time. But, the real star of the movie is Julian Dennison as Ricky. He is so good. He plays the rough and tumble kid with a heart of gold to perfection. He delivers some of the best lines of the whole movie. His timing and reactions are so on point. He is a revelation. If you go to see the movie for one reason, make it for Dennison's performance, it's that good.

I can't say enough good things about "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". It is definitely one of 2016's best movies, and I think it deserves, at the very least, some mention during Oscar season. I don't want to give away the whole plot because I think everyone should go and watch this movie. It is a great role for Sam Neill, and showcases some New Zealand actors and actresses a lot of us don't know, The movie also provides excellent side performances from the likes of Waititi and Rhy Darby. The film shows that Waititi is a very adept filmmaker, who is on the rise, but most importantly, it introduces the whole world to the talent of Julian Dennison. Go see "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". It is a wonderfully great movie.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. You can hear all about Ty's current thoughts on the 2016 Olympic Games and Rio by listening to the latest X Millennial Man Podcast. Download it for free. You need to also follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.