Every Taika Waititi film ranked by how much I liked them, while I count down the days to the release of Next Goal Wins (my most anticipated movie of the year!)
DISCLAIMER: I like all Taika Waititi films, so don't get angry at me
7. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Fun and colourful, I love Korg, Jeff Goldblum is great, but to me this is just a Marvel movie. Sorry, Marvel fans, this movie was just OK.
6. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
More fun and colourful than Ragnarok, loved Christian Bale, loved the kids, loved Jane Foster's arc (I thought it was well handled!). There was a bit too much Korg, I admit. People say this movie had too many jokes and didn't take itself seriously enough. Well, of course it didn't! It's a movie about gods and aliens and stuff in space! Honestly it was a blast and I liked it better than the third one. I said what I said.
5. JoJo Rabbit (2019)
This is a great film, we all know that. It speaks really well of Taika's filmography that it's so down on the list. It was hilarious and adorable and important. I feel like the comedy-drama could have been better balanced, I couldn't fully connect emotionally. Still, it was great and hilarious, the parody aspects were really well done and I really liked it.
4. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
This one is really funny, it doesn't get enough credit for how funny it is. I loved the too leads, especially Sam Neill, I wasn't sure how well he'd fit into Taika's style, but he was fantastic. A really fun film.
3. Eagle vs Shark (2007)
All Eagle vs Shark haters are wrong, this film is great. Lily is the most adorable person, Jarrod is a dick but played with so much love that you can't help but emphatize with him and hope that he gets a redemption. The story was so sweet, I was actually, like, 'awww'ing out lout at times. Also the small town vibes and the awkwardness, and the feeling of having a giant crush on someone you have never really spoken to, it's all so real, I really love it.
2. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
That I didn't rank this as number 1 is a surprise even to myself. This is one of my favourite movies and maybe my favourite comedy film of all time. I love the show as well, but to be honest I think the film is much much better. It's just- the vibes, man. The documentary aspect is fantastic. Also, Stu.
1. Boy (2010)
This movie feels like being told a secret, it's so personal. It is small and self-contained, but at the same time it creates a world so huge and lived-in that it's hard to believe it wasn't really filmed in the eighties. The kids are adorable, the scenery is so beautiful, the story is so heartfelt and full of emotions it genuinely made me cry (not for anything in particular, just everything had been done with so much love, it made me feel so many emotions and they could only escape through tears). It is Taika Waititi's masterpiece. Where he usually leans more into the comedy, here he lets the seriousness take over when necessary, and it really works so well. I just love this film, it is amazing, go watch it right now.
...and that's it. Taika Waititi is probably my favorite director at the moment, he's got a vision and is very good at realising it. He writes heartfelt and funny stories, likeable characters, amazing dialoge and his films always look very pretty. Totally recoment any of the ones in this list!
