'Bookworm' review: Elijah Wood and Ant Timpson team up again for the sexiest surprise of the year

Maybe don't expect the mind behind the 2020 horror comedy come with daddy Make one of the sweetest family movies of 2024, but Bookworm Full of such wonderful surprises.

with BookwormDirector Ant Timpson is back come with daddy Screenwriter Toby Harvard and actor Elijah Wood (the lord of the ringsyellow jackets) for another story about a boy's bond with his estranged father. Only this time, Timpson and Harvard transfer. come with daddyA meat cutting and burning crossbow for magic tricks and outdoor adventures. The result is a hearty pleasure backed by excellent performances from both Wood and Nell Fisher (The rise of the evil dead) identically.

that Bookworm About?

We first meet self-described “card-carrying bookworm,” 11-year-old Mildred (Fisher), who builds an elaborate trap to catch her cat. Don't worry, she meant no harm! He is perfecting his methods to capture the Canterbury panther, a real-life New Zealand urban giant. The first person to capture the evidence will receive $50,000, and Mildred hopes to pass the money on to her and her single mother, Zoe (Morgana O'Reilly). That money becomes even more necessary when Zo ends up in a coma induced by a toaster explosion.

Enter Mildred's biological father and full-time witch, Stran Wise (Wood). (Although Arrested development(He prefers the term Win Cobb Bluth, “illusionist.”) He's flown from America to help her, so imagine his surprise when he finds out that Mildred wants nothing to do with him. She makes fun of his card tricks, pokes holes in all his delusions, and makes you wonder how Strawn didn't go home with his (comically large) hat.

Instead, Strawn finally decides to take on his role as a father and take Mildred on a camping trip to find the Canterbury Panther. Adorable explorer outfits, beautiful landscapes, like a die-hard the lord of the rings Fans, it's great to see Wood venturing into New Zealand, and the father-daughter bond is moving.

Bookworm It offers a sincere story of father and daughter.

Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher in “The Bookworm.”
Credit: Vertical

That bond does not arise instantly, it does not arise easily. Mildred understandably has trust issues when her father doesn't show up, issues that a simple camping trip can't fix. But Bookworm He doesn't take the very easy route of portraying Strawn as a completely useless father. Instead, Timpson and Harvard are preoccupied with investigating his ill-fated attempts to hit on Mildred. David Copperfield-A related combination is at play, and your own anxieties about failure, both as an illusionist and as a father. Wood is fantastic here, giving a performance that ranges from the silly to the deeply melancholic. From fart jokes to thoughtful monologues, he can do it all, turning the flashily dressed Strahn (again, his big hat is hard to miss) into a flesh-and-blood human being.

Mildred defies the odds of being just another premature baby in the film. Yes, she torments her father and manages to reveal many dangerous natural facts, but Timpson, Harvard, and a charming Fisher inspire her with more than just a sharp mouth and wit. These things serve as a shield for and emerge from her loneliness: a scene in which Mildred laments her mother's overprotectiveness (comparing it to being wrapped in bubble wrap and cotton wool) is especially indebted to Fisher's thoughtful and deeply felt work. .

The combination of Wood and Fisher's performances is pure magic, not just in the scenes where they work on Strawn and Mildred's complicated relationship, but BookwormIn the more adventurous scenes, he balances physical comedy with real knife-edge danger. Here, Timpson and cinematographer Daniel Katz create moments reminiscent of the great adventure films of yesteryear, including a scene on an undeniable rope bridge. Indiana Jones– inspired – while still holding Bookworm Based on Mildred and Strawn's personal journeys. With elements that both parents and children love, Bookworm Proof that the live-action family adventure genre is still alive and well.

Bookworm Fantastic Fest 2024 has been reviewed since its premiere in the United States. Is It opens in theaters on October 18.