2016, a year before his enormous popular and critical success of Thro: Ragnarök Kiwi writer/director Taika Waititi enjoyed praise for his more modest release The Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Wilderpeople is the story of Ricky Baker a rootless boy in foster care bouncing from home to home until he winds up in the care of Bella and her gruff husband Herc. Bella manages to pierce Ricky’s defensive anti-social shell but Herc remains aloof, and distant to the troubled boy. The film’s central genre, mismatched odd couple, flowers when Herc and Ricky end up on the run from the authorities and are forced to survive for several months in New Zealand’s wild and mountainous bush country. While the premise and even the eventual mutual understanding the characters achieve are typical for the odd couple genre Taika’s unique and slightly absurdist style both visually and in the script elevates Wilderpeople to a charming emotional ride with the sort of unexpected gut punches that Taika would later deploy in films such as JoJo Rabbit.

The Hunt for the Wilderpeople is currently streaming on Hulu and should not be missed.