Summary

  • Taika Waititi went from being an obscure filmmaker in New Zealand to a Marvel master and Hollywood force to be reckoned with.
  • Waititi's film "Eagle vs. Shark" showcased his strong writing and collaboration with Jemaine Clement, and marked the beginning of his directing career.
  • "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Jojo Rabbit" solidified Waititi's unique style of blending humor with heartwarming moments, showcasing his ability to create entertaining and thought-provoking films.

Taika Waititi is a name that's been getting a lot of traction in the industry in recent years. Due to massive hits like the MCU blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok and the Academy Award-winning Jojo Rabbit, he has become a force to be reckoned with in mainstream Hollywood. However, before all that hype, Waititi was first a rather obscure filmmaker who was known for making quirky, local independent films that really captured the heart of his motherland, New Zealand. Taika is also often cited as being one of the filmmakers who brought New Zealand cinema to the forefront of the world. How did this small-town Maori comic become a Marvel master who is working on Flash Gordon remakes and Star Wars films?

From being a part of the five-man comedy troupe So You’re A Man and the Billy T Award-winning comedy duo The Humourbeasts with fellow actor and comedian Jemaine Clement, Waititi then ventured out into the filmmaking world by making several short films. His second short film, titled Two Cars, One Night, earned him a nomination for Best Live Action Short Film at the 76th Annual Academy Awards in 2004. Since then, he has acted in over 15 films and has directed eight feature-length films, along with writing and directing episodes of the beloved Flight of the Conchords and producing and directing episodes of What We Do in the Shadows, a series adapted from his film. He is showing no signs of slowing down, so here is every movie Takia Waitii directed, ranked.

Update November 18, 2023: In honor of the release of Waititi's latest film, Next Goal Wins, this article has been updated to include both it and Thor: Love and Thunder.

8 Eagle Vs. Shark

Eagle vs. Shark
Eagle vs. Shark
R
Release Date
July 15, 2007
Director
Taika Waititi
Cast
Loren Horsley , Jemaine Clement , Joel Tobeck , Brian Sergent , Craig Hall , Rachel House
Main Genre
Comedy

Waititi’s feature directorial debut tells the quirky story of two unlikely social outcasts that find their way through love in the middle of a series of conflicts and delusions. Though written by Taika, the story was a collaborative effort conceived by both him and his then-partner, Loren Horsley (who also stars in the film). While having a unique twist on the usual rom-com tropes, Eagle Vs. Shark suffered heavy comparisons to Jared Hess’ Napoleon Dynamite, a feel-good film which was released three years prior.

It was evident that Taika was still finding his niche in this film by adapting various themes and styles used by other filmmakers. However, what made this movie stand on its own was its strong writing. Waititi and Horsley had a great grasp on the characters, knowing them through and through. Plus, having Jemaine Clement (who would go on to be Taika’s frequent collaborator) elevated the film through his eccentric performance.

Stream on Hoopla

7 Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder
PG-13

The sequel to Thor: Ragnarok and the fourth movie in the Thor saga. Directed by Taika Waitit. The cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Chris Pratt, and Karen Gillan.

With the immense success of Thor: Ragnarok in 2017, it was no surprise that the MCU would bring Waititi back for the next installment in the franchise. And it was indeed a wise decision. Even though the film was not as well-received as its predecessor, Thor: Love and Thunder it is still an enjoyable Thor adventure with all of Waititi's trademark humor.

The film takes a drastically different turn from the previous one by introducing many different Gods from different mythology. It tells the story of a man named Gorr, who, betrayed by his beloved God Rapu, decides to kill him and all the other Gods. In a strange occurrence, it is not the jokes that are the best part of this movie but the emotional human moments. The movie never treats Janes Foster's cancer as a joke and allows for some incredibly sweet human moments between her and Thor. While Thor: Love and Thunder might not be Waititi's funniest, it is one of his sweetest.

Stream on Disney+

6 Next Goal Wins

Next Goal Wins
Next Goal Wins
PG-13
Release Date
November 17, 2023
Director
Taika Waititi
Main Genre
Comedy

Taika Waititi's most recent work is Next Goal Wins. The biographical sports comedy tells the story of the American Samoan national football team's efforts to reach qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, led by coach Thomas Rongen. The movie is acomedic retelling of a documentary of the same name made by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison. In the film, Michael Fassbender stars in the role of Rongen. It also tells the story of Jaiyah Saelua, the first transgender person to ever compete in a World Cup game.

The film is heartfelt and motivational, and it sheds light on one of the most inspiring stories to ever come out of the sports world: turning one of the weakest teams in the world into a strong one. While the movie might have gotten some of the weaker films in Waititi's career, it is a nice return to form for the director and a refreshing change of pace from the big spectacle filmmaking he had been doing for years.

Next Goal Wins is playing in theaters now.

