A rebellious city kid, a grumpy old man and the endless wilderness of New Zealand. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a wild, big-hearted dash into the hills, about two misfits who never quite belong anywhere, except maybe with each other.
Ricky Baker is thirteen, mad about gangster rap and, as far as the authorities are concerned, pretty much a lost cause. After a long string of failed foster homes, he ends up on a remote farm on the edge of nowhere, with kind-hearted Bella and her gruff husband Hec. Ricky expects nothing, but for the first time in his life he actually feels at home.
Then tragedy strikes, and Ricky is about to be sent back into care. He has other ideas. He runs off into the bush, the rough, overgrown backcountry where no one can easily find him. Hec goes after him, and what begins as a rescue mission soon turns into a nationwide manhunt. The unlikely pair suddenly become famous, at least in New Zealand, chased by the police, social services and an army of volunteers as they roam the mountains together.
Underneath the slapstick, the chases and the adventure, there is an unexpectedly warm story about the kind of family you sometimes find in the unlikeliest of places. Ricky and Hec could not be more different. One talks non-stop, the other would rather not talk at all. But somewhere between the wild boar, the botched escapes and the nights out in the bush, something grows that looks suspiciously like friendship.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is wild, funny and quietly moving, with the spectacular New Zealand landscape as its playground. An adventure you come out of with a broad grin and maybe even a small lump in your throat. Majestical, as Ricky and Hec would say.
Please note: this film is part of our Film in the Pluktent programme.
The film starts at 7:30 PM. Tickets: €6.
