HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE
Quirky, funny, exciting and endearing — with discernment for younger viewers.
Should You Watch It?
This is a warm, funny adventure about a boy who feels rejected and a foster father who wants nothing to do with him. The movie’s best gift is the bond that grows between them. It also offers love, compassion, family and redemption, with overt references to God and faith.
The cost is real. The language is frequent, and the violence can be intense, sometimes involving blood, guns, hunting and wild animals. Younger children may also struggle with the grief and danger.
For teenagers, adults and discerning families with older children, this is worth seeing. For elementary-age children, parents should weigh the content carefully before watching.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESRicky, a rebellious foster child, is sent to live with Aunt Bella and Uncle Hector in the back country of New Zealand. Bella welcomes him, but after tragedy changes the household, Ricky runs away into the wilderness.
Hector goes after him, and an injury leaves the unlikely pair stranded together. When authorities mistake their disappearance for a kidnapping, Ricky and Hector must evade a nationwide manhunt while learning how to become a family.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a very good film with plenty to enjoy, even if it is not flawless. The movie’s playful ten-chapter structure gives it a quirky, childlike feel, while the writing creates lovable, well-rounded characters.
The performances by the main characters are top notch. The movie also features breathtaking cinematography, including rolling greenery and majestic mountain ranges. Its many entertaining, funny, exciting and touching moments make the adventure genuinely endearing.
The Worldview
The film has a strong moral worldview. It promotes love, compassion, family and redemption, and includes overt and implied Christian references to God and faith. Foster parents, prayer, church, funeral rites and honoring the dead all appear within the story’s moral framework.
The film also presents broken families, bad role models, stealing, lying and other wrongdoing. Its violence and language complicate an otherwise positive moral vision, but the central movement is toward compassion and family rather than rejection.
At its heart, the story is about a child who needs belonging and the unexpected family formed through love. Scripture says, “God settles the solitary in a home” (Psalm 68:6).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral worldview with some overt, implied Christian, redemptive content promotes, love, compassion, family, foster mother welcomes rebellious boy into her home, foster father and boy sprinkle wife’s ashes throughout the forest, man and boy attend funeral at a church, priest says prayers over character’s coffin, boy buries family dog and has a moment of silence in honor of the death, woman mentions praying to God for a son; about 32 obscenities and profanities, plus boy gives an obscene gesture to the police twice and some scatological humor; strong, sometimes intense violence, sometimes with blood, includes fist fights, gun use, men punch, kick and hit each other, hunters carry guns with them and shoot at boy, boy shoots man in back, man shoots wild animals to eat, blood from animals is shed, man injures his leg and blood pours out, dog attacked by an angry boar with horrific bloody image of a dead dog, car chase; no sex scenes but there is a false accusation that older man is molesting foster boy under his care; no nudity; no alcohol use; light smoking includes man smokes cigarettes after long hikes, but no drug use; and, light miscellaneous immorality includes kidnapping, dysfunctional family portrayal, bad role models, stealing, and lying.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Ricky expects rejection because of his past. How can love and compassion help someone grow into a better future?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Colossians 3:12–14Aunt Bella welcomes Ricky into her home. What does Christian hospitality look like when a person arrives with difficult behavior?
Romans 12:13 · Hebrews 13:2The story includes grief, funerals and remembrance. How can we honor those who have died while trusting God with our sorrow?
Psalm 34:18 · 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14Ricky and Hector slowly become a family. What responsibilities come with belonging to one another?
Galatians 6:2 · Ephesians 4:32The Final Word
This is a quirky, beautifully photographed adventure with excellent performances, a strong moral center and a moving vision of family. Frequent profanity and intense violence mean younger children may not be ready. For teenagers, adults and discerning families with older children, WORTH THE TRIP — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP.