5 Boy

boy-taika-waititi
Whenua Films

Waititi’s second feature directorial venture is a heartwarming coming-of-age tale about an 11-year-old boy and his relationship with his criminal father, who returns home in search of his bag of money buried in the grounds of the area. The film is based on his 2004 Academy Award-winning short film Two Cars, One Night and, according to Waititi, the first draft of this screenplay was written back in 2005 before he began working on Eagle Vs. Shark.

Aside from writing and directing, Taika also starred in the film, playing the narcissistic ex-convict father of the titular character, “Boy.” The film expands on Waititi’s ability to see the humor out of the mundane and ordinary. Plus, having the story told from the eyes of a child allowed him to include quirky visual fantasies while still remaining as grounded and realistic as possible.

Stream on Paramount+, Hoopla, Kanopy, DirecTV

4 Jojo Rabbit

Jojo Rabbit
Jojo Rabbit
PG-13
Release Date
October 18, 2019
Director
Taika Waititi
Main Genre
Drama

Following the success of Thor: Ragnarok, Waititi’s next film was a risky one - a coming-of-age dramedy set in Nazi Germany about a young boy (and his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler) who finds out about a Jewish girl hiding in the attic of their home. Jojo Rabbit is a film that would probably never get made had Taika not proven that he is a very bankable filmmaker. Aesthetically, the film is reminiscent of Wes Anderson but filled with Waititi’s wit, charm, and signature style of taking a bland situation (often from a child's perspective) and making it funny.

However, aside from being just another comedy, Jojo Rabbit is also filled with a lot of heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments, especially from a phenomenal Scarlett Johansson. Taika also stars in this one, this time playing the role of the Nazi leader himself in a warped, subversive take on Hitler, which reveals how much of an ignorant buffoon the monster really was. The film was met with rave reviews, earning Waititi an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards.

Stream on Fubo, DirecTV

3 Thor: Ragnarok

thor ragnarok
thor ragnarok
PG-13
Superhero
Action
Adventure
Fantasy
Sci-Fi
Release Date
October 25, 2017
Director
Taika Waititi
Runtime
130
Main Genre
Superhero
Studio
Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures
Writers
Craig Kyle , Christopher Yost , Eric Pearson , Stan Lee , Larry Lieber , Jack Kirby
Tagline
We Should Fight
Franchise
Marvel

The Marvel Cinematic Universe needs no introduction at this point, as they're essentially the biggest blockbuster franchise in cinema today. However, there was a dire need to save the God of Thunder after the rather disappointing Thor: The Dark World. Enter, Taika Waititi, who, prior to this, had only made a handful of local independent films in New Zealand. The iconoclastic comical director was a ridiculous risk on the part of producers, but who would’ve thought that he was exactly what the franchise needed?

Infusing his signature quirky humor into a mainstream cinematic formula, Thor: Ragnarok proved to be a massive success, becoming the highest-grossing Thor film up to that pint. It perfectly balanced the action with humor, telling a story about a broken family with their world at stake as Hela, the sister of Thor, arrives to destroy Asgard. In addition to this, Waititi also played double duty, serving as director as well as performing motion capture and providing the voice to one of the best comic reliefs in the MCU, the lovable being made of rock, Korg.

Stream on Disney+

Related: Sam Neil Was Baffled by Thor: Ragnarok Despite Being in the Marvel Sequels

2 What We Do in the Shadows

what we do in the shadows
what we do in the shadows
R
Release Date
June 19, 2014
Cast
Jemaine Clement , Taika Waititi , Jonathan Brugh , Cori Gonzales-Macuer , Stuart Rutherford , Ben Fransham
Main Genre
Comedy

Widely regarded as one of his best works, What We Do in the Shadows first came into fruition back in 2005 as a short film directed by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. The feature-length film further expands on the idea of what it’s like to live as a vampire, or more so, what vampires do behind closed doors in the banality of their day-to-day life. That premise alone allows for comedy to flow naturally, and both Clement (who shares writing and directing credits) and Waititi take every opportunity to deliver pure entertainment, never once missing a batty beat.

The movie takes full advantage of its mockumentary style of filmmaking, which takes this bizarre and macabre concept into a certain realm of realism. In addition to that, What We Do in the Shadows has also been made into a great television series that premiered on FX in 2019.

Rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video

1 Hunt For the Wilderpeople

Julian Dennison and Sam Neill in Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Piki Films

Waititi’s fourth feature film is a unique adventure with a whole lot of heart. Hunt for the Wilderpeople tells the story of a foster child and his newly widowed and grizzled guardian who are being hunted by law enforcement after running into the New Zealand bush. The film mostly takes place in the bush and primarily focuses on these two characters, so even the slightest misstep from them would ultimately botch the entire project. Thankfully, that’s not the case here as the leads, played by Sam Neill and an adorable and brilliant Julian Dennison, do a phenomenal job and carry the narrative flawlessly.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of the best coming-of-age tales of all time and one that feels like Waititi has perfected over the years since Boy. The film was also the first to gross more than NZ$1 million on its opening weekend at the New Zealand box office and perfectly combines Waititi's penchant for comedy and action through a heartwarming, childlike sense of wonder.

Stream on Netflix