Elijah Wood is best known for his role as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, playing an adventurer answering the call, and his latest film, Bookworm, sees him return to the genre (and country) that made his career. An adorable family adventure, Bookworm benefits from the charm of its leads to deliver a compelling watch despite its meandering story.
Bookworm Review
Bookworm follows an eleven-year-old girl forced to go on a camping trip in the New Zealand wilderness with her estranged father, a washed-up magician, hoping to catch a glimpse of a mythical creature to earn the reward for sighting footage. Although it is hardly the most exciting adventure you’ll find — the characters aren’t saving the world or looking for some magical talisman — it works because of how invested viewers will get in the characters and their relationship.
Like many movies aimed at younger audiences, Bookworm explores what it means to grow up. The protagonist finds herself at a crossroads in her life, where she is aware of the situation around her but still too young to really find a solution. In a way, her father also has some growing up to do, as he is in over his head dealing with a daughter he doesn’t know how to bond with.
The first half of Bookworm is a relatively standard adventure with lots of heart and humor. Our duo gets into some amusing hijinks, like a run-in with one of the magician’s fans (spoiled by his daughter, of course) and a brief but amusing fart joke in a tent. Although Bookworm doesn’t defy expectations, it’s moments like these — funny and sweet ones — that make it super charming.
However, in its second half, Bookworm starts to wander, losing sight of the mission that took it there in the first place. It’s as if the story itself got lost in the wilderness, getting sidetracked by the arrival of a strange couple who throw a wrench into the protagonists’ adventure. The pacing and rhythm grind to a halt, but viewers won’t entirely lose investment in the film because the characters (and their performers) are so charming that it’s easy to spend time with them, even when the script meanders.
Of course, an adventure movie like this banks on the charm of its star, and young actress Nell Fisher is an incredible talent. For the most part, her performance is incredibly straight-laced, given that the character she plays is a bit reserved and wise beyond her years. However, it’s clear from the script that she is still very much a kid at heart, and Fisher brings this undercurrent to the role.
Wood, on the other hand, gives a deceptively fun performance. In the movie’s first half, it seems as if he will play this exaggerated, larger-than-life performer. And to an extent, he does, channeling many of the mannerisms of a Vegas entertainer. However, as the film goes on and the character grows, Wood channels a vulnerability that makes the character feel much more compelling and nuanced.
Visually, Timpson’s style is solid, serving as an effective homage to the era of adventure movies to which Bookworm is indebted. The settings of the New Zealand wilderness are also essentially a character in and of themselves, lending their natural beauty to the film. Daniel Katz’s cinematography captures these vistas in a fittingly epic way, with the same idyllic eye as a child whose heart is filled with wonder.
Is Bookworm worth watching?
Although it loses some of its steam in the second half, Bookworm is a charming little family movie with two great lead performances. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s refreshing to see an entry into this genre that is satisfied with being quaint and cute, refusing to pander to the short attention spans of the brainrot generation.
Bookworm played at the 2024 edition of Fantastic Fest, which runs September 5-14.
Bookworm Fantastic Fest Review — Elijah Wood Charms in Adorable Family Adventure
The second half of Bookworm loses some steam, but it’s still a charming, endearing family adventure thanks to strong performances by Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher.
