Taika Waititi's Films: Ranked From Worst To Best

Hunt For The Wilderpeople, based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump, is the film that helped Waititi cross over to the mainstream, and was also his most ambitious film up until that point.

Much like with Boy, Waititi proves a master at getting natural, humorous and charismatic performances from his child actors, here played by Julian Dennison. Also on top form is Sam Neil as a grieving man who finds himself on the run with 13-year-old Ricky Baker and forming the most unlikely of bonds.

Though the film is at times hilarious, it is also very sentimental, and whilst that is not necessarily a negative, it does occasionally feel slightly over-cooked. Nonetheless, Hunt For The Wilderpeople develops into an exhilarating thrill-ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final moments.

Wilderpeople is a great advert for the Waititi brand, with his signature tone and comic timing showcased here to full effect. If only the man himself was in it a bit more as the scene-stealing priest.