Synopsis: Paul Carpenter is an intern at a mysterious London firm with unconventional employers, including a CEO who wants to disrupt the ancient magical world with modern corporate practices.

Directors: Jeffrey Walker
Writers: Leon Ford; based on the novel by Tom Holt
Cinematography: Donald McAlpine
Editing: Geoff Lamb
Music: Benjamin Speed

Cast: Patrick Gibson, Sophie Wilde, Christoph Waltz, Sam Neill, Miranda Otto, Damon Herriman, Chris Pang, Jessica De Gouw, Rachel House

I’m not too sure how The Portable Door, based on the book of the same name by UK author Tom Holt with production company The Jim Henson Company aboard and Christoph Waltz signed as a supporting actor, managed to end up an Australian film shot on the Gold Coast with an Australian director — but this is a new Stan Original Film. Well, the answer to all of that is “because of COVID,” but I think this is a pretty big deal, and when I clicked play on The Portable Door, I hoped we had done well with this one. Fortunately, we have, and there’s plenty to love here.

The film introduces us to Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson), down on his luck and on the way to an overcrowded coffee job interview in London. A dog steals his scarf, his shoelace comes untied, and a bunch of other weird coincidences lead him inside a building where Sophie (Sophie Wilde) is awaiting a job interview. The team calls in Paul, however, even though he has no idea about this interview nor what he’s supposed to be interviewing for in front of an angry-looking Dennis Tanner (Sam Neill) and a calm Humphrey Wells (Christoph Waltz). Even as he stumbles through the interview, Paul manages to score the job, getting a letter that night telling him to start tomorrow morning — even though he still has no idea what the company, J.W. Wells & Co., does or what his position will be. Nonetheless, he needs the money, so of course, he accepts.

There’s something to discovering what J.W. Wells & Co. do as Paul does in the film, so I’ll let you figure that out yourself. However, the film does a great job of making it clear things are definitely not normal. There’s a magical sensation to everything in Paul’s life the moment the dog steals his scarf from the receptionist, and as he climbs the stairs past Sam Neill’s Dennis Tanner. Benjamin Speed’s music is mysterious, and Geoff Lamb’s editing, in combination with director Jeffrey Walker, brings a fantastical element to each frame. There’s also an odd sensation of not knowing what year the film is set: the company’s materials and tech mix fax machines with computers, while Paul clearly has a mobile phone. It makes the whole movie feel even more out of time — in a good way.

Patrick Gibson and the film-debuting Sophie Wilde make a great young pairing, but Christoph Waltz — and especially Sam Neill — steal scenes every time they’re on-screen. Neill in particular must have had a lot of fun playing a curmudgeonly second-in-charge who wants nothing to do with Paul and only puts up with his hiring as Humphrey (Waltz) sees something in him that no one else can.

The Portable Door fills you with the warm family-film magic I haven’t seen in years. The fantasy world introduced here is worth adventuring into yourself, with plenty of secrets to discover.

Watch the official trailer

The Portable Door premieres April 7th on Stan.

(The Portable Door screener provided for review)