Raised on hip-hop and foster care, defiant city kid Ricky gets a fresh start in the New Zealand countryside. He quickly finds himself at home with his new foster family: the loving Aunt Bella, the cantankerous Uncle Hec, and dog Tupac. When a tragedy strikes that threatens to ship Ricky to another home, both he and Hec go on the run in the bush. As a national manhunt ensues, the newly branded outlaws must face their options: go out in a blaze of glory or overcome their differences and survive as a family. Equal parts road comedy and rousing adventure story, director Taika Waititi ("What We Do in the Shadows," upcoming "Thor: Ragnarok") masterfully weaves lively humor with emotionally honest performances by Sam Neill and Julian Dennison. A hilarious, touching crowd-pleaser, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" reminds us about the journey that growing up is (at any age) and those who help us along the way.

MOVIE REVIEW

Review by Karen Samdahl (A-)

Hunt for the Wilderpeople was received with rave reviews at Sundance and recently played at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) where it was so highly appreciated it was chosen as a movie to repeat after the festival’s end.  I highly recommend this very funny family film to all audiences.  We see a budding young actor in Julian Dennison who appeared in another SIFF family film last year, Paper Planes (2015, Australia).
Read our Hunt for the Wilderpeople movie review »