I recently had the pleasure of getting to see Riddle of Fire. This is the debut feature film of director Weston Razooli that premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The thing that first drew me to this film was the poster. It’s an 80s style poster with a group of kids and their dirt bikes. Beneath them the title is written in a sort of Lord of The Rings style font. The seeming clash of aesthetics is what caught my eye.
Riddle of Fire is a neo-fantasy that follows a group of three children who are close friends and call themselves the Three Immortal Reptiles. Brothers Hazel (Charlie Stover) and Jodie (Skyler Peters) are joined by Alice (Phoebe Ferro) as they go about causing general childish trouble. Riding dirt bikes and armed with paintball guns, the three are harbingers of mischief in their rural hometown in Wyoming.
When they set off to complete a simple task, things take a turn as they get wrapped up in the dubious actions of the Enchanted Blade gang.
Style wise, this film is reminiscent of 80s adventures like The Goonies or The Lost Boys. This goes beyond simple aesthetics. The storyline, the characters, and the shots themselves fit very well into the film making style of that time, right down to long credits at the beginning of the film and the fact that they’re not afraid to have the bad guys throw those kids around. It can be hard for film makers to try and stylistically follow a decade from the last 50 years without being accused of being samey, especially since the release of a particular Netflix show that seemed to kick off a trend. Riddle of Fire succeeds in embodying this era due to the deep level in which the feel of that period permeates, it feels like a film made by someone who is nostalgic for that time rather than someone who is trying to cash in on that time.
The film itself is set in the modern day. The kids have phones and apps that they use throughout. the setting doesn’t shy away from modernity, just co-exists with it in the story. I do think that this allows a level of forgiveness if you are a person who is tired of the cookie-cutter 80s rehash films coming out the past few years. The creators of Riddle of Fire make it clear that they are not trying to be the 80s, they just liked the way the films were shot.
The story Razooli has written is an enthralling narrative of utterly ridiculous circumstances and characters. You have a group of children who have ended up in a series of rather dangerous and adult situations. With the magical elements of fantasy added in, it allows itself to remove some of the seriousness of the narrative and keep the story fun and light. The kids are bad-mouthed and snarky, many of the adults have a childlike dopiness. It makes for an equal playing field when the kids inevitably try get their own back on the so-called “woodsy bastards” for wronging the Three Immortal Reptiles.
In terms of acting performances, Lio Tipton portrays a terrifying antagonist in the form of Anna-Freya Hollyhock. With a name like a 1970s serial killer, she is icy cold, spends her time creating taxidermy animals, and has some sort of ability to control others with spells. Not only this, but behind her razor-sharp logic and drive seems to be a madness that only comes out when she gets angry. It makes her character an unsettling presence in comparison to her impulsive, gun-toting accomplice Johnny Redrye (Charles Halford).
Her daughter, Petal (Lorelei Olivia Mote), is kept indoors and seems to have inherited her mother’s abilities. Here negligence frustrates the girl to no end and, when paired with Alice, these two characters perfectly capture the unforeseeable rage of little girls.
Each of the kids have a well-developed personality and drive. We see their friendships grow and develop throughout the story. With a witty script and quirky narrative, there is still plenty of space left for us to really get to know the children as we root for them in this adventure. With all of these elements, this film has full potential to become a cult classic. Despite a few plot holes and questionable moments, it’s still an hour and 55 minutes of pure fun and beautiful forest.
