The Wanting Mare

Set in the fictional world of Anmaere, The Wanting Mare is a bold and genre-defining feature debut from writer-director Nicholas Ashe Bateman (who has previously worked on visual effects for The Green Knight). Occupying the space somewhere between a dreamlike fantasy, dystopian drama and decade-spanning romance, the film transports viewers to a world where horses run free. Once a year the animals are hunted and captured to be sold and transported across the sea. The boat is the one chance the city’s population has to escape to a new life. All they need is a ticket. 

Meanwhile, a woman (Jordan Monaghan) lives in a house on the cliffs overlooking the vast ocean. She’s been cursed with a dream passed on through the women in her family that shows the world as it was before. One day, however, she stumbles upon a criminal (Bateman) and saves him from a bullet wound. He could be her way out of this place, but the pair soon spark a passionate romance.

The first act plays out like a collage in motion: small, tightly edited scenes push what sparse plot there is forward at a fast pace, establishing the world simultaneously. There’s no direct causal link between each moment, but there doesn’t need to be. The atmosphere is so expressive that, like a lucid dream, everything just makes sense. Bateman’s ability to create a world as fascinating as this one so naturally and effortlessly is the greatest strength of the feature. The Wanting Mare could be just one of the dozens of strange stories told in the setting.

After a strong first act, though, things start to get less interesting. A large time jump takes the script and events in a new direction that continues to build on this wonderful setup. However, the energetic editing style starts to slow down at this point, which consequently robs the rest of the film of some of its unique presentation. Moreover, a muddy soundtrack makes hearing much of the dialogue a struggle.

There is no singular way to interpret this feature’s purpose. One could read it as a metaphor for women’s role in society, another could just as easily see it as an ecological warning, or even a parable of love. Either way, Wanting Mare makes for a captivating – if somewhat inconsistent – experience.

Andrew Murray

The Wanting Mare is released digitally on demand on 7^th February 2022.

Watch the trailer for The Wanting Mare here: