Indian Country
A selection of the best 2016 Native films you might have missed, might not have known about, or want to see again
Alex Jacobs • July 12, 2017
Last year’s 2016 movie season saw great indigenous content make its way to the silver screen. These 2016 Native films ranged from family comedies to superhero sagas to dark thrillers, and they either had big budgets or were small indie projects.
We compiled a list of the best 2016 Native films you might have missed, might not have known about, or might want to see again.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a 2016 New Zealand comedy written and directed by Taika Waititi, and was based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump. The film is about a father figure and son who become the targets of a manhunt after fleeing into the New Zealand bush.
The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on 22 January 2016 and stars Julian Dennison, who is Maori from Naenae New Zealand, along with veteran actor Sam Neill. Dennison is now a young star who won the role of Ricky Baker without an audition due to his previous work. Maori director, Taika Waititi, fell in love with the young actor and apparently everyone else did to, as Hunt for the Wilderpeople became New Zealand’s top grossing movie.
Hell or High Water
A big movie with star power filmed in New Mexico with Gil Birmingham, Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Katy Mixon. This is a modern satirical update of a Lone Ranger and Tonto type relationship rife with old couple banter between Birmingham and Bridges. Birmingham’s Comanche-Mexican character gets to lay down a history lesson in about 60 words that any Native actor would love to get the chance to do.
Taylor Sheridan wrote the script, he also wrote Sicario and directed the new film, Wind River, which will be widely released this August. Hell or High Water was originally titled Comancheria, a hot property on Hollywood’s Black List, scripts that insiders thought would make great movies. It’s a modern day western about bank robberies that leaves you asking who are the bad guys or the good guys.
Certain Women
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