3 Taika Waititi Movies to Watch If You Loved ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’
With several great movies thus far, Taika Waititi has proven to be one of the most exciting directors in Hollywood. Many will know him because of his work on Thor: Ragnarok, where he reinvented Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Waititi is a director with several other projects showcasing his talents as a writer, actor, and director.
Each movie shows his versatility as a director. He is able to blend goofy humor with more realistic and troubling subject matter. These traits are shown in Thor: Love and Thunder and in his other movies.
Here are 3 Taika Waititi movies to check out if you loved Thor: Love and Thunder.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Hunt for the Wilderpeople stars Julian Dennison as a foster kid who bonds with his new caretaker, played by Sam Neill, after the two disappear into the New Zealand woods and are on the run from authorities. The bond between Neill and Dennison’s characters is charming, heartwarming, and hilarious. These two have conflicting personalities, but there is a need in both of them to find companionship.
It does have devastating dramatic moments but Waititi knows how to balance it with heart and humor. The sidekick characters along the way continue to give the movie a good sense of humor while never straying from its focus on the leading duo. It does have goofy humor and some fun action, but it always remembers to keep you invested with likable characters and meaningful stakes.
What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows is just a straight comedy. It isn’t doing anything except delivering a laugh-out-loud mockumentary with vampires. The movie is a collaboration of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement and focuses on three vampires living an urban life in New Zealand. What makes What We Do in the Shadows so clever is its ability to make the extraordinary seem ordinary.
The vampires are relatable even though they are dealing with violent and horrifying situations, many of them created by themselves. It is a bloody movie but it’s all treated for laughs and it never takes itself seriously. It’s a dark comedy that brilliantly satirizes horror movies along with the popular mockumentary format. If you enjoy this movie, also make sure to check out the equally-as-funny FX TV series which is about to begin its fourth season.
Jojo Rabbit
Jojo Rabbit is Taika Waititi’s most acclaimed movie to date and for good reason. Jojo Rabbit tells the story of Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), a German boy growing up under the Nazi regime. Jojo is programmed to think and act like a Nazi in order to support his country. He even has an imaginary version of Hitler, played by Taika Waititi, that talks to him every now and then. Things become complicated when Jojo discovers his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is harboring a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in his home.
Jojo Rabbit has comedic elements and many devastating moments that capture the evil many experienced during this time. Jojo has to learn to let go of his bigotry, and the relationship he builds with the Jewish girl is heartfelt and inspiring. It’s a movie that can find the light in the dark and encourages people to find empathy in everyone, even in those who are believed to be their enemy.
Jojo Rabbit was praised by critics and earned Waititi his first Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
