AAs the Paris Olympics wrapped up this year, thousands of projects were created on social media, with mile runners wondering what their best shot would be to enter the Olympic Village in four years. Breakdance doesn't sound too hard; Maybe air-rifle shooting? But the consensus is that the dream gig is equestrian, where the fancy horses do most of the work and the medalists are all heirs, aristocrats or children of rock legends. You have to win the lottery first.
Unfortunately, fortune turns upside down for rising Olympian Jolie Dumont (Kaia Coleman) in Prime Video's drama Beyond Black Beauty. Her prosperous life in Belgium, complete with a handsome high-class horse, comes to an abrupt end when her parents separate and her mother (Sagine Sémajuste) sells her beloved horse and moves to her middle-class home in Baltimore. Jolie has to keep her dream alive and adjust to a new life that sticks out like a sore thumb at school, but manages to find purpose in training the wild horse Black Beauty.
If it wasn't already obvious, the series is based on Anna Sewell's 1877 novel, which was told from the point of view of a horse and sparked a passion for animals in the hearts of many children. The story is told from one man's perspective, but it still offers an interesting twist on a familiar story. The Wild West was full of black cowboys – although there weren't many black equestrians on the Olympic stage – and this is shown to a lesser extent. African American Horse Culture.
The show is expertly shot; The sense of freedom and strength that Jolie and the other characters see on horseback is elegantly conveyed. But it's often dismissed by its flat, subtext-free dialogue. Family members speak to each other in melodramatic monologues that seem to appear for the audience at the back of the room, most of which end with hugs.
Its saccharine beauty takes the tension out of even more dramatic curves; Knife-wielding bullies and mobsters often prove harmless. The real shame is that despite its feather-light approach, it's humorless. Even the jabs at Jolie's witty cousin Ronnie (Gina James) are too badly staged to register.
The show asks us to invest in the relationship between Jolie and her father (Gilles Marini), a financier, even if it hangs on for little more than the opening scene, in which he reads her Chevelle's novel. He is a remarkable character; Although Jolie says she misses him, she longs for her former life and the trappings of wealth. She demonstrates this through a series of decorated headpieces to distinguish herself from the other girls at school.
Her mother is less tied to the past (though she still wears designer belt buckles). It is unclear whether she truly loved her husband or simply wanted to escape life in Baltimore. While she outwardly supports her daughter, their relationship becomes increasingly mysterious; Jolie is looking plenty of prize horses in the mouth when it comes to the prospect of getting back on track as an Olympian.
The actors do their best to sell deep emotions – by staring off into the middle distance as melancholy piano music plays. It's so subtle that the bonds between the various mother-daughter pairs feel shallow. Coleman is the most compelling of the crowd, but she does her best work when bonding with a four-legged friend, not a family member.
Although it's clumsy and vague – its depiction of European grandeur is more Disneyland Paris than Brideshead Revisited – the show's hard to hate. Its heart is in the right place, aiming to inspire children to follow their dreams. There are plenty of sweet horse moments that inspire young viewers to find a purpose in riding, caring for animals, or dedicating themselves to the sport. It's a shame that the destination is more interesting than the journey. Looking beyond Black Beauty isn't as fun as plotting your own spectacular route to the Olympic Village.
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