Mildred (Nell Fisher, 'Evil Dead Rise') is a precocious eleven-year-old Kiwi, an only child raised by a solo mother, who escapes her humdrum existence by immersing into literary adventures. Her long-dreamed quest is to capture proof that the mythological beast known as The Canterbury Panther exists, proof that would result in a substantial cash reward.
When an accident occurs leaving her mother hospitalised, her long-absent father and washed-up illusionist Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood, 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy) flies down to look after Mildred whom he’s never met.
This unlikely pair agree to go camping together while mum recuperates. A child who has read every outdoor guide but never been camping, and a magician more comfortable inside Las Vegas bars, are thrown together in the ultimate test of family bonding in the New Zealand wilderness.