Bookworm (2024)

January 2, 2025 9:40 AM

[TRAILER] Eleven-year-old Mildred (Nell Fisher) has her life turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and her estranged, American magician father, Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood) comes to look after her. Hoping to entertain the bookish tween, Strawn takes Mildred camping in the notoriously rugged New Zealand wilderness, and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding: a quest to find the mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.

Also starring Michael Smiley, Morgana O'Reilly, Nikki Si'ulepa, Vanessa Stacey, Theo Shakes, and Millen Baird.

Directed by Ant Timpson. Screenplay by Toby Harvard. Story by Toby Harvard, Ant Timpson. Produced by Emma Slade, Roxi Bull, Victoria Dabbs, Mette-Marie Kongsved, Laura Turnstall. Cinematography by Daniel Katz. Edited by Daniel Kircher. Music by Karyn Rachtman, Karl Steven.

91% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes (with 45 reviews).

JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (5 comments total)

This is adorable family fun that with enough off-the-wall New Zealand-ness to it to make it feel reasonably fresh. Wood is hilarious, Fisher makes the predictably precocious Mildred weird enough to be likable, and while all of it is watchable, Michael Smiley's oddball character is what pushes it over the line into being kind of fresh and good.

Recommended to people who need something to watch with a kid that won't make you want to poke your eyes out or for adults tired of adulting who need a floofy good time.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:44 AM on January 2 [2 favorites]

Thank you for the recommendation for this. Definitely, always on the look out for films to watch with kids. In kid and adult walking around New Zealand, we plan on watching Hunt for the Wilderpeople next.
posted by Ramo at 3:33 AM on January 6 [2 favorites]

Came to say “sounds like a great double feature with Hunt For The Wilderpeople”, which I loved- will definitely be checking this out!
posted by Jon Mitchell at 2:17 PM on January 6

This is a bit more twee than Wilderpeople, but you're thinking along the right lines, all the same.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:41 PM on January 6

This was a cute and fun one and just weird enough to work. It's far from perfect but Wood & Fisher play off each other well and enjoyed the two of them together.
posted by edencosmic at 8:17 AM on January 14 [1 favorite]