‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ Hits the Bullseye

by
posted on August 10, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
hunt_wilderpeople_f.jpg

Anti-hunters and news media have been having a field day with the killing of “Cecil the Lion.” Hunting badly needs some heroes who are visible to mainstream audiences. As if an answer to hunters’ prayers, now showing in theaters across America is a New Zealand film, “Hunt for the Wilderpeople.” It has drawn more at the New Zealand box office than “The Avengers,” any “Harry Potter” or “Hunger Games,” and it’s still showing in NZ theaters.

“Hunt for the Wilderpeople” is based on the 1986 novel Wild Pork and Watercress by the late New Zealand writer Barry Crump. Director Taika Waititi, who wrote the script, refers to the film, made over five weeks last winter, as “’The Revenant’ with no money.” (The total production budget was $2.5 million, which is coffee money compared to big tent pole features.)

The film begins as chunky defiant city kid “Ricky” (Julian Dennison), raised on hip-hop and foster care, gets a fresh start in the country with his new foster family: the loving “Aunt Bella,” the cantankerous “Uncle Hec” (Sam Neill) and a dog, Tupac. When a tragedy strikes that threatens to force Ricky to move to another foster home, Ricky and Hec escape to the wilds of New Zealand, where they survive eating wild game. As a national manhunt ensues, the newly branded outlaws face their options: go out in a blaze of glory or overcome their differences and survive as a family.

The movie is equal parts road comedy and rousing adventure story; director Taika Waititi masterfully tells a hilarious, touching story. Hunting plays an important role in this film. Uncle Hec first appears carrying a wild boar that he has shot for dinner. Later, as Ricky and Hec flee into the wilderness they must bag wild game for food. (To ensure there was no problem with the American Humane Association, which monitors films to ensure that “no animals were harmed in the making of this movie,” New Zealand hunters donated wild game they bagged for use in the film.)

This 101-minute minute film started its U.S. tour with two standing ovations at the Sundance Film Festival. It has been reviewed positively by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and many other TV and newspaper critics. Rotten Tomatoes reports 100 percent of 66 critics liked it, and 92 percent of the audience did also. Rotten Tomatoes concludes: “The charmingly offbeat ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ unites a solid cast, a talented filmmaker, and a poignant, funny, deeply affecting message.” The gun handling at times is a little wild, but otherwise this is real bullseye.

See the trailer here.

The film opened in five theaters in the States on June 24. The U.S. domestic total as of Aug. 7 has grown to $3.5 million. In Australia, the box office so far is nearly $8 million, and the worldwide box office is over $20 million.

“Hunt for the Wilderpeople” is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “thematic elements including violent content and for some language.”

Latest

Ledetomm Knapp Memorial Scholarship 2025
Ledetomm Knapp Memorial Scholarship 2025

Federal Ammunition Awards 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships

Federal Ammunition recently awarded the 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships to two 4-H shooting sports teen ambassadors: Lucy Evans from Georgia and John Bruner from Pennsylvania.

Head to Head: 7x57mm Mauser vs. .30-06 Springfield

I’ve had more than a few requests for this Head to Head, so I figured it was high time to pit two of the early 20th century’s most popular military cartridges against one another. Let's dive into the 7x57mm Mauser vs. the .30-06 Springfield.

NRA Hunter Education FREE Online Course Now Available in Louisiana

The National Rifle Association of America’s award-winning free Hunter Education online course is now available in the State of Louisiana, the latest addition as NRA works to make the course available to hunters in all 50 states.

Moultrie Updates Line of Game Feeders

Moultrie has expanded the capacity of its line of feeders, and bettered the cameras' integration with the company's connected technology to streamline the feeding process.

Building the Ultimate Elk Bow

Elk are remarkable creatures that dwell in some of the most hellish landscapes on earth. An elk bow needs to be tough, light, and ultra-accurate. Here's how to build the right one for you.

First Look: Spandau S2 20-Gauge

Spandau Arms, a brand of SDS Arms, has announced that the  Spandau S2 Shotgun is now available in a 20-gauge model in both a Mossy Oak Bottomland and a traditional wood finish.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.