Directed by Taika Waititi and starring Sam Neill and Julian Dennison, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the 2016 comedy adventure that became the biggest homegrown hit in New Zealand cinema history — the story of a rebellious foster kid and a grumpy bushman who become the unlikely targets of a national manhunt. One month on from the passing of Sam Neill, Fraser marks the loss of a New Zealand legend the only way that felt right: with Sam's most Kiwi film and a glass of Sam's own wine.

In this review, Fraser shares why he waited a month before recording this tribute, cracks open a bottle of Two Paddocks Pinot from Sam's own winery to toast the man while reviewing the movie, and explains why grumpy Uncle Hec is the polar opposite of the warm, silly, endlessly charming bloke who played him. Plus the hut scene that has Fraser howling on every single rewatch.

🎬 COMING UP NEXT

Next Review: Pressure

Darryl takes on Pressure, the 2026 World War Two drama starring Brendan Fraser, Andrew Scott and Kerry Condon. With the fate of the free world resting on a weather forecast, can Brendan Fraser's Eisenhower make the impossible call in the seventy-two hours before D-Day? And does this tense, stripped-back take on history's biggest gamble deliver?

Thanks for listening to Frame 70 Movie & TV Reviews. New movie and TV reviews drop regularly, along with deep dives and classics from the vault. For everything Frame 70, head to frame70.com