Rarely has a fairly mediocre film excited me to this extent about the director’s future projects. Riddle of Fire is an 80s-style retro kids adventure which pits a trio of paintball-happy scamps against a shady group of occult and taxidermy dabbling adults. Shot on Super 16, the film has an appealing, slightly washed-out look, like hand-me-down T-shirts and threadbare denim. But it’s way too long, the pacing is sloppy and the acting is frequently (and perhaps deliberately) atrocious. The plot, weaving together medieval themes with the quest for pie ingredients, is incoherent, as is much of the dialogue. Still, there’s something here – a kernel of Hunt for the Wilderpeople magic. This is the work of a film-maker whose skill doesn’t yet match his bold vision. But with more experience, we could see great things from American writer/director Weston Razooli.

• In UK and Irish cinemas now