Hunt For the Wilderpeople, Taika Waititi’s cracking New Zealand adventure of one man’s (Sam Neill) attempts to connect with his estranged foster son, is a beautifully charming and poignant film that was, quite frankly, one of the more memorable movies released in 2016.

Of course, much of its success stemmed from the brilliant, heartwarming chemistry between Sam Neill’s Uncle Hec and Ricky Baker, the irreverent, street-smart city kid who soon becomes the fish out of water when he’s forced to move to the New Zealand countryside in order to find a new foster home. It’s a stereotype that’s been portrayed by countless actors in the past, to be sure, but none quite like Julian Dennison.

Since his breakout performance in Hunt For the Wilderpeople, the New Zealand teen has been on the up and up and this month saw him in his biggest role yet,...