Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 19, 2020

Note: One salient plot point which probably verges on spoiler territory needs to be discussed in order to offer a comprehensible plot summary. Those wanting to avoid such a spoiler are encouraged to skip down to the technical portions of the review, below.

Taika Waititi may have finally offered Benedict Cumberbatch some serious competition for most unusual showbiz related name (that’s a joke, of course), but he’s also been in the news recently for another reason: winning the Academy Award for adapted screenplay for his work on Jojo Rabbit. The attention garnered by Jojo Rabbit at the Oscar ceremony in particular but in a wider, more general sense, may encourage some to seek out some of Waititi’s other films, and there’s probably no sweeter, more charming (if occasionally slightly frightening) place to start than with 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Not to put too much stock in any similarities between them (since each film is very much its own “animal”, kind of literally in the case of Hunt for the Wilderpeople), both Jojo Rabbit and Hunt for the Wilderpeople offer a young, awkward boy trying desperately to fit in, and (spoiler alert) both feature the death of a major character who had been nurturing that young boy. However, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is not a period piece in any way, shape or form, taking place in contemporary times, albeit in the New Zealand “bush” where the lack of creature comforts (if not a lack of actual creatures) can give the impression the story is unfolding in maybe the 19th century if it weren’t for the occasional interruption of modern devices like cellphones, cars and, ultimately, helicopters.

Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is a portly kid who has been shunted from foster home to foster home after having been abandoned by his biological family, and he has racked up quite a roster of misdemeanors along the way. Harridan Child Welfare Services officer Paula Hall (Rachel House) and her largely brain dead policeman assistant Andy (Oscar Kightley) take a rather scenic drive through some gorgeous New Zealand countryside to finally deliver Ricky to his newest “forever home” (yeah, right), a completely isolated farm owned by Bella Faulkner (Rima Te Wiata) and her crusty husband Hector, who goes by Hec (Sam Neill). Ricky makes it clear he doesn’t want to stay in this apparently godforsaken wilderness, but Bella’s sweetly encouraging manner manages to break through Ricky’s shell in rather quick order, despite the fact that Ricky at least attempts to run away the first night he’s there (failing spectacularly in the process).

Things actually seem to be looking up for Ricky in his new environment, until one harrowing day when he returns from a walk with his dog Tupac (a birthday gift from Bella and Hec) to discover Bella has died. Within short order Child Welfare Services tells Hec they’ll need to come pick up Ricky to deliver him to his next “forever home”, though ultimately Ricky makes it clear that he’ll probably end up in juvenile detention based on his history. Once again Ricky decides to run away, faking his death in the process, and once again encounters disastrous results due to his lack of knowledge about the bush. As with his first adventure in “escaping”, he’s soon rescued, this time by Hec, though a showdown between the two leaves Hec with a broken foot and both of them stranded until Hec can walk again.

By the time the two manage to find a shack out in the wilderness where they can finally find shelter for a while, they’re amazed to find a “wanted” poster for them both on the wall of the building. It’s been assumed that Hec, in the throes of grief about Bella’s death, has kidnapped Ricky, and there’s a manhunt underway, led of course by Paula, who keeps repeating “no child left behind” like some kind of vicious mantra (it’s clear her intentions aren’t exactly pure). Things go from bad to worse when three boneheaded bounty hunters encounter Hec and Ricky, and Ricky’s innocent recounting of his time with Hec comes off sounding like Hec is a pedophile.

Things become both more farcical and serious simultaneously when the authorities kick into high gear to “recover” Ricky, who by that time obviously does not want to leave Hec’s side. The film arguably tips over into a bit too much chaos in its third act, but Waititi offers such a generally heartfelt story that is elevated by pitch perfect performances from Dennison and Neill that it hardly matters. This is of course a film based on the hoary cliché of people who initially can’t stand each other bonding in precarious circumstances, but the whole quasi father-son aspect to the tale gives Hunt for the Wilderpeople a really distinctive ambience. The film has several laugh out loud funny moments (a brief scene featuring Waititi in a cameo as a priest officiating a funeral is especially hilarious), but it also has a decidedly more dramatic side that will tug at most heartstrings. For the squeamish, there are a few scenes of dead animals and one kind of hilariously shocking scene where Bella takes out a wild boar with a hunting knife.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. The IMDb lists both Arri Alexa and Red cameras as having been used, but fails to mention at what resolution the DI was finshed (I'm assuming 2K). This is another stunner of a presentation from the typically reliable folks at Sony. Detail levels are excellent across the board, both in close-ups, where elements like the slightly pill-laden fabric of Ricky's red checkered jacket or even the "Eastern European" eyebrows of Hec look precise and well rendered. Perhaps more impressively, in the wide shots featuring tons of jungle like vistas, delineation is typically excellent, as is depth of field, though in a couple of aerial shots, compression seemed just slightly wobbly to me. There are also a couple of kind of odd fluctuations in brightness and contrast, notably once Ricky meets a girl around his same age out in the wilderness, aspects which can intermittently lead to a slight diminution in detail levels and milky black levels.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople features a nicely immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which derives quite a bit of surround activity both from some really beautiful music (including what sounds like "native" New Zealand ethnic choral music), as well as a glut of naturally placed ambient environmental sounds in the outdoor sequences, which by far make up the bulk of the film. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly, though some of the heavy accents may lead some listeners to utilize the helpful optional English subtitles.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with Director Taika Waititi and Actors Sam Neill and Julian Dennison


• Behind the Scenes: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (1080p; 3:27) is a brief EPK with some equally brief interviews.


• Blooper Reel (1080p; 2:28)

For those with region free players, both some forum posts and the user review for the film state that some Region B releases feature more supplementary material.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

After I recently reviewed Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi's still nascent oeuvre sparked my interest, and I'm so glad to have had the chance to check out this earlier film of his. For my money, this is a more consistently heartfelt and moving film than Jojo Rabbit, and it features absolutely stellar work from Neill and Dennison, as well as some really lustrous cinematography which helps to show off how unbelievably gorgeous New Zealand is. Technical merits are solid, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople comes Highly recommended.