New Zealand director Taika Waititi is one of the most fascinating filmmakers at work today. He's known for idiosyncratic comedy-dramas Boy and Hunter for the Wilderpeople, the surreal Jojo Rabbit and Thor movies Ragnarok and Love and Thunder. He's also the brains behind TV shows What We Do in the Shadows and Our Flag Means Death. Waititi is truly prolific, having somehow found the time in between all this to direct episodes of The Inbetweeners and The Mandalorian and serve as an executive producer on Reservation Dogs.
Waititi's best movies put a humorous spin on genre tropes, alongside warm characters and a lot of heart. His favorite films tend to reflect this as well: they include comedy horrors, fantasy adventures, and oddball coming-of-age dramas. These movies serve as a great insight into Waititi's development as a storyteller. His fans are sure to find some gems to enjoy among his recommendations.
'The Hunger' (1983)
Erotic horror The Hunger is the debut film from legendary action director Tony Scott. It explores the love triangle between Sarah (Susan Sarandon), a scientist researching aging, Miriam (Catherine Deneuve) and John (David Bowie), a couple of vampires. It drew mixed reviews on release but has since become a cult film.
The plot kicks off when John begins rapidly aging - sometimes as much as several years over a few days - and desperately seeks some form of cure. Sarah is the only one with a chance of helping him, and she is soon sucked into the vampires' bloody, intense world. The Hunger was ahead of its time, and its influence can be seen in later vampire stories like Only Lovers Left Alive and Twilight.
'This Is England' (2006)
This is England is Shane Meadows's follow-up to his 2004 thriller Dead Man's Shoes starring Paddy Considine. Set in 1983, it explores the skinhead scene and its infiltration by white supremacists and the far-right. The film centers on Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), a boy growing up in a rough Yorkshire neighborhood.
Shaun is bullied, his family struggles financially, and his father has recently died in the Falklands War. He finds acceptance and protection with a gang of skinheads - much to his mother's horror. This is England is a perceptive look at how decent people can get absorbed into noxious movements.
'The Beastmaster' (1982)
This sword and sorcery fantasy follows druid-like warrior Dar (Marc Singer) who can communicate with animals. Evil wizard Maax (Rip Torn) hears a prophecy that he will be killed by a prince, so he sends assassins to kill the child. But a villager rescues the young Dar and raises him in her village. Years later, when Maax's forces decimate the village, Dar sets out for revenge.
It's kind of like Conan the Barbarian if he had animal familiars. The best part might be Dar's panther, played by a tiger that the crew dyed black. It's pretty goofy but should appeal to fans of Dragonslayer and Legend.
'Next Goal Wins' (2014)
This sports documentary chronicles the American Samoa national football team - then considered one of the worst teams in the world - and their fight to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Dutch American coach Thomas Rongen is recruited to whip the team into shape in the weeks leading up to the crucial qualifying match.
You don't have to be a soccer fan to enjoy Next Goal Wins, which is more about the characters, their dreams, and their perseverance. It makes for s surprisingly heartwarming story. Searchlight Pictures is set to release a narrative film based on the documentary next year, directed by Waititi and starring Michael Fassbender, Elizabeth Moss, and Will Arnett.
'Whale Rider' (2002)
Whale Rider is a film from New Zealand which tells the story of Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), a young Māori girl who is the eldest child of the chief, but who cannot become the tribe's leader because she is female. The story explores Pai's relationship with her grandfather (Rawiri Paratene), her dreams of leading her people, and her struggle to find a place in her society, which culminates in a bold plan to rescue several beached whales.
Whale Rider is one of the most successful New Zealand movies internationally. Castle-Hughes's performance was especially acclaimed. At just thirteen years old, she was the youngest actress nominated for the Best Actress Oscar up til that point.
'Event Horizon' (1997)
A missing spaceship shows up in orbit around Neptune, and a crew of astronauts is sent on a mission to recover it. On board, they learn that the ship's experimental engine technology caused a rift in space-time that opened a portal to a hellish dimension. Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne) sets out to destroy the vessel and save his team.
This sci-fi horror by Mortal Kombat director Paul W.S. Anderson was plagued by problems during development, and the studio reduced the director's 130-minute cut to a heavily-truncated 96-minute version. It was a box office flop but has since developed a small but devoted fan base. It's worth it just for the freaky hellscape imagery, reminiscent of Hieronymus Bosch and Bruegel.
'Welcome to the Dollhouse' (1996)
Welcome to the Dollhouse is a coming-of-age story about Dawn (Heather Matarazzo), an awkward and unpopular middle schooler who tries as hard as she can to win her peers' approval. Director Todd Solondz nails the torment of junior high: the bullies, the judgment, the incessant teasing. He spins this simple story into a moving black comedy about growing up and being an individual.
Matarazzo gives a killer performance in the lead role. She's not simply an innocent victim, but a complex and flawed character in her own right. Solondz directed a spin-off in 2016 called Wiener-Dog, featuring Kieran Culkin, Julie Delpy, and Greta Gerwig, which is also worth checking out.
'The Silent One' (1985)
Another film from New Zealand, The Silent One follows mute boy Jonasi (Telo Malase) who can communicate with turtles. Jonasi's village is suspicious of him and, when a storm and drought strike their land, they blame him and the turtle. This kicks off a moving tale about the connection between people and nature.
The movie draws on Polynesian mythology to create an immersive, almost fantastic world. Director Yvonne Mackay handles the material with care, and Malase gives a committed, earnest performance. Not to mention, the underwater photography is stunning and otherworldly.
'Came a Hot Friday' (1985)
Came on a Hot Friday is iconic in New Zealand but not too well-known outside of it. This whacky comedy revolves around two con men (Peter Bland and Philip Gordon) who try to involve the residents of a rural town in their gambling racket in the years after WWII. They cross paths with a local man (Billy T James) who believes he is a Mexican bandito and becomes a kind of de facto bodyguard for the con men.
It's mostly slapstick and farcical but in the best way. The film also features cameos by most of New Zealand's top comedic actors from that period. James is especially entertaining and steals practically every scene he's in.
'Love At First Bite' (1979)
This vampire comedy follows Dracula (George Hamilton) as he moves to New York City to find a bride. The Count falls for Cindy Soundheim (Susan Saint James), but there's a snag: her boyfriend Dr. Jeff Rosenberg (Richard Benjamin). Jeff soon suspects that Cindy's would-be suitor is a vampire, and he tries to enlist police officer Lt Ferguson (Dick Shawn) to help him stop the undead lover boy.
Love At First Bite does a good job of satirizing the vampire tropes that had already become widespread by 1979. Hamilton is also suitably campy as the iconic bloodsucker. It was clearly a big influence on Waititi's own What We Do in the Shows, also a parody about vampires living in the modern world.