10 Movies To Watch If You Love Hunt For The Wilderpeople

If you loved Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, then you absolutely have to check out these movies.

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Before he was making superhero epics and winning Oscars, Taika Waititi was making smaller yet equally entertaining comedies. One film that allowed him to break out big in Hollywood was Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The charming comedy set in follows a young boy and his foster father who become outlaws while hiding out in the vast New Zealand wilderness.

Waititi brings his unique brand of humor to this heartwarming adventure film starring Sam Neil and Julian Dennison. Though the movie is certainly one-of-a-kind, there are some other great films that have the same mix of humor, heart, and adventure. Here are some movies to watch if you love Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

10 The Peanut Butter Falcon

The young boy, Ricky Baker, at the center of Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a kid who has not had an easy life, yet he manages to maintain an optimistic attitude as he goes on this adventure. That is similar to the main character in the 2019 comedy-drama The Peanut Butter Falcon.

Newcomer Zack Gottsagen plays a younger fellow with Down syndrome who escapes from his care home so he can fulfill his dreams of becoming a pro wrestler. The movie is a funny and incredibly heartwarming tale with a magnificent performance from Gottsagen.

9 Up

The unlikely pair at the center of Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a big part of the film’s heart as well as most of its funniest moments. The grumpy old man and enthusiastic kid make for an entertaining duo, and this dynamic was also used to great effect in Pixar’s adventure film Up.

The film follows an older man who lost his beloved wife and decides to finally go on the adventure they were never able to take together. However, he finds himself unexpectedly joined by a young, energetic boy scout. The movie is heartbreaking at times but also filled with the kind of fun adventure you expect from a Pixar film.

8 Sing Street

Along with being an adventure comedy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a coming of age story. Ricky Baker is an outcast of sorts, looking for acceptance before finding it on this unexpected adventure. In that regard, the film feels a lot like Sing Street.

This Irish comedy follows a young boy attending a Catholic school and seeking to win the affections of a local girl. He starts a band with some kids from school and soon finds it is the escape from his daily life he’d been looking for.

7 Swiss Army Man

There are plenty of survival films out there, many of which deal with the harsh and life-threatening aspects of living in the wild. Hunt for the Wilderpeople takes a more fun approach to this kind of story, as does the unique comedy Swiss Army Man.

The film stars Paul Dano as a man stranded alone on an island who finds the corpse of a man (Daniel Radcliffe). He forms a bond with the dead man, and they set out to escape the island together. The premise might seem overly gruesome, but it is a surprisingly charming comedy unlike anything you’ve seen before.

6 Jojo Rabbit

There is no one who can mix outlandish humor and touching moments of drama quite as well as Taika Waititi. While he proved to be effective at this blend in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, it really comes through in his Oscar-winning film Jojo Rabbit.

RELATED: 15 Things About The Making Of Jojo Rabbit You Never Knew

The comedy-drama follows a young German boy who is a loyal member of the Hitler Youth during World War II. However, his life and beliefs are thrown upside down when he finds a young Jewish girl hiding in his attic. Waititi takes the touchy subject matter and creates a hilarious, sweet, heartbreaking story that serves as a beautiful anti-hate message.

5 The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared

Rick Baker in Hunt for the Wilderpeople and the lead character in The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared could not be much further apart in age and yet they both go on a similar journey, hoping to escape their confined life.

The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared follows an old man who lived a life of excitement and adventure only to find himself living in a nursing home. He finally decides to escape and enjoy one last big adventure.

4 Captain Fantastic

One of the most fascinating aspects of the film is the survival aspects shown in the film that make it look like a hard yet rewarding way of life for our main characters. This is a similar way of life that is seen in the wonderful little comedy-drama Captain Fantastic.

Viggo Mortenson stars as the father of a large family who lives off the grid in a seemingly idyllic life. When he is forced to take his family into regular society, he is faced with whether or not this is the best way to raise his family. Mortensen is excellent in the lead role and the film is a clever, entertaining and fascinating look at a unique way of life.

3 Stand By Me

There is something about heading off into the wilderness that reminds you of being young. These are the kinds of adventures you would go on with your friends when you were kids. This is captured wonderfully in Hunt for the Wilderpeople and even more effectively in Rob Reiner’s Stand by Me.

The film follows four young friends who set out into the backwoods of their hometown to find a corpse that is rumored to be out there. Despite the grisly premise, the movie is an entertaining youthful adventure that also explores the struggles kids can go through at this age.

2 Boy

Taika Waititi has proven to have a tremendous talent for producing amazing performances from young actors. He has shown this in Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Jojo Rabbit, as well as his lesser-known early film Boy.

The film is set in New Zealand and follows a young boy whose criminal father (played by Waititi himself) returns home from prison. The movie is filled with Waititi’s special brand of humor while also being a thought-provoking and moving look at how young children can perceive their parents.

1 Moonrise Kingdom

It’s interesting that Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Moonrise Kingdom can share so many similarities while also be completely unique films. Both films deal with a pair of outcasts who go on the run into the wilderness which results in a massive manhunt.

Moonrise Kingdom comes from acclaimed filmmaker Wes Anderson and, like Waititi, he infuses the story with his own distinct sensibilities and humor. The story of two young kids who make a grand romantic escape together is another film filled with the kind of nostalgic feeling of being a kid again.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople-best-similar-movies