Set in a semi-fantastical rural Wyoming that is instantly familiar and magical, golden, and sun saturated on Kodak film, Riddle of Fire is a distillation of all the child-centred fantasy and adventure films you got to watch when you were off school sick. It follows the adventures of a gang of three tearaway kids (Phoebe Ferro, Charlie Stover, and Skyler Peters) whose summer holiday plans – which initially resemble a magical realist junior Grand Theft Auto – hit a firewall that necessitates the baking of a near-mythical blueberry pie, setting off a spiralling series of side quests that lead to self-discovery, wild swimming, vomiting, and a concerning amount of child peril.
The debut of writer and star (as a bumbling henchman) Weston Razooli, Riddle of Fire is set in a surprisingly convincing alternative rural America, where a self-conscious fairy tale plotline with magic, princesses, charms, curses, woodsmen, and wicked witches (played by an authentically chilling Lio Tipton), fits naturally with monster trucks, all-night bars and tacky gas station knick-knacks. It also features adorably chaotic children at its centre, who are allowed to cuss, fight each other, and get incredibly filthy dirty, which we always find uplifting.
But for all its magic, the film crams too much too slowly to maintain the snappy side quest promise of the opening section. While the child stars are sweet and (mostly) very natural, they are most fun as their chaotic, criminal selves at the film’s opening, so their arc of learning to match their better angels feels almost disappointing. Nonetheless, if you are off poorly from school (or wish you were), Riddle of Fire will definitely deliver the fresh baked blueberry pie taste of nostalgia you need.
RIDDLE OF FIRE premieres exclusively on the Icon Film Channel from May 6th, and will then release in selected UK cinemas on June 7th
