You might not expect the minds behind 2020 horror comedy Come to Daddy to produce one of the sweetest family-friendly films of 2024, but Bookworm is full of such wonderful surprises.
With Bookworm, director Ant Timpson has teamed back up with Come to Daddy screenwriter Toby Harvard and star Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Yellowjackets) for another story of a child bonding with their estranged father. Only this time, Timpson and Harvard swap Come to Daddy's meat cleavers and flaming crossbows for magic tricks and outdoor adventuring. The result is an endearing treat anchored by great performances from both Wood and Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise) alike.
The titular, self-described "card-carrying bookworm" is 11-year-old Mildred (Fisher), whom we first meet constructing an elaborate trap to ensnare her cat. Don't worry, she doesn't mean any harm! She's just fine-tuning her methods for catching the Canterbury Panther, a real-life New Zealand urban legend. The first person to capture proof of it will receive $50,000, and Mildred hopes to secure that money for her and her single mother Zo (Morgana O'Reilly). That money becomes extra necessary when Zo winds up in an exploding toaster-induced coma.
Enter Strawn Wise (Wood), Mildred's biological father and a full-time magician. (Although much like Arrested Development's Gob Bluth, he'd prefer the term "illusionist.") He's flown all the way from America to help her out, so imagine his surprise when he finds that Mildred wants nothing to do with him. She scoffs at his card tricks, pokes holes in all his illusions, and gives him such a thorough verbal dressing-down that you'll wonder how Strawn doesn't hang up his (comically large) hat right then and there and head home.
Instead, Strawn decides to finally step into his role as a father and take Mildred on a camping trip to find the Canterbury Panther. Cue the adorable explorers' outfits, gorgeous landscape shots — as a diehard Lord of the Rings fan, it's great to see Wood adventuring through New Zealand again — and moving father-daughter bonding.
That bonding doesn't come right away, nor does it come easily. Mildred understandably has trust issues when it come to her absentee father, issues that one simple camping trip won't fix. But Bookworm doesn't take the too-easy route of portraying Strawn as a totally deadbeat dad. Instead, Timpson and Harvard take care to explore his awkward attempts at connecting with Mildred — a David Copperfield–related mix-up is in the cards — and his own worries of failure, both as an illusionist and as a father. Wood is wonderful here, delivering a performance that runs the gamut from goofy to deeply melancholy. From fart jokes to contemplative monologues, he can do it all, managing to turn the wildly dressed Strawn — again, it's hard to get past his big hat — into a flesh-and-blood human.
Mildred, too, defies any possibility of just being another precocious child in film. Yes, she sasses her dad and is able to spout an alarming number of nature facts, but Timpson, Harvard, and a charming Fisher imbue her with so much more than a sharp mouth and wit. These things act as a shield for her loneliness, and were also borne out of it: A scene where Mildred laments her mother's overprotectiveness — comparing it to being wrapped in bubble wrap and cotton wool — is particularly effective thanks to Fisher's contemplative, deeply felt work.
The combination of Wood and Fisher's performances is pure magic, not only in scenes where they work through Strawn and Mildred's complicated relationship, but also in Bookworm's more adventurous sequences, which balance physical comedy and genuine danger on a knife's edge. Here, Timpson and cinematographer Daniel Katz craft moments that call to mind great adventure films of yore — including one scene on a rope bridge that feels undeniably Indiana Jones–inspired — while still keeping Bookworm grounded in Mildred and Strawn's personal journeys. Boasting elements that parents and kids alike will adore, Bookworm is proof that the live-action, family-friendly adventure genre is still alive and kicking.
Bookworm was reviewed out of its US premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024. It hits theaters Oct. 18.
