‘Bookworm’ Inches Its Way Into Your Heart

In the future, when your robot overlords demand you act out for their enjoyment the movie where Elijah Wood wanders across rural New Zealand on a magical adventure with a ring on his finger while facing off against thieves and wild beasts, you’re going to have to ask them to elaborate just a little bit more. Bookworm is every bit the flipside of The Hobbit‘s epic scale with its sweet, silly little tale of a father and daughter reunion, and it succeeds with that modest ambition on the strength of its charm, performances, and natural landscapes.

Mildred (Nell Fisher) is a curious and smart eleven-year-old who tends to keep everyone at a distance. She’s forced to accept a change, though, when an accident leaves her mother in the hospital and her estranged, and strange, American father arrives to lend a hand. Strawn Wise (Wood) is a magi–err, illusionist by trade, and he comes carrying tricks up his sleeve and a grudge on his shoulder towards a certain David Blaine. Desperate to earn her love and respect, Strawn agrees to take her camping deep in the wilderness in search of the legendary Canterbury Panther, a large black cat rumored to be stalking the countryside. It’s not long before the challenges begin to mount, and soon these two loners will discover that maybe having someone by your side isn’t that bad after all.

Bookworm comes from a rich cinematic history of films about people, lost or otherwise, finding themselves on shared walks through the woods. The focus on an adult and a child aligns it most closely with two legit classics in Peter Collinson’s The Earthling (1980) and Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), set, interestingly enough, in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. Like those movies, Bookworm pairs a reluctant parent figure with a child in need, but while the end result is a nice family film, it never comes close to the emotion of The Earthling or the big laughs of Wilderpeople.

Timpson and writer Toby Harvard absolutely want those same highs, and there’s an effort made to mine both emotional peaks and big laughs even if they never truly appear. The heart is evident, but while the film’s stylish quirks find a sensory appeal, they make it harder to land emotions with the intended sincerity. Things are heightened just enough, from the CG panther to the exchanges between father and daughter that frequently seem a bit overwritten, and it leaves the obvious warm moments a bit muted by the humor. To that point, the humor itself feels equally low-key meaning neither element truly shines.

But here’s the thing, even as Bookworm struggles to deliver big, unforgettable beats and feels, it absolutely worms its way into your heart with smaller, softer moments between father and daughter. Timpson and Harvard lay the groundwork, but its Wood and Fisher who carry the weight of the film’s success. Wood walks a fine line with a quirky character, balancing the goofy weirdness of a third-rate illusionist with the humanity and pathos sitting just below the nail polish and party tricks. It’s Fisher, though, who steals the show with a performance that’s equal parts precocious and vulnerable. She has an answer for everything — “I don’t like assault rifles, I don’t like high-fives, I don’t like corn syrup,” she says when asked if she’d like to live in the U.S. — but seeing her shield of knowledge and sarcasm fall away to reveal the little girl beneath reveals a talented little heartbreaker.

It’s an unexpected left turn seeing Timpson move beyond his twisted, blackly comic filmography — in addition to directing Come to Daddy (2019), he’s also a producer on films like Housebound (2014), Deathgasm (2015), and Mister Organ (2022) — to deliver a nice little family film like Bookworm. Things seem to take a darker turn about halfway through with a terrific but brief appearance by Michael Smiley, but Timpson keeps his tone intact. It’s a good time, and Daniel Katz‘s cinematography does double duty highlighting the utter and absolute beauty of New Zealand. Sure, it’s lightweight, but it’ll have you smiling, and that’s no small thing.

The 28th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival runs July 18th to August 4th in beautiful Montreal, Quebec. Follow along with our coverage here.