The Lost Boys & Lost Men of Taika Waititi

[School of Movies 2022]

This is an exploration on the more personal, less studio-based films of Thor Ragnaraok and Love & Thunder director Taika Waititi. Most of you won't have seen all of them, and that is okay, you should listen to this episode in its entirety anyway. The show will give you more details to look for when you get to watching them.

03m: Eagle vs. Shark (2007)

25m: Boy (2010)

41m: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

59m: Jojo Rabbit (2019)

All of them have many factors in common, but the unifying factors are parents not being around, and lonely boys going through a transformative journey.  There is dark, offhand humour, spectacular immaturity, sudden unexpected pain and loss, and resolutions that are as soothingly healthy as they are oddball. Altogether, Waititi is one of the most riveting directors of our time, and it brings us a lot of joy to study his repeating themes along with you.