Before 'Thor: Love and Thunder' 5 films of Taika Waititi that you need to watch

The 2019 comedy-drama is a story about a lonely German boy named Jojo who adores Adolf Hitler and who is also his imaginary friend. Jojo is a supporter of Nazi ideology, but his foundations are shaken when he learns that his single mother has sheltered a Jewish girl to stay in their home. 

The film was adapted from Christine Leunens's 2008 book ‘Caging Skies’. ‘Jojo Rabbit' premiered at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival and won the Grolsch People's Choice Award at the festival. It also fetched Waititi an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, along with a nomination for Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards. Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Stephen Merchant, and Rebel Wilson form the star cast of the movie. Waititi himself played a comical version of Adolf Hitler in the film. 

The film was praised for its performances and writing, earned well at the box-office and was heartily welcomed by critics who called it a "brilliant Nazi-mocking satire." 
 

Starring James Rolleston, Te Aho Eketone-Whitu, Moerangi Tihore, and Cherilee Martin, ‘Boy’ follows the story of an 11-year-old who lives in New Zealand and finds out that his father is a criminal and not the hero that he thought he was. 

The film is a comedy-drama produced by Cliff Curtis, Ainsley Gardiner, and Emanuel Michael and financed by the New Zealand Film Commission and written and directed by Taika Waititi. It went on to become the highest grossing movie in New Zealand. 

‘Boy’ premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and was also screened at the 2010 Antipodean Film Festival in France. Critics gave a heads-up to the film, calling it an "offbeat" film.
 

The 2016 film is an adventure comedy-drama inspired by the book ‘Wild Pork and Watercress’ by Barry Crump. 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' tells the story of Ricky Baker, a defiant city boy who gradually adjusts to his foster parents, Bella and Hector, in New Zealand's countryside.Hector and Ricky never got along, but following Bella's untimely passing, Ricky, who doesn't want to go back to the orphanage, flees with his combative uncle Hec. As a result, a manhunt is launched across the country, so they hide in the bush and develop a system of survival.

‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was critically acclaimed, with many critics appreciating Dennison and Neill's chemistry and performances. The movie was ranked as the best movie by Empire magazine.

Four vampires, whose ages are in the range of 183 to 8000, are featured in the horror-comedy ‘What We Do in the Shadows’. These vampires are attempting to live in the present day while dealing with situations such as flatmate disputes, entering nightclubs to meet women, wearing the latest trends, and living on a restricted diet. It is the first movie in the series bearing the same name.

Starring Jemaine Clement, Rhys Darby, Jonny Brugh, and Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, ‘What We Do in the Shadows' received critical acclaim, with most critics calling it a "bloody good fun" film. 

The American superhero movie based on Marvel Comics was a sequel to the 2011 film ‘Thor’ and 2013’s ‘Thor: The Dark World’ is what made Taika Waititi a superstar director. It starred an ensemble cast such as Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins. The story of the film revolves around Thor, who must escape the alien universe named Sakaar to save his home, Asgard, and its people from the wrath of his sister Hela and the impending Rangnarok. It was the third instalment in the Thor franchise. 

The film, after its release, went on to become a global blockbuster, earning a total of $854 million worldwide. The film was a hit amongst the audience, while Waititi’s direction, action sequences, visual effects, musical score, and humour received positive reviews from the critics. They considered it one of the best Thor films. 

Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers gave the film three stars and described it as "the most fun you'll ever have at a Marvel movie". Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times hailed the film and the performances of the stars as "outstanding". He called Waititi's direction "goofy and campy and marvelously self-referential".