So many times, nowadays, the science fiction genre is bombarded with aliens, space battles, and incredible cities that have vast technology one will not see for years to come. Everything must have a place, and it can never be quiet enough for something a little more mysterious. The Wanting Mare has an answer for it, sticking as a strange yet beautiful tale of a world lacking magic and answers.
The film opens with the death of a mother mentioning to her newborn, Moira, that she will have a dream passed down for generations and always stick with her. Moira (Jordan Monghan) has a burden on her shoulders of a world (Anmaere) where she cannot rely on answers and can only stick with the light it has left. She meets Lawrence (Ashe Bateman), a small-time criminal Moira encounters bloodied up and asks him if she can get him a ticket to escape the city of Whiteren. They spend time together, and it ended when a baby becomes found on the rocks. The film jumps 34 years later to another pair Hadeon (Edmond Cofie) and Eirah (Yasamin Keshtkar), with them both trying to escape but having to deal with a darker atmosphere.
The film may lack a proper plot, but it is defined by its visual spectacle. The cinematographers and production team should be applauded for making the atmosphere feel mystical and vibrant. The viewer gets a sense of this world’s scope, while also understanding the characters’ love and sensations. Director Nicholas Bateman wants us to believe magic is still hidden out there and the characters can achieve some level of salvation.
His direction of the characters also brings up fascinating concepts. We exist in a world where many seek to find paradise, but it becomes corrupted by our greed and selfishness. It destroys our emotional stances and ensures we become blind to others’ pain and suffering. Over time, the world of Anmaere becomes imbued with darkness and hopelessness, which is eerily reminiscent of the actions of humans today. Forget the past, dislike the present, and the future is merely disappointing. Maybe it is for us to see what kind of direction we take our lives and how sometimes we wish to avoid the nightmares right outside our doors. The Wanting Mare answers as a poetic fable wrapped in brilliant images and interesting moral concepts for us humans to decipher.
