Frodo returns to Middle Earth… sort of.
Elijah Wood is back in New Zealand for his latest film Bookworm, but he’s not the hero this time around. It’s 11-year-old Mildred (Nell Fisher), whose life is just how she likes it – living a quiet existence alone in her room immersed in a book – with the occasional interruption from her Mum.
That all changes when her Mum is hospitalised and her tranquil lifestyle is interrupted by the arrival of her estranged father (Wood). The has-been illusionist has his work cut out for him when his daughter is unamused by his magical antics, but more because he’s been absent from her life for the last 11 years.
Bookworm: A Kiwi Adventure with Heart
To win her over, he agrees to embark on a camping trip with Mildred in search of the legendary New Zealand creature The Canterbury Panther. If they can grab footage of the mythical beast, they’ll pocket a reward that will (conveniently) cover her mother’s medical bills.
So, this is a kids’ film, most of the time. Think Bridge to Terabithia meets Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The adventure and the performances are light and fun but occasionally some darker themes will creep in. This odd mixture of light and dark is part of what makes Bookworm more interesting than other kids’ movies. That, and Kiwi wunderkind Nell Fisher, who at the age of 13 is familiar with dark themes herself. Having already appeared in Evil Dead Rise and Stranger Things, Fisher steals the show, delivering one droll line after another – ‘cause kids are funny when they talk like old people. Think Young Sheldon in the woods.
It may sound like a simple story but the pace of the film is bolstered by the characters they meet along the way.
Bookworm brings enough emotion for the adults and fun for the little ones. Most of the slightly more morbid themes will go over a young kid’s head, but go in knowing that some more curious kids may have questions afterwards. Please don’t let that stop you though, this is a fun adventure that everyone can enjoy.
Bookworm is in Aussie cinemas now.
Read more stories from our Redcliffe Guide print magazine here:
- Redcliffe Country Music Festival
- Redcliffe Musical Theatre Shows
- Don’t Be a Tank Tipper!
- Redcliffe’s First 80 Years: Evolution or Revolution?
- Miracle Mums Movement Empowers Survivors of Domestic Abuse
- Escape This Podcast
- Inspiring the Next Generation of Musicians
- A Picnic in the Park to Remember
- Presentation Event To the Wall of Famers
