Written and directed by Weston Razooli, who also stars in the film, three mischievous children embark on a woodland odyssey when their mother sends them on an errand. Starring: Charlie Stover, Phoebe Ferro, Skyler Peters, Lorelei Olivia Mote, Lio Tipton, Charles Halford and Danielle Hoetmer.
It’s no easy task to create a film that follows a bunch of children on a wayward adventure, that’s enjoyable for adults but Weston Razooli rises to the challenge. The first trial is to create characters who embrace their youth but have strong personalities, and good senses of humour, and Razooli definitely achieves that. Hazel, Alice and Jodie are a fantastic trio, they’re smart, funny and unusual. The story is a classic adventure, childish hijinks, getting themselves caught up in places they don’t belong. It moves well, it never becomes ridiculous or preposterous, which is not always a given in cinema like this, so it’s a pleasure to see.
The performances from Charlie Stover, Phoebe Ferro and Skyler Peters are genuine fun to watch. They have a wonderful friendship and putting together three child actors who are all so authentic and natural is extremely rare. Ferro’s Alice is headstrong, Stover’s Hazel is sweet but reckless and Peters’ Jodie is a bundle of adorable chaos. The three of them together are like a miniature criminal gang, who have no clue what they’re going or where they’re going but if they want something, they’re going to get it.
When Riddle of Fire then introduces Lorelei Olivia Mote, Lio Tipton and Charles Halford, things get even better. Mote makes the trio into a quartet with another strong personality and impish nature. Tipton is an intriguing enigma, there’s unexplained magic at work, she’s forceful and unforgiving, it’s a great role for her and she revels in it. Halford creates a character who hates kids, in a story full of them, he’s like the typical cantankerous old man but without the ultimately friendly arc.
Another big part of Riddle of Fire’s charm is the incredibly nostalgic aesthetic, the commitment to recreating the feel of the 1960s and 1970s era is impressive. It’s consistent all the way through, there are lots of little quirky touches here and there which bring the style together brilliantly. The atmosphere and tone that Weston Razooli is one that’s rooted in reality but feels like it exists in its own world, like an Enid Blyton tale. It’s both wholesome and weird, there’s this kid-friendly yet not vibe which is odd but surprisingly entertaining. It’s quite a common theme throughout the film that it throws in some curveballs that are unexpectedly endearing.
Riddle of Fire is a charming adventure with a lovable rag-tag bunch of mini-heroes at its helm. Weston Razooli has created something that somehow feels perfectly nostalgic, old-fashioned, yet modern and original. It mixes the classic wholesome vibe with a penchant for the odd and quirky. Lio Tipton takes on a surprisingly ruthless role which she excels at, and it’s quite an achievement from the casting director to find not one but four child actors who are all absolutely wonderful.
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