Wonderwell

 Wonderwell is a forgettable family fantasy film, but it had a few things that drew my attention. First, its trailer showcased an eerie floating head conversing with its young protagonist, Violet (Kiera Milward). Second, this wrapped filming shortly before star Carrie Fisher's death in 2016. Seven years later, here we are, wondering what went wrong with this well.

Anyway, William Brookfield adapted his short story, Drainhole Dreaming, for Vlad Marsavin to direct. The aforementioned Violet accompanies her family to Italy as her older sister, Savannah (Nell Tiger Free), auditions as a model for fashion star Yana (Rita Ora). She's always feeling left out, so she takes a hike into the woods. That's where she meets the witch Hazel (Fisher), who recognizes Violet as a fellow witch. Did I mention Violet has a magical bond with plants? She does.

Violet finds a giant plug in the middle of the woods. She sees another her down there, and they switch places. Beyond the Wonderwell is the Inferno, a dimension that looks like hers. Sure, there are giant monsters (including the floating head), but everyone else is exactly the same. But Violet is privy to how miserable everyone else is. Meanwhile, Yana happens to be an evil witch who wants Violet's McGuffin bracelet to take over Violet's home dimension, Paradiso. Or something.

The story crumbles once Violet enters the Inferno. Paradiso doesn't even figure at all once she makes the switch. The Inferno is so similar to Paradiso - other than a lot of red weeds, which had me thinking the apocalypse happened - that it's like the switch never happened. There's something about Violet becoming aware of how the world is, just as her parents (Lloyd Owen, Megan Dodd) realize how exploitive the modeling world is. But couldn't another McGuffin reveal the truths? Yana's evil plans for Savannah are somewhat unclear; she's not even siphoning beauty from her models. The ending is simply the most confounding anticlimax in years.

Fisher gives the film some much needed levity as Hazel. Milward is fine enough as Violet, Owen and Dodd are basic on Paradiso and unpleasant in Inferno, and everyone else is just OK. On the technical side, we get an impressive CGI creature with the floating head. Still, what it's supposed to be is as baffling as the plot. The other monster, a giant flytrap, is a good mix of CGI and real puppetry. Cinematographer Kenji Katori gives us some nice views of Italy, while William Ross & Angelo Badalamenti collaborate on a decent score.

Wonderwell is a mess from its story to its tone. Its long-deceased star livens the film with her warm presence. But it's not worth much beyond a rental, which I did. There are plenty of better family films around for streaming. In fact, I saw a better one today, too. You're going to hear about it next.