Sam Neill Shines in Hunt for the Wilderpeople Revisit
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- Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a 2016 Taika Waititi film, adapted from Barry Crump's 1986 novel Wild Pork and Watercress, described as a mix of Butch and Sundance and Chaplin's The Kid
- Sam Neill plays Hector, a grouchy farmer on New Zealand's North Island who goes on the run with foster child Ricky after his wife Bella (Rima Te Wiata) dies, triggering a nationwide manhunt
- Julian Dennison stars as Ricky, described as the toughest and most recalcitrant teen the state has dealt with, while Rachel House plays child welfare worker Paula, who cracks a running Terminator gag with Ricky
- Taika Waititi appears in a droll cameo as a wacky vicar, and the review calls the film "arguably" the masterpiece of its writer-director, noting he wisely lets story and performances do the work
- Neill's performance is called "lovely, gentle and wise," and the reviewer frames the revisit as prompted by Neill's recent death, calling this one of his greatest roles
Why it matters: The piece recasts Sam Neill's career legacy by spotlighting a New Zealand indie rather than his blockbuster work in *Jurassic Park*, positioning *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* as the warmer, gentler showcase of his range. For Taika Waititi fans, the review doubles as a pre-*Thor: Ragnarok* confirmation of the director's gift for balancing sentimentality with subversive comedy — exactly what made him Hollywood material.
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