“Our molecule’s relationship worked, because its partner was a parasite.”

Moon (Moon Guo Barker) travels through a mysterious world free of adults. She meets a sage, and her translator, in a mountain hut, where she tries to understand what is happening. She meets many others who show her different possibilities for living. She observes and moves on into an unknown future.

With Mare’s nest, Ben Rivers offers a film that mixes screenwriting and improvisation, allowing the performers to contribute to the creation of a work that speaks of a form of freedom, a positive form of anarchy, and a post-world.

Between Dystopia and Hope

Mare’s nest begins unexpectedly, without explanation. Moon gets out of a crashed car and picks up a small turtle. She then walks and begins to explain evolution to the animal. The first half of the film is more verbose, featuring this long monologue, among others. This extended sequence, shot in a single long take, explains, in a way, how we came to progress from a simple small cell to beings who managed to completely destroy our species.

Moon, our main character, tries to understand what is happening to the world—the world left behind by the adults who preceded her—and the answers do not completely satisfy her, so she continues her journey each time. A journey into a post-apocalyptic world different from what we usually see. A world full of hope, but tinged with a certain uncertainty about the future. A place populated solely by children, disconnected from the adult world, and without explanation. This is probably the most interesting aspect of the film, which is, let’s be honest, long to watch.

Shortcomings

There are some very beautiful scenes in this film. The opening scene, with the young girl explaining evolution to us while walking on a deserted road, is transcendent. Another scene—which is in black and white, set in a kind of recent past—shows Moon entering tunnels with a flaming torch where she discovers figures from the past (whose poses are inspired by characters from a Bruegel painting). A surreal scene.

But there are also flaws in terms of logic. For instance, how is it that in this rather distant world, the children are able to drive cars? Clearly, these children are not producing oil. How is it that an old car can not only still function but also have gasoline?

I also have difficulty seeing how these children manage to survive. They all appear healthy despite the difficulties they must face in finding food. And it’s also quite visible on some faces that the dirt was added hastily. There are dark dirt smudges on a face that is clearly far too clean everywhere the ‘dirty spots’ are not clearly identifiable.

These few elements break the logic and cause a loss of interest.

A little more…

Let’s say that in “experimental” terms, Mare’s nest is rather good. It tries things, and that’s what we want. Unfortunately, the result is not particularly satisfying. I was frankly bored during the screening.

Fortunately, the young actress is brimming with talent. Her long monologue is inspired, and her walks through the deserted landscapes are natural. I would be curious to see her on screen again.

Otherwise, you really have to brace yourself when starting this film, as there is very little that will keep you awake after the superb opening sequence.

Mare’s nest is screening at the FNC on October 9 and 18, 2025.

Trailer