It is true that Riddle of Fire feels like a homage to other adventure films, such as The Princess Bride, The Goonies, and Moonrise Kingdom, but this statement also does Weston Razooli's feature film directorial debut a disservice. Riddle of Fire feels comforting in its nostalgic familiarity, but it also feels refreshing and singular, playing out less like a film and more like a video game as the central trio's quest spirals and becomes more wonderfully far-fetched. Whilst Riddle of Fire struggles to justify its near two hour runtime, Razooli's film is as joyful, endearing, and heartfelt as any other release this year.
The premise of Riddle of Fire is simple: Hazel (Charlie Stover), Jodie (Skyler Peters) and Alice (Phoebe Ferro) need to bake a pie for the former two's poorly mother, but one very important ingredient (a speckled egg) eludes them. So begins a faux medieval adventure set in present day Wyoming, with fanciful fonts, mystical voiceovers, and lavish lore. The trio are titled as The Three Immortal Reptiles, with magic and witchcraft colliding in their quest for an egg that sees them battle with The Enchanted Blade Gang. It's an alluring basis, and for the most part it works, as Razooli takes us on a whimsical adventure through the countryside of America. There isn't too much substance to anything here—the lore is nice but rather inconsequential—but the journey is one of undeniable frivolity.
Many of Riddle of Fire's set pieces and sequences are terrific: most notably, its opening section sees Hazel, Jodie and Alice, clad in balaclavas, riding small dirt bikes through the wilderness, kind of like a Mad Max joint, but a bit weirder and with kids. A clandestine deal involving gas and paintballs, and the loading of said balls, plays out with the urgency and allure of a Michael Mann film, whilst the children's subsequent wordless heist of a games console harkens back even further in cinematic history to Jules Dassin's Rififi. Razooli shows a keen eye for compelling, ultra-stylised segments such as these; ultimately though, Riddle of Fire loses this focus in its latter stages, overstretching the already slim plot.
Despite the fact that Riddle of Fire is basically a very simple conceit dressed up in stylish fashion, its presentation is nothing short of fantastic. The 16mm film and gorgeous lighting give the Wyoming countryside a medieval twang, whilst a wonderful original score that is both mournful and fantastical constantly twinkles in the background and sprinkles more character onto the film. Stover, Peters and Ferro are terrific together, but the star is Lorelei Olivia Mote, who joins the trio later in the film as Petal Hollyhock. The evil adults, meanwhile, are led by a frightening Lio Tipton as Anna-Freya Hollyhock, and supported by Charles Halford's lumbering criminal John Redrye.
Despite some frustrations in how Riddle of Fire utilises—or rather doesn't—its fairy tale trappings and unexplored lore, Razooli's film is always a joy to experience. It can become slightly exhausting in its latter stages as the narrative runs out of steam, but Riddle of Fire ultimately ends as endearingly as what has come before. Simplistic plotting, yes, but when all the children's hardship and woes—however real or imagined they might be—are born out of the innocent desire to make their mother feel better, it is hard not to feel cosy and enriched by the time the credits roll.
Riddle of Fire releases on the Icon Film Channel from 6th May 2024 and in selected UK cinemas from 7th June 2024.
