Superbad
2007USA★ 7.34.5 pt match
Both films sit with belonging, the family you choose, and loss of innocence. The world both films live in revolves around family wounds passed down. Same energy: dark comedy, warm, escalating, and episodic.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
2016New ZealandLanguage: EnglishDirected by Taika Waititi★ 7.6
Available in English: subtitled
Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive.
Themes and style
Tone
dark comedywarmwhimsicalmelancholichopeful
Pacing
episodicescalating
Story
survivalpursuitescapejourneysurvival
Emotion
belongingthe family you choosegriefloss of innocenceloyalty under pressure
Themes
family dutyfamily wounds passed downcorrupt institutionsclass and money
Feel
crowd pleasercatharticrewatchablequietly hauntingfun scary
Violence
mildWhere to watch
Hollywood films like Hunt for the Wilderpeople
If Hunt for the Wilderpeople hit you the right way, here are Hollywood films that share its DNA. Same emotional weight, same kind of stories, same kind of payoff.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
1987USA★ 7.34.5 pt match
Both films sit with belonging, the family you choose, and grief. The world both films live in revolves around class and money and family duty. The feel is the same: dark comedy, warm, episodic, and escalating.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1986USA★ 7.64 pt match
What ties these together is belonging, loss of innocence, and the family you choose. The world both films live in revolves around class and money, family duty, and family wounds passed down. Same energy: whimsical, warm, episodic, and escalating.
School of Rock
2003USA★ 7.13.5 pt match
Like Hunt for the Wilderpeople, this one is rooted in belonging, the family you choose, and loss of innocence. Both circle the same ground: class and money, family wounds passed down, and family duty. The feel is the same: warm, whimsical, escalating, and episodic.